Kgatlwane is the boss

Brian Benza
Staff Writer | Friday July 2, 2010 00:00

Kgatlwane, who is currently the Principal Executive officer at Debswana Pension Fund, will take over from Victor Senye, who will now head BIHL's property division.The appointment comes after a four-month head-hunt that saw BIHL engage consultants to find the best Motswana to fit Senye's shoes before looking outside. A statement from BIHL says Kgatlwane's role will include sustenance and growth of market share through market penetration and looking for new business opportunities in Botswana and the region.  She will also be expected to spearhead and consolidate plans for a regional thrust in line with the broader vision of the BIHL Group.Says BIHL CEO, Regina Sikalesele-Vaka: 'On behalf of BIHL and Bifm, I would like to congratulate Tiny and welcome her to the BIHL Group. I am confident that with her experience and knowledge of the pensions industry, Tiny will be an extremely valuable member of this dynamic team that has a track record of phenomenal success.' Kgatlwane is a Chartered Accountant who also holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree with majors in Accounting and Management. She brings to Bifm vast experience acquired over 20 years in the financial services industry at the Debswana Pension Fund and management roles at Barclays Bank and Standard Chartered Bank.Kgatlwane joins a growing list of women that have recently taken over as heads of some of Botswana's blue chip corporations, among them Sikalesele-Vaka, who was appointed to her current position last March. Lorato Morapedi took over as the CEO of the National Development Bank (NDB) at the beginning of last month, while Serty Leburu is in line to take over the reigns from David Cutting at Standard Chartered Botswana.Industry sources say another woman, Shirley Segokgo, is headed for the top post at the Public Enterprises Evaluation and Privatisation Agency (PEEPA) where she will replace Kgotla Ramaphane who has been heading the parastatal in an acting capacity. In her statement to announce Kgatlwane's appointment, Vaka takes the opportunity to pay tribute to Victor Senye, the out-going CEO of Bifm. Senye joined Bifm seven years ago after launching his corporate career with the Botswana Development Corporation where he rose through the ranks to General Manager (Business Development) before leaving the Botswana Government's investment arm after 17 years.

Under his tutelage, Bifm has consolidated its lead position in the asset management industry, bringing it to its present dominance where it boasts more than P15 billion worth of funds under its management