​Speaker Profiles

​​Meet the voices shaping Global Risk Resilience

The International Forum of Terrorism Risk (Re)Insurance Pools (IFTRIP) 2025 is honored to welcome an esteemed group of speakers comprising global leaders, subject matter experts, and influential voices in the fields of terrorism risk, insurance, security, and resilience.

These individuals bring a wealth of experience and knowledge, offering invaluable perspectives on the evolving risk landscape and the strategies required to address complex global threats. Their contributions will inform, challenge, and inspire meaningful dialogue throughout the forum.

Get to know the thought leaders who will share their insights, inspire new thinking and guide us through a powerful exchange of ideas in Cape Town.

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Geopolitics in Crisis: How Global Conflicts and Resource Threats Shape International Relations

​​DR GRACE NALEDI MANDISA PANDOR

Born on 7 December 1953, Dr Pandor is South Africa’s former Minister of International Relations and Cooperation from 2019-2024. She was part of the ministerial team of the cabinet of South Africa that initiated the genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice. Dr Pandor was appointed the new Chair of the Nelson Mandela Foundation from 1 October 2024. Dr Pandor will be the third person to hold the position since Nelson Mandela established the organization in 1999.

Dr Pandor became an MP in 1994 and has amassed impressive experience in positions of public office, including Deputy chief whip of the ANC in the National Assembly from 1995 to 1998, served as the Deputy chairperson of the National Council of Provinces in 1998, and its Chairperson from 1999-2004.

Dr Pandor’s experience in education policy planning made her a welcome appointment as South Africa’s Minister of Education in 2004. She has been a member of cabinet ever since, and has served her country in the following portfolios: 

> Minister of Education (2004-2009):
> Minister of Science and Technology (2009-2012);
> Minister of Home Affairs (2012-2014); 
> Minister of Science and Technology (2014-2018); and
> Minister of Higher Education and Training (2018-19).  

Dr Pandor holds a PhD from the University of Pretoria (2019) and has been awarded honorary doctorates by the Cape Peninsula University of Technology, Stellenbosch University, the University of Lisbon (Portugal), and University College Dublin (Ireland). Additionally, on 28 February 2025, she was appointed as an honorary professor in Education by the University of Pretoria.

Upon being awarded Germany's highest federal award, the Grand Cross of Merit, the German Ambassador to South Africa, Walter Lindner, said: "Pandor is for us a symbol of the new South Africa: modern, innovative, dedicated to scientific progress and also outstanding female leadership".

Dr Pandor is married to Mr Sharif Pandor and have four children and seven grandchildren. 

​Steven E. Seitz
Director, Federal Insurance Office at U.S. Department of the Treasury



Steven E. Seitz is the Director of the Federal Insurance Office (FIO) in the U.S. Department of the Treasury and leads FIO’s domestic and international work.

FIO monitors all aspects of the insurance industry, including access to affordable insurance for traditionally underserved communities and consumers, minorities and low- and moderate-income persons. FIO also coordinates federal efforts and develops federal policy on prudential aspects of international insurance matters, including representing the United States at the International Association of Insurance Supervisors (IAIS) and negotiating covered agreements with foreign governments and authorities. FIO also administers the Terrorism Risk Insurance Program in the United States. Additionally, FIO is authorized to collect and disseminate data and information on and from the insurance industry.

Steven serves as a non-voting member of the Financial Stability Oversight Council. At the IAIS, Steven is a member of the Executive Committee and is Vice Chair of the Macroprudential Committee. In 2024, Steven became Chair of the International Forum of Terrorism Risk (Re)Insurance Pools (IFTRIP). Steven also represents FIO in other bilateral and multi-lateral international insurance matters.

Steven previously served as the Deputy Director of FIO. Among other roles, Steven worked in Treasury’s Office of the Assistant General Counsel (Banking and Finance) prior to joining FIO.

Steven holds a B.A. from Cornell University and a J.D. from The University of Chicago Law School.    

Day 1

The rise of political violence in the world

​Marina Oberholzer
Senior Client Manager, Middle East and Africa, Public Sector Business at Swiss Re



Marina Oberholzer is a Senior Client Manager for Public Sector Business at Swiss Re in Switzerland. She has extensive experience working with the public sector in Africa and Europe, specializing in catastrophe risk pools, public asset insurance, and parametric insurance. Marina holds a Master of Public Policy degree from Duke University, USA.

