MAS has announced the appointment of Werner Behrens as Chief Executive Officer with effect from the 1st of May 2019.
With a strong track record as a senior management executive, Werner’s experience spans more than thirty years in a number of corporates including the Development Bank of Southern Africa, Nedcor Investment Bank, Nedbank and Regent Insurance Group.
Werner served inter alia on Nedcor Investment Bank’s executive and investment committees as Chairman of Nedbank Capital’s credit committee and more recently on the executive and investment committees of the Regent Insurance Group. In his various roles, Werner provided strategic organisational direction, he oversaw and executed capital allocation and investment as well as provided management and organisational leadership. He has specific experience in corporate deal-making and implementation, and he is experiences in leading multi-disciplinary professional teams.
Chairperson, Ron Spencer comments:
“I am delighted that Werner has agreed to join MAS and we welcome him to the role. We undertook a comprehensive recruitment process in search of the right person to lead MAS and received substantial interest in the role. Werner is a strong and dynamic leader with an impressive track record. The Board believes his deal-making capabilities, willingness to operate from the Isle of Man as well as experience and skills in developing and managing important partner relationships qualify him as the best candidate for the CEO role.”
Malcolm Levy will continue as interim CEO until 1 May 2019, and he will be integral to the handover period. When this is complete, Malcolm will transition into a non-executive director role within MAS where the company will continue to benefit from his experience.
“The board would like to thank Malcolm, one of the co-founders, for his important contribution over the years and values his continued involvement with the business as he transitions to his new role as a non-executive director,” said Ron.
Martin Slabbert, managing partner of Prime Kapital, MAS’ joint venture partner in Central and Eastern Europe, said: “Werner is a seasoned investment professional and was a mentor to me during my time with NIB in the early 2000’s. We at Prime Kapital look forward to continuing our close working relationship with the MAS team under his leadership.”
Malcolm said: “Werner’s wealth of experience and strong leadership qualities are the particular skills required by MAS and I believe he has the right attributes to lead the company and the team during this exciting time for the business.”
