Sarita has been an independent non-executive director since 2013. She is currently the Chairperson of UsPlus Limited and the Equities Express Securities Exchange. She serves as a director of JSE Listed entities, unlisted entities and NPCs. She was previously a member of the Litigation Committee of the Financial Services Board until it was disbanded. She has been declared a fit and proper person by the Financial Services Conduct Authority. She was previously a member of the Institute of Directors Certification Committee. She has chaired and been a member of Remuneration Committees as well as a member of Audit, Risk and Social and Ethics Committees, Governance and Nominations Committees.
Sarita is an admitted attorney who holds various qualifications including but not limited to a B.Proc. LLB, MBA (GIBS), accredited mediator for South Africa and the Centre for Dispute Resolution in the UK. She is also a coach for aspiring and existing directors. Sarita also holds an international designation in Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) and an international designation in Climate.
She is a fellow of the Institute of Directors as well as a panelist examiner for the Competent Boards (Canada) ESG programme and an examiner for the IoDSA Certified Director examinations.
She has a strong passion for enhancing Board effectiveness having worked with Boards for more than 20 years and for assisting aspiring non-executive directors. She is currently on the core faculty of the Institute of Directors South Africa NPC as a governance specialist conducting training, facilitation, board evaluations, coaching and governance advisory services. Her skills and experience include inter alia directorship, ESG, Climate, company secretarial, risk, governance, legal, corporate affairs, strategy, sustainability, CSI, communication, human resources, mediation and facilitation.
Sarita was a Public Defender and Prosecutor prior to joining the corporate world. She spent most of her corporate career in financial services.
She is a regular speaker on corporate governance at conferences, seminars and in the media.
BOARD EXPERIENCE
10 Years as an Independent NED
11 Years as Group Company Secretary
DESIGNATIONS & QUALIFICATIONS
Certified Director®
B.Proc (UDW now UKZN)
LLB (UDW now UKZN)
MBA (GIBS)
Banking Board Leadership Programme (GIBS)
Diploma in Advanced Banking (RAU now UJ)
Certificate
in Compliance Management (RAU now UJ)
Accredited Conflict Dynamics Accredited Mediator
Accredited UK Centre for Effective Dispute Resolution commercial mediator
GCB.D (Competent Boards designation in ESG)
CCB.D (Competent Boards designation in Climate)
Emotions-centred coach (School of Emotions)
Ontological coach (Newfields Network)
SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE
- Corporate Governance
- Legal
- Company secretarial
- Compliance
- Risk management
- Human resources
- General management
- Banking sector
- Governance consulting
- Coaching
- Commercial mediation
- Disciplinary enquiries
- Facilitation of strategy discussions and conflict on boards
- Mentoring
CURRENT GOVERNING BODY POSITIONS
- Independent non-executive director of Reunert Limited, JSE listed company, where she has rotated off as Chair of the Remuneration Committee, but remains a member and a member of the Audit Committee and Social, Ethics and Transformation Committee.
- Chair of UsPlus Limited and Chair of the Remuneration Committee and a member of the Social and Ethics, and Audit and Risk Committee.
- Nictus Limited a JSE Listed Company, where she serves as a member of the Remuneration Committee, and a member of the Audit and Risk Committee, the Governance Committee and the Social and Ethics Committee.
- Chair of Equities Express Securities Exchange where she is a member of the Regulatory Committee.
- Grayston Preparatory School Governing Board, where she Chair the Parent Association.
PREVIOUS GOVERNING BODY AND PROFESSIONAL POSITIONS HELD
- Member of the Litigation Committee of the Financial Services Board from 2013 until the committee was disbanded as part of the establishment of the Financial Services Conduct Authority.
- Member of the Nominations Governance Committee and the Risk Committee of Reunert Limited.
- Co-opted member of the Certification of the IoDSA.
- Deputy Chair on the ActionAid South Africa.
- Panelist examiner on the Competent Boards (Canada) ESG programme
- Mediation panel of Conflicts Dynamics
- Alumni of Competent Boards (Canada)
- Judge of the 30% Gender Mainstreaming Awards
- Judge of the IFC/IoDSA case study competition