​From Terrorism to Cyclone: Expanding state-owned Insurance for a chnaging climate
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​Chris Wallace

Chris Wallace is an insurance executive with experience in general insurance, workers compensation, health insurance, medical indemnity, and reinsurance. He has worked extensively in insurance leadership roles within insurers and as a consultant to the insurance industry. Chris has leadership experience in most aspects of the insurance sector including small, specialised insurers and large insurers.

Chris is also a non-executive director and Chair of MIPS Insurance Pty Ltd, a medical indemnity insurer. Through his role with ARPC, Chris is also a member of the OECD High Level Advisory Board for the Financial Management of Large-Scale Catastrophe Risks. Previous professional roles include being General Manager Workers Compensation at GIO, Executive Director at Ernst & Young, and General Manager Benefits Management at HCF. ARPC is a member of the International Forum for Terrorism Risk (Re) Insurance Pools, where Chris is Past President.

Chris has a Doctor of Philosophy in Economics, specialising in general insurance pricing and strategy. He is a fellow of the Australian and New Zealand Institute of Insurance

Panel discussion: The geopolitical impact on security and resilience.

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​Prof Barend L. Prinsloo

Prof Barend L. Prinsloo is an accomplished intelligence and security professional with over 25 years of experience across national defence, multilateral operations, and academia. He is currently serving as Acting Director of the Centre for Geopolitical Security and Strategy (CGSS) within the Faculty of Humanities at North-West University, South Africa.

His career includes senior leadership roles at the United Nations and North-West University, where he has led the design and implementation of high-impact security programmes, guided multidisciplinary teams, and advanced key policy and institutional reforms. Prof Prinsloo’s areas of specialisation encompass intelligence collection and analysis, counterterrorism, regional and national security frameworks, and geopolitical strategy.

He has directed several high-level operational units, produced strategic security assessments for post-conflict contexts, and provided expert guidance on legislative reforms related to national security. A recognised thought leader in African security studies, Prof Prinsloo brings a substantial record of publication, conference participation, and advisory work across Africa, the Middle East, Europe, and the United States.

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​​Jerry smith

Jerry Smith OBE is Head of Advisory at CHC Global; a London-based specialist risk advisory practice. Jerry leads a team of specialists supporting the insurance sector in understanding and managing terrorism, political violence, and crisis management. The team also consults directly into governments, NGOs and blue-chip clients. He has deep technical expertise in countering terrorism and CBRNE perils.

Jerry started his career as a Bomb Disposal Officer in the British Army. After leaving to work in commercial landmine clearance, he joined the UK Government’s defence science laboratories at Porton Down to lead counterterrorism and counter proliferation projects. In 2006 he became a weapons inspector with the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW). After a brief return to Dstl, he re-joined the OPCW to create the Contingency Operations Team. He led the 2013 – 2014 UN field operations to verify, disable and remove Syria's declared chemical arsenal. He was in Damascus when the OPCW was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.

Jerry has worked in over 40 countries across all continents. He holds an MBA, BEng(Hons) & PGDip in Weapon Effects. He is a member of the Institute of Explosive Engineers and a visiting fellow at Cranfield University.

Panel Discussion: New approaches to Risk Modelling and Probable Maximum Loss (PML)

​Hayley Clark
Chief Actuarial Officer | Sasria SOC Ltd



Hayley Clarke is the Chief Actuarial Officer of Sasria SOC Ltd where she is responsible for the actuarial, quality assurance and business intelligence divisions. Hayley has joined Sasria following 12 years at Aon Re where she was an actuary on the Executive Committee. At Aon, Hayley was involved in structuring reinsurance programmes and advising on risk and capital for insurers and reinsurers throughout sub-Saharan Africa. Further, she chaired the Aon Re CSI Committee and Aon Environmental Committee. Hayley is passionate about the topic of climate change and the impact this will have on societies, particularly in Africa. She has been involved in parametric insurance projects for several African countries with the emphasis on developing solutions to reduce the protection gap and enhance community resilience. Her MSc dissertation covered the topic of remote sensing weather index insurance for agriculture in South Africa.

