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Press release: New FISA council constituted

After the annual general meeting of the Fiduciary Institute of Southern Africa (FISA) on 27 March 2018, a new council was constituted with a new chairperson and vice-chairperson.

The new FISA chairperson is Dr Eben Nel. He replaces Ms Ronel Williams who came to the end of her three-year term as chairperson. The FISA constitution limits the terms of office of the chairperson and vice-chairperson to a maximum of three consecutive years.

Ms Angélique Visser was elected as the new FISA vice-chairperson. Dr Eben Nel had held this position for the previous three years.

FISA Chairperson Dr Nel said: “As the only regulatory body for fiduciary practitioners in South Africa, FISA is entering an exciting phase of actively professionalising the industry. We have introduced a formal qualification in fiduciary practice, in cooperation with the University of the Free State, and more than a third of our members already hold the FPSA® designation (Fiduciary Practitioner of South Africa).

“The fiduciary environment has an impact on everyone as we will all be confronted with death – either our own or that of a family member. We believe that every South African has the right to be served by knowledgeable, ethical and professional practitioners,” he said.

The 10-member council now comprises the following:

Dr Eben Nel, chairperson

Ms Angelique Visser, vice-chairperson

Mr Ian Brink, regional councillor, Northern Region

Mr Colin Hickling, regional councillor, Central Region

Ms Cheryl Howard, regional councillor, Gauteng Region

Ms Shayne Ramdhani, regional councillor, KwaZulu-Natal Region

Mr Aaron Roup (FISA secretary), nationally elected councillor

Mr Louis van Vuren (FISA CEO)

Mr Ryno Venter, regional councillor, Western Cape Region

Ms Ronel Williams, nationally elected councillor.

Please see the biographies below of the chairperson, vice-chairperson and CEO.

ends

 

Contact:

Lucy Reyburn on lucy@lucyreyburn.com and 082 922 7483 OR

Dr Eben Nel on eben.nel@psg.co.za and 082 576 3268

 

NOTES TO EDITORS

About FISA

FISA is the only professional body focusing solely on fiduciary practitioners in Southern Africa. FISA is a non-profit organisation that represents fiduciary practitioners and sets high minimum standards for the industry.

FISA members come from trust companies and banks, as well as the legal, accounting and financial planning professions.

FISA members do estate planning, draft wills, administer trusts, deceased estates, and beneficiary funds, supply tax advice and compliance services, and administer client assets.

FISA members collectively manage several hundred billion Rands. They draft several thousand wills each year and administer around 50 percent of deceased estates reported to the Office of the Master of the High Court.

FISA helps to smooth processes for members and the public, through its good working relationship with the Master’s Office and the SARS.

Biographies

  • Dr Eben Nel – FPSA®, CFP®

Dr Nel has 20 years’ experience in the financial planning and fiduciary industry, the last 10 of which have been with PSG Trust in Port Elizabeth. He 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 Associate in the Faculty of Law at Nelson Mandela University. Dr Nel contributes regularly to peer-reviewed legal publications on trust law and related topics.

  • Angelique Visser – FPSA®, CFP®, MTP(SA)™, TEP

Angélique Visser, a director at Baraza Wealth, entered the financial industry in 1991. She has experience in estate planning, estates, trusts, wills and tax. Ms Visser has a Master’s degree in law and a postgraduate diploma in financial planning. Positions held previously were Head of Fiduciary at Standard Bank Wealth and Investments, Head of Governance as well as Head of Estates and Trusts at FNB Fiduciary Services and Director at FNB Trust Services Namibia. She is a Certified Financial Planner, a member of the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP) and the South African Institute of Tax Professionals (SAIT).

Ms Visser was Chairperson of FISA from 2012 to 2015. She liaises with the Chief Master’s office, SARS, National Treasury and various other stakeholders in her current role on the FISA council.

  • Louis van Vuren – FPSA®, CFP®, TEP

Louis van Vuren’s career in financial services goes back some 28 years, with 22 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.