Sanlam Employee Benefits appoints new Managing Director for Group Risk business

Chris Cooke

Sanlam Employee Benefits (SEB), a division of Sanlam Investments, today announced the appointment of Chris Cooke as the new managing director of its Group Risk business. Bringing with him a wealth of experience in the employee benefits industry, Cooke takes on the responsibility of further consolidating the risk benefit provider’s business successes.

“We are extremely pleased with the appointment of Chris as SEB Group Risk managing director. His expertise and diverse experience will prove invaluable to our business,” says Robert Roux, acting chief executive of SEB. “Considering the sound actuarial background and in depth knowledge of the risk solutions business that Chris has, we are excited about the fresh energy that he brings to Sanlam Employee Benefits and look forward to seeing him steer the business to further heights.”

Cooke joins SEB from Swiss Re where he held the position of head actuary, client markets. His career history is a tapestry of risk benefits experience which has seen him responsible for duties such as strengthening and growing existing business relationships and overseeing the actuarial departments involved in the review of rating basis as well as rates for group risk business.

Cooke’s career has spanned more than 17 years within the employee benefits space where he has used his actuarial skills to grow the business base of each of his employers.

“Sanlam Group Risk offers trusted and sought-after expertise and I hope to build on the momentum that the business has already established in order to maintain it as an important profit centre for Sanlam Employee Benefits,” says Cooke. “The growth strategies are already in place and with the reinforcement of a focused approach we can only go from strength to strength.”

“While the year so far has been successful for Sanlam Group Risk, there are many challenges still ahead,” he continues. “However, we are confident that improved efficiencies and further integration and synergy across the Sanlam Investments cluster will lead to increased market share and compound SEB’s profitability.

Cooke graduated from the University of Cape Town with a B Sc. Honours in 1993. He is also a Fellow of the Faculty of Actuaries and a Certified Financial Planner.