Stephen Hudson

Stephen Hudson works within Guy Carpenter Analytics & Advisory practice and leads the Political Violence Advisory team. Stephen is responsible for the management of political violence solutions and services; developing Sunstone, our proprietary terrorism risk model; delivering analytics projects; and advising brokers and clients for both Guy Carpenter and the wider MMC businesses. This includes portfolio wide analysis in support of reinsurance placement and cat bond placement to detailed site level probable maximum loss studies. Stephen has focused on mitigating political violence risk and increasing resilience for 20 years.

​​Themba Sibiya
Executive Manager: Strategy and Underwriting Sasria SOC Ltd 

Themba is a hardworking professional who is passionate about organisational synergy and customer experiences. With his commendable track record, Themba believes in adding value to the organisation by continuously developing his skills and capabilities. Themba has experience in both long and short-term insurance. Before joining Sasria where he has spent nearly two decades, Themba started his career at Metropolitan Life, one of South Africa’s major long-term insurance company. Throughout his career he has gained exposure in internal auditing, claims, IT, underwriting and strategy.

Panel Discussion: Harnessing technology for risk mitigation - Sasria's approach to predicting and mitigating social unrest

​Muzi Dladla
Executive Manager: Stakeholder Management | Sasria SOC Ltd



Muzi Dladla is an Executive Manager at Sasria SOC Ltd, responsible for sustainability, stakeholder engagement, marketing, and communications. He is both a Non-life and Life insurance specialist. He is a researcher, writer, climate and risk enthusiast focusing on inclusive, and collaborative solutions. Some of his notable work is in catastrophe risk modelling and he is currently writing a book on the psychology of the South African protestor. He was also nominated as one of Africa’s 13 thought leaders in 2024 by IRMIC Zimbabwe.

​​Dr Christopher Mahlathi

Dr Christopher Mahlathi is a Senior Engineer at CSIR with expertise in water quality modelling, Decision support systems, and geospatial analytics. With a PhD in Civil Engineering and over a decade of multidisciplinary experience, he develops innovative solutions for complex environmental and societal challenges. His work includes development of decision support tools for environmental monitoring and management, backend development for the Advanced Fire Information System, and predictive tools for risk and social unrest. Dr Mahlathi is passionate about applying emerging technologies like machine learning responsibly to solve real-world problems across diverse sectors.

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Global Violence and protest insights

​​Andrew Linke

Andrew Linke is Assistant Professor in the Geography Department at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City. He is also an Advisory Board member at ACLED and a Senior Associate Researcher at the Peace Research Institute Oslo (PRIO). He uses Geographic Information Systems data, spatial statistics, and population surveys to understand the geographies of violent conflict and human-environment interactions. His research has been published in the Annals of the American Association of Geographers, Climatic Change, Environmental Research Letters, Global Environmental Change, Journal of Conflict Resolution, Journal of Peace Research, and Political Geography, among other journals. His work has been funded by the National Science Foundation and the Social Science Research Council. He is a member of the editorial board of Political Geography.

​Global Risks Impacting PVT and SRCC (Natural Disasters, Legal and Illegal Immigration)
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​Francisco (Paco) Espejo Gil

Assistant Director, Research and International Relations, Consorcio de Compensación de Seguros (CCS)

Paco has been in his current position at CCS since 2018. Before his current leadership position, he was the Senior Expert on Natural Hazards at the Sub-directorate for Research and International Relations at CCS. Prior to CCS he was Head of the Unit of Relations with World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and International Cooperation, for the State Meteorological Agency of Spain (AEMET). He has held several positions at AEMET including Research Specialist, Forecasting Specialist and Radiosonde Specialist.

He is a member of the High-Level Advisory Board on the Financial Management of Catastrophic Risks (HLAB) of the OECD and represented CCS to the European Commission and OECD WGs on insurance, catastrophic risks and climate change; to the World Forum of Catastrophe Programmes (WFCP). He is also a member of the Insurance Europe Sustainability Working Group and EIOPA Technical Expert Network on Catastrophe Risks. In addition, he is part of the Spanish Advisory Expert Group for the Assessment of Climate Change-Driven Risks and Impacts.

