Our board has a unitary structure comprising ten directors: six of these are independent
non-executive directors, while one is non-executive, and three are executive directors. The board
defines levels of authority, reserving some specific powers while delegating others to senior
management. In line with King III, there is a clear separation between the role of the independent
non-executive chair, Larry Nestadt; and Brett and Mark Levy, the joint chief executives.
As chair, Larry Nestadt is responsible for setting the ethical tone of the board and ensuring that
it remains efficient, focused, and cohesive. He provides overall leadership to the board, without
limiting the principle of collective responsibility for board decisions. He also facilitates
communication with shareholders and ensures optimal relations between the executive and
non-executive directors.
CEOs Brett and Mark Levy provide leadership to the executive team in running the businesses of
the Blue Label Telecoms Group, and report regularly to the board on the progress in delivering
objectives against strategy.
The group’s financial director is Dean Suntup.
Brett has an impressive entrepreneurial record of founding and operating many small businesses across a wide range of industries. These include the distribution of fast-moving consumer goods and insurance replacements for electronic goods.
He currently serves as a director of various Blue Label companies and plays a key role in developing Blue Label's strategy and commercial negotiations.
His achievements have earned him a number of prestigious nominations, accolades and awards. These include the Absa Bank Jewish Entrepreneur of the Year Award (2003) and the Absa Jewish Business Achiever Non-Listed Company Award (2007), which he won jointly with his brother Mark. Brett was nominated as an Ernst & Young World Entrepreneur SA finalist for 2007.
In 2010 he received the Liberty Life Award for a Remarkable Success Story in the David Awards and was a finalist in the Top Young Entrepreneur category of the African Access National Business Awards. In 2011 he shared the Top Entrepreneur accolade in the African Access National Business Awards with Mark.
Brett joined the Board on 1 February 2007 and is a director of various Group companies.
Born: 1971
After years as a successful commodities trader, Mark became an entrepreneur,
operating various small businesses across different industries.
Serving as a director of various Blue Label companies, Mark is also integral in
spearheading the execution of Blue Label's growth strategy, integration of
acquisitions and development of the IT architecture.
His leadership stature is frequently recognised. Together with Brett, Mark received the Absa Jewish Business Achiever Non-Listed Company Award (2007). He was an Ernst & Young World Entrepreneur SA finalist for 2007.
In 2010 Mark was voted Top IT Personality of the Year by ITWeb and was a finalist in the Top Young Entrepreneur category of the African Access National Business Awards. In 2011 he shared the Top Entrepreneur accolade in the African Access National Business Awards with Brett.
Mark joined the Board on 1 February 2007 and is a director of various Group companies.
Born: 1977
Dean completed his articles at PwC where he continued working after qualifying as a chartered accountant, participating in the audits of various large corporations and multinational companies.
In 2003 he joined BSC Technologies, a business established by the Levy brothers, and where he later became financial director. In 2005 he transferred to The Prepaid Company in the role of Financial Director. In heading up finance at Blue Label, Dean contributes significantly to the governance and reporting systems across the Group. Dean is a member of SAICA.
Dean joined the Board on his appointment as Financial Director on 14 November 2013 and is a director of various other Group companies.
Larry is a co-founder and former executive director of Investec Bank Limited and has been instrumental in the creation and strategic development of a number of listed companies including Capital Alliance Holdings Limited (Capital Alliance Life — acquired by Liberty Life; Capital Alliance Bank — now Brait), Super Group Limited, Hosken Consolidated Investments Limited, SIB Holdings Limited, CorpGro Limited and Global Capital Limited. He also served as past chairman on the boards of these companies. Previously, Larry sat on the boards of Softline Limited, JCI Limited and Abacus Technologies Holdings Limited and is a former chairman of a number of non-listed company boards both in South Africa and abroad, including Stenham Limited (UK) and Prefsure Life Limited (AUS).
Larry is the current executive chairman of Global Capital Proprietary Limited and the current chairman of Blue Label Limited, Dis-Chem Pharmacies Limited, Universal Partners Limited, National Airways Corporation Proprietary Limited, Morecorp Group and Selldirect Marketing Proprietary Limited. He also serves as non-executive deputy chairman of Cell C Limited. Larry is a life member of the World Presidents' Organisation, Lloyds of London since 1983.
