FISA announces new appointments
At its Annual General Meeting held on 18 March 2015 in Johannesburg, the Fiduciary Institute of Southern Africa (FISA) announced the results of elections, resulting in the following appointments:
Ms Ronel Williams was appointed as National Chairperson, for a term of two years. Ms Williams is a highly experienced fiduciary practitioner with a career spanning 25 years. Please see the pensketch below. She succeeeds Ms Angelique Visser, who held the position of FISA National Chairperson for the past three years.
Dr Eben Nel was appointed as Vice Chairperson for a term of two years. (Pensketch below).
In addition, prior to the AGM, the position of Chief Executive Officer of FISA was confirmed as a permanent appointment. Mr Louis van Vuren was announced as CEO, a position he has held in an acting capacity. (Pensketch below).
The FISA Council now comprises the following members:
National Chairperson: Ronel Williams
Vice Chairperson: Eben Nel
National Councillor and Secretary: Aaron Roup
National Councillor: Angelique Visser
Eastern Cape Regional Councillor: Eben Nel
Free State Regional Councillor: Colin Hickling
Gauteng Regional Councillor: Cheryl Howard
KwaZulu- Natal Regional Councillor: Muhammed Jagot
Western Cape Regional Councillor: Chris Murphy
Chief Executive Officer: Louis van Vuren
FISA National Chairperson Ms Williams said: “FISA’s vision is to play a leading role in the fiduciary profession in Southern Africa. We aim to promote the fiduciary profession by raising standards, which will benefit our members and the public.”
“The new role of CEO is an indication of the increasing demands of members and FISA’s growing stature in the industry. Mr van Vuren will attend to operational matters and implementation of strategy and report to the Council.
“I look forward to working with him and my fellow Council members to further promote the interests of fiduciary practitioners and educate the public about fiduciary matters,” said Ms Williams.
Date: 24 March 2015
Issued on behalf of FISA by Lucy Reyburn of .Word on 082 922 7483 or lucyrey@iafrica.com
Contact: Ronel Williams, National Chairperson, FISA on 021-416 6327, 083-286 3591 or ronel@fidsa.org.za
NOTES TO EDITORS
FPSA®
“FPSA®” stands for Fiduciary Pracitioner South Africa, the highest standard that FISA members can achieve through the professional examination introduced in 2011. The examination is administered and quality assured by the Centre for Financial Planning Law at the University of the Free State, which has also introduced a programme in fiduciary practice in 2015.
Pensketches
Ronel Williams, Chairperson, FISA (FPSA®, CFP®)
Ms Williams has a career spanning 25 years in the fiduciary, legal and academic sphere. She currently heads the fiduciary team (Cape) at Nedbank Private Wealth. Prior to that she held senior fiduciary positions within Nedgroup Trust and Syfrets Trust/BoE Trust. She worked as Assistant Master of the High Court from 1991to 2002 and was a Junior lecturer at University of Stellenbosch in 1991.
Ms Williams is an Advocate of the High Court, a Certified Financial Planner®, a Master Tax Practitioner (SAIT) and a Trust and Estate Practitioner (STEP). She has a BA and LLB from Stellenbosch University, an LLM (cum laude) from UNISA, and a postgradudate Diploma in Tax Law from UCT.
Dr Eben Nel, Vice Chairperson, FISA (CFP®)
Dr Eben Nel has 17 years’ experience in the financial planning and fiduciary industry, the last seven of which have been with PSG Trust in Port Elizabeth. Dr Nel specialises in estate planning, wills and trusts. He has a doctorate in trust law and financial instruments and is an Advocate of the High Court of South Africa. He is also a Certified Financial Planner and Research Fellow in the Faculty of Law at the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University. Dr Nel contributes regularly to peer-reviewed legal publications on trust law and related topics.
Louis van Vuren, CEO, FISA (FPSA®, CFP®,TEP)
Louis van Vuren’s career in financial services goes back 25 years, with 19 of these in the fiduciary industry. He holds BA, LLB and LLM degrees from RAU (now UJ), the Advanced Certificate in Leadership from UCT and the Advanced Post-Graduate Diploma in Financial Planning from the UFS. He served as legal adviser and in management in Old Mutual and in various senior management roles in Old Mutual Trust and BoE Trust, before taking early retirement in 2012. He is director: trust services of Finlac Risk and Legal Management (Pty) Ltd, a fee-based financial planning practice in Cape Town.
About FISA
The Fiduciary Institute of Southern Africa (FISA) is a non-profit organisation that represents fiduciary practitioners and sets high minimum standards for the industry to protect the public’s interests. FISA is the only professional body focusing solely on fiduciary practitioners in Southern Africa.
Activities of FISA members include, but are not restricted to, the drafting of wills, administration of trusts and estates, beneficiary funds, tax and financial advice and the management of client funds.
FISA members collectively manage in excess of R280 billion. They draft several thousand wills each year and administer around 50 percent of deceased estates reported to the Master’s Office.
FISA helps to smooth processes for members and the public, particularly through its good working relationship with the Master’s Office and SARS.