He has several publications in subject areas involving: Systemic Risks, Catastrophic Risks and Insurance, Climate Change and Insurance, Social and Economic Benefits of Weather and Climate Information, Hydrometeorology, Snow Science, Water Availability, Synoptic Climatology, Climatology and Extreme Weather Events.

Paco holds a degree in Geography and a master’s degree in physical Geography from University of Zaragoza. He holds a second master’s degree in insurance business administration from ICEA-Pontifical University of Salamanca. He is also a licensed Meteorologist.

Day 2

Panel discussion: Alternative sources of capital: CAT Bonds

​​Jonathan Gray

Jonathan has been the Chief Underwriting Officer for Pool Re, the UK’s mutual terrorism pool for commercial terrorism, since 2November 2022. Previous to this, he had served as President of Global Specialty Reinsurance for Axis Re, having joined them through their acquisition of Novae in 2017. At Novae he lead the Property Reinsurance Unit having been with the company since he began his insurance career in the Lloyd’s Market in 1989.

He has also served for more than 20 years as an elected local government Councillor in his home county of Huntingdonshire. He also volunteers as Chair of Governors of Kimbolton School, an independent co-educational school for 4-18 year olds.

​​​Tim Brewer

Tim Brewer is the Chief Operating Officer at Synthetik. He is a former British Army officer, and a professionally licensed engineer.

Tim now resides in the US, and his current role sees him leading technical programs for the Department of Defense, Department of Homeland Security, and for the Ministry of Defence in the UK.

He has been providing consultant services to the terrorism and political violence insurance market for over a decade and led Synthetik’s support to both the Baltic II (Pool Re), and Athena (GAREAT) Cat Bonds as modeling and reset agent.

​​Tomas Durand

Thomas is a P&C treaty broker at Guy Carpenter France and he is working on GAREAT’s reinsurance program. Previous to joining Guy Carpenter, Thomas held various positions as an actuary, at PwC and at Groupama.

​​​Alda Dos Reis Plaquette

Alda is Secretary General of GAREAT in Paris and has extensive experience in negotiating and placing reinsurance coverages in several markets for the past 32 years, with a wide background working in an international environment. Prior to joining GAREAT Alda was Head of Non-Life Reinsurance at Allianz France in Paris.

Panel Discussion - Contract clarity and certainty

​​​CHRISTINE RODRIGUES

Christine Rodrigues is a partner at Bowmans and a member of the Financial Services Regulatory practice.

Christine is an expert in all aspects of insurance and reinsurance, covering both life and non-life sectors. She has extensive experience working with all stakeholders in the insurance industry, including brokers, insurers, and regulators. Christine serves as a strategic advisor, providing guidance on both litigious and non-litigious insurance matters.

Her practice is not limited to South Africa; she regularly advises clients on cross-border insurance issues. Commercially astute, Christine is known for her ability to identify potential risks and pitfalls, ensuring her clients are well-informed and protected.

A recognized thought leader in the industry, Christine is a frequent contributor to professional publications and a sought-after speaker at seminars and conferences.

Christine has B.Com and B.Com (Hons) degrees from the University of the Witwatersrand and an LLB from the University of South Africa (UNISA). Her B.Com (Hons) was awarded first class with majors in Insurance and Risk Management.

​Donald Dinnie
Insurance litigation director Norton Rose Fulbright



Donald is a senior litigation lawyer with over 32 years of experience specializing in insurance and reinsurance law. He is highly regarded for his expertise in disputes and coverage work, including medical malpractice and healthcare disputes. Donald regularly advises major short-term insurers and reinsurers in South Africa, as well as Lloyd’s syndicates and international reinsurers. His specialization includes regulatory matters, complex disputes, subrogated defences, recoveries, and policy interpretation for insurers and reinsurers.

He previously served as Managing Director and CEO of Norton Rose Fulbright South Africa and was head of its Disputes Group. Donald is consistently recognized as a leading practitioner in his field, including being named “Lawyer of the Year” in Insurance Law in Johannesburg (2024) by Best Lawyers South Africa, a Stand-out Lawyer of the Year 2025 by Thomson Reuters, and a top practitioner in Who’s Who Legal: Insurance & Reinsurance 2024. Chambers Global also recognizes him for his dispute resolution expertise.

