Roger Jardine to chair Old Mutual upon Trevor Manuel’s retirement

Old Mutual has appointed Roger Jardine as chairman designate, with the veteran business leader set to take over from Trevor Manuel following the group’s annual general meeting on 5 June 2026.

The insurance and financial services group confirmed the move in a Sens on Tuesday, following the release of its latest results, saying the appointment is subject to Jardine’s confirmation as a director at the AGM.

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Manuel, who has chaired the insurer since 2018, will retire from both the board and the chairmanship at the close of the meeting after reaching the company’s mandatory retirement age of 70.

The leadership change follows what Old Mutual describes as a structured succession process led by its nominations committee and forms part of a broader board renewal programme.

A three-month handover period, running from March to June, has been put in place to support continuity and ensure a smooth transition.

Jardine joined the Old Mutual board in September 2025 and brings extensive executive and board-level experience. He most recently served as chair of FirstRand for nearly six years, and previously held chief executive roles at Kagiso Media, Aveng Group and Primedia.

His career spans multiple sectors, including financial services, infrastructure, manufacturing and media, and includes a number of non-executive directorships across southern Africa.

Old Mutual says Jardine’s expertise covers governance, commercial operations, stakeholder engagement and public policy, alongside experience navigating complex regulatory environments.

Commenting on the appointment, Manuel says: “On behalf of the Board, I want to congratulate Roger on his appointment as Chairman Designate. Roger has outstanding leadership experience in financial services and the broader business environment.

The Board is confident that his proven strategic, governance and operational leadership will be invaluable to Old Mutual as it continues on its ambitious path of strategic and operational renewal and enhanced value creation. I look forward to working closely with Roger over the next few months to ensure a smooth and effective transition.”

Jardine holds a Master of Science in radiological physics from Wayne State University and a Bachelor of Science in physics from Haverford College.

Manuel lauded Jardine’s outstanding leadership experience in financial services and the broader business environment. “I look forward to working closely with Roger over the next few months to ensure a smooth and effective transition,” he said.

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