Larry joined the Board on 5 October 2007. As a respected senior member of the South African business community; his strategic vision, guidance and experience contribute significantly to the Board and its deliberations.
Born: 1965
Joe qualified as a chartered accountant in 1993.
In 1996, he co-founded Gobodo Incorporated, an accounting practice with eight other partners which later became SNG Grant Thornton.
In 1999, he led a management buy-out of Gobodo Corporate Finance from the accounting firm and rebranded it aloeCap Proprietary Limited, of which he is currently the executive chairman.
He serves on the board of directors of various non-listed companies in which aloeCap is invested. Joe is an independent non-executive director of Dis-Chem Pharmacies Limited and the chairman of Cell C Limited. He is also chairman of Dis-Chem audit committee.
Joe joined the Board on 5 October 2007.
Lindiwe is a Chartered Accountant (SA) and has extensive governance, finance and business experience. Having worked in investment banking — property and infrastructure finance — and also as chief financial officer, she is an experienced non-executive director having previously served on the boards of various listed and unlisted companies including Woolworths, Massmart, Group 5, Torre, Sea Harvest, Cell C, PetroSA, Hyundai Automotive South Africa, Liquid Capital, Metrofile Holdings and Sabvest Capital Limited.
Other public board memberships Public Companies:
Massmart Holdings Limited, Metrofile Holdings and Sabvest Capital Limited, Cell C Limited
Born: 1956
Nomavuso is a Chartered Accountant (SA) who completed her articles, she spent one year at Deloitte before joining SizweNtsaluba VSP (formerly Nkonki Sizwe Ntsaluba).
During her tenure at SizweNtsaluba, she specialised in consulting, internal auditing and attest function. Following the introduction of the Public Finance Management Act, she identified an opportunity and then started the corporate governance division which housed the internal audit services. She was also involved in staff development and training as a staff partner for five years. She later joined the Imperial Group as the Group Audit and Risk Executive and while there, she introduced Training Outside Public Practice (TOPP). When she left the group, she had 11 TOPP trainees who were spread across the group, and she continued to assist Imperial Group on a consulting basis to ensure they receive adequate training.
She was appointed to serve on the board of Imperial Bank as a non-executive director representing Imperial, the position she held until the bank surrendered its banking licence in September 2010. Nomavuso sits on a number of boards in both listed and unlisted companies.
Ms Happy Masondo is a qualified senior attorney and director, with specialist skills in renewable energy projects, information technology projects and public-private partnerships. Her expertise includes legal and regulatory project management skills including collation of relevant compliance tender documents, analysis and review of the legal and regulatory requirements.
Other public board memberships Public Companies:
She is an experienced non-executive director and currently serves on the boards of Dis-Chem Pharmacies, Bright Light Solar VCC and is a trustee of Investec Entrepreneurship Development Trust.
Born: 1961
Jerry has held various executive positions in government and in the business sector, including that of Director for Commerce and Industry at SAICA and Managing Director of the Black Management Forum (BMF), where he also served on the board of the BMF investment company. He was later appointed as the CEO of Business Unity South Africa (BUSA) and has also served as chairman of the SADC Employer Group and the EU-Southern African Business Council. In addition to representing business at Nedlac, he served as a member of the King Committee on Corporate Governance, the National Anti-corruption Forum and SADC Business Forum.
He was nominated by Parliament and appointed by the President as a Public Service Commissioner in 1998.
In the recent past, he served as a member of the BBBEE Advisory Council and the first National Planning Commission.
Jerry was chairman of the Mpumalanga Gambling Board, Mpumalanga Economic Growth Agency and the State Information Technology Agency (SOC) Proprietary Limited until the end of his term in 2015. He previously served on the boards of PPC Limited and Goliath Gold Limited and held the position of chairman of Netcare Limited as well as adviser to Citibank.
Jerry is currently executive chairman of Palama, an investment company, and also serves on the boards of Cell C Limited and Sibanye-Stillwater Limited, where he also chairs the social and ethics committee.
Jerry joined the Board on 19 October 2011.