Senior Legal Adviser: Group Legal

Sanlam was established as a life insurance company in South Africa but has since transformed into a diversified financial services group that operates across the African continent, India, and Malaysia, with listings on the Johannesburg, A2X and Namibian stock exchanges. In 2018 the Sanlam Group celebrated its centenary as well as 20 years since demutualisation and listing in South Africa and Namibia. Sanlam has presence in 31 countries and has the biggest non-banking financial services footprint on the African continent.

The Sanlam Group's five business clusters (Sanlam Fintech, Sanlam Life and Savings, Sanlam Investment Group, Sanlam Allianz and Santam) house the Group's business operations. The Group Office provides strategic direction and support to the five clusters, assisting them in realising their strategies and meeting their business objectives. The Group Office is responsible for governance and the Group's centralised functions, which includes: Finance, Actuarial and Risk Management, Strategy, Human Capital, Market Development and Sustainability.

Acts as the central legal counsel to internal clients and a variety of business units within the Sanlam Group on complex competition law matters or projects, including mergers and acquisitions, monitoring of merger conditions or behavioural remedies, partnerships/joint ventures, distribution, exclusivity, information-sharing and commercial arrangements. Oversees engagements with anti trust regulatory authorities in relation to the Sanlam Group and coordinating competition related regulatory investigation responses. Developing, maintaining and reporting of standardised enterprise wide competition law frameworks, guidance notes, protocols and operating standards across the Sanlam Group. Shared responsibility for proactively identifying, managing, and mitigating matters posing legal, governance, or regulatory exposure to the Sanlam Group.

The successful candidate will also:

• Serve as the primary competition law expert for the Group, providing expert, forward looking legal advice to Group Exco, cluster leadership and board level stakeholders on the full spectrum of competition law matters, including prohibited practices, abuse of dominance, information sharing, distribution, exclusivity arrangements and joint venture structures;
• Review, draft, and negotiate competition sensitive contractual provisions, including non compete, exclusivity, most favoured nation, and information barrier clauses in commercial agreements and transaction documents, and advise on competition law dimensions of distribution agreements, and data sharing arrangements;

• Lead and manage all competition law aspects of mergers, acquisitions, joint ventures, and disposals across the Group, including the preparation and submission of merger filings to the South African Competition Commission and Tribunal, and equivalent authorities in relevant African and international jurisdictions, and oversee and provide strategic direction to external legal counsel engaged on competition matters;
• Design, implement, and continuously improve an enterprise wide competition compliance programme, including standardised Group policies, risk matrices, guidance notes, and operating standards, and deliver tailored training programmes to Group Exco, cluster leadership, legal teams, compliance officers, procurement teams, and commercial teams;
• Identify and recommend measures to address legal issues, including legal risks, which may impact on Sanlam Limited, Sanlam Life Insurance Limited as well as the Sanlam Group;
• Proactively identify, assess, and report on material competition law risks facing the Group, develop a clear Group wide framework for competition law risk classification and escalation protocols, participate in relevant Group Legal and Compliance governance forums, and support the Group's King V corporate governance obligations by ensuring that competition law risk management is appropriately embedded in the Group's governance structures.

• LLB Degree and / or equivalent, with master's and/or economics degree being advantage.
• Admitted Attorney with 8 to 10 years post admission experience in relation to competition/antitrust laws.
• Demonstrable experience in the financial services sector (insurance, banking, investments, or asset management) is required. Demonstrable experience engaging with the South African Competition Commission, Competition Tribunal, and/or Competition Appeal Court, including merger filings and/or investigation responses, is required. Experience in data sharing regulation, corporate governance, the Companies Act, the Financial Sector Regulation Act, the Insurance Act, JSE Listings Requirements, and B BBEE compliance is advantageous.
• An understanding of the complexities associated with a multi national diversified financial service Group operating in multiple jurisdictions will be an advantage.

• Expert knowledge of the Competition Act, 89 of 1998 (as amended), and its practical application in complex commercial contexts, including cartel prohibition, abuse of dominance, merger control, exemptions, and the SMME Block Exemptions. Sound understanding of the Competition Commission's current enforcement priorities and its 2025 to 2030 Strategic Plan, including its focus on market inquiries, systemic enforcement, and sectors relevant to the financial services industry.
• Extensive experience managing and strategically directing external competition law counsel, including briefing, fee management, and ensuring alignment with Group legal strategy. Ability to proactively cultivate relationships with external competition law counsel, regulatory officials, industry bodies, and peer Group Legal functions within the Group's clusters and internationally.
• Ability to provide clear, confident, and well reasoned legal advice to senior executives, cluster leadership, and board level stakeholders, including the ability to deliver difficult messages with appropriate tact and conviction. Working understanding of economics as it applies to competition analysis, including market definition, dominance assessment, price theory, and the economics of vertical restraints.
• Strong command of legal project management, including the ability to manage multiple matters simultaneously across different clusters and jurisdictions with appropriate prioritisation and reporting. Proficiency in legal technology tools, including matter management systems, contract analysis platforms, and knowledge management tools.
• Deep understanding of the financial services industry and the commercial and strategic drivers of the Sanlam Group's business model, enabling competition law advice that is commercially sound and not merely technically correct. Awareness of global competition law trends relevant to a diversified financial services group, including multi jurisdictional enforcement cooperation and data related competition issues.

Business Insight

Builds networks (internally and externally)

Managing complexities

Develops Others: Mentors and upskills other legal professionals within Group Legal and the clusters on competition law matters, contributing to the Group's overall legal capability and talent development objectives.

Integrity: Upholds the highest standards of professional and ethical conduct, consistent with Sanlam's Code of Ethical Conduct and its governance principles.

Resilience

Cultivates innovation

Drives results