Izak Smit

Vice Chairman, International Cooperative and Mutual Insurance Federation

Izak Smit is the Group Chief Executive Officer of the Professional Provident Society (PPS), the financial services firm that serves graduate professionals, since July 2016. His career of more than 30 years includes roles at Sanlam, Citadel and Absa. At Absa he was the managing executive of Absa Life (2008 to 2011) and of financial services (non-banking) distribution (2011 to early 2016). He is a qualified actuary and holds honours degrees from the universities of Stellenbosch and Pretoria and a Post Graduate Diploma in Strategy and Innovation from Oxford. He is a respected business leader in the insurance industry and serves as the Vice Chairman of the International Cooperative and Mutual Insurance Federation (ICMIF). He is married to Liezel. Away from the office, his two sons ensure that their dad participates in various hobbies with them which include mountaineering and surfing.