The Association for Savings and Investment South Africa (ASISA) has welcomed Mahesh Cooper as the new Chairman of the ASISA Board of Directors. Cooper is the Chief Operating Officer of Allan Gray and has been a member of the ASISA Board since July 2022. He has served as Deputy Chairman since June 2024.
Cooper takes over from Iain Williamson, the outgoing CEO of Old Mutual. Williamson resigned from the ASISA Board effective 1 June 2025, ahead of his retirement from Old Mutual on 31 August 2025.
Kaizer Moyane, CEO of ASISA, thanked Williamson for his leadership, which was backed by a quiet diplomacy approach in a year marked by political uncertainty and significant changes to South Africa’s retirement system.
Moyane confirmed that a new Deputy Chairman of the ASISA Board will be appointed at the next meeting scheduled in September 2025.
Cooper, a qualified actuary, rejoined Allan Gray as an executive director in May 2022, having served as a non-executive director since July 2020. He holds a Bachelor of Business Science degree from the University of Cape Town and a Master of Business Administration from the Institute for Management Development.