Donald frequently publishes and lectures on insurance, reinsurance, and medical law, and is a knowledge resource for clients in these sectors. He is an Honorary Member of the Institute of Loss Adjusters of Southern Africa and serves as a non-executive director of the Insurance Institute of South Africa. He holds a BA LLB and HDip Company Law from the University of the Witwatersrand and a CML from Unisa/UP.

​Charlie Betts

Charlie is Head of Political Violence at Lancashire Insurance Group where he underwrites across the Terrorism and Aviation classes. He started his career at Hardy Syndicate 382, before moving to Lancashire in 2012.
Charlie has a degree in French, Spanish and European Studies from the University of Bath.

​Assessing the impact of global elections of political stability
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​Dr Sithembile Mbete

Dr Sithembile Mbete is a political scientist with over 15 years of experience working in academia, civil society and government. She is the Executive Director of the Public Affairs Research Institute (PARI), a research institute focused on building democratic and effective state institutions in South Africa. Sithembile has a DPhil in International Relations from the University of Pretoria (UP) where she was a Senior Lecture in the Department of Political Sciences. Prior to UP, she was a researcher in the secretariat of the National Planning Commission contributing to the drafting of the National Development Plan in the areas of public service reform, anti-corruption policy and community safety. Sithembile comments frequently on a range of political issues in South African and international media including the Financial Times, the New York Times, Al Jazeera, BBC World News, CNN, SABC, NewzroomAfrika, Voice of America, and others.

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Panel discussion: The future of cyber terrorism and political violence

​​Tom Clementi

Tom Clementi was appointed CEO of Pool Re in April 2022 prior to which he was CEO of MS Amlin, a Lloyd’s underwriting business, where he spent 13 years in various management roles. Tom was a Director of the Lloyd’s Market Association between 2017 and 2020 and a common Councillor in the City of London between 2017 and 2022. Prior to insurance Tom worked as a solicitor at Linklaters. He currently serves as a Governor of the Royal Ballet School and is a member of the National Preparedness Commission, the CBI’s Financial Services Council, and the OECD’s High Level Advisory Board on Catastrophic Risks. Tom has an MBA from INSEAD business school and a degree from Oxford University.

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French perspective on SRCC

​​ Stephen Hudson

Stephen Hudson works within Guy Carpenter Analytics & Advisory practice and leads the Political Violence Advisory team. Stephen is responsible for the management of political violence solutions and services; developing Sunstone, our proprietary terrorism risk model; delivering analytics projects; and advising brokers and clients for both Guy Carpenter and the wider MMC businesses. This includes portfolio wide analysis in support of reinsurance placement and cat bond placement to detailed site level probable maximum loss studies. Stephen has focused on mitigating political violence risk and increasing resilience for 20 years.

​Panel Discussion: Kidnapping and Ransom.

​​Dr Imtiaz Ismail Sooliman

INTRODUCING DR SOOLIMAN, FOUNDER AND CHAIRMAN OF GIFT OF THE GIVERS

Dr Imtiaz Sooliman was born on 7 March 1962 in Potchefstroom, in South Africa’s North West Province. He completed his schooling at Sastri College in Durban, matriculating in 1978, before going on to study medicine at the University of KwaZulu-Natal Medical School, where he qualified as a medical doctor in 1984.
In 1986, Dr Sooliman opened a successful private medical practice in Pietermaritzburg
He was progressively involved in student affairs as the chairperson of the high school affairs portfolio of the Muslim Students Affairs, involved in community affairs as head of the governing body at Mountain Rise Primary School in Pietermaritzburg and subsequently the chair of the Governing Body Association of 120 schools, involved in religious activity giving many lectures at religious institutions throughout the country.
In 1994 he made the life-changing decision to close his thriving practice, choosing instead to dedicate himself fully to humanitarian work through the Gift of the Givers Foundation, which he had founded in August 1992.
The inspiration for the foundation came from a spiritual calling Dr Sooliman received at the age of 30 from his spiritual teacher, Sufi Sheikh Muhammed Safer Efendi al Jerrahi, in Istanbul, Turkey.
The message instructed him to serve all people — regardless of race, religion, colour, class, political affiliation, or geographical location. This spiritual mission has guided his work for over three decades and remains at the heart of the organisation’s ethos.

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Panel Discussion: The future of cyber terrorism and political violence

​​ Richard Ifft