TEAM
OUR TEAM
GraySwan is an investment advisory and wealth management firm.
The wealth of our investment experience and the depth, strength and stability of our advisory and investment team amounts to over 100 years. We have been advising and managing the most prestigious institutional client assets in South Africa. It renders us excessively qualified and capable to understand and handle the financial affairs of our clients. The average experience of each of our investment consultants is 13 years, providing our clients with expert advice. With offices in Johannesburg, Somerset West and Stellenbosch, the company is one of the most experienced in terms of assets under advice (>R20 billion).
As a team, we are passionate and known for doing the right things for the right reasons. This means that whatever we set ourselves out to do, we do it with integrity, and we do it wholeheartedly. We always go the extra mile.
We serve a wide range of investors, and all clients have the opportunity to access our best views that are cost-efficient and have proven performance track records. We are not just our clients’ investment consultants, but also their long-term strategic thinking partners.
We believe the following factors set us apart from the crowd: Our independence, our wealth of investment consulting experience, our history of investment management experience, our stable team, our superior service ethos, and our proven long-term track record. We invite you to take flight with us to see the world of investing from a different perspective.
This is the freedom to access quality.
Investment Consulting Team
Tania Theron
Head of Wealth
Mart-Marie de Jongh
Investment Consultant
Okkie Slabbert
Investment Consultant
Braam Bredenkamp
Investment Consultant
Nicola Constable
Administrative Assistant
Natalie Ngonelo
Administrative Assistant
Michelle Lamprecht
Administrative Assistant
Janine Thomas
Administrative Assistant
Aphiwe Kasini
Office Assistant
Investment Team
Duncan Theron
Chief Executive Officer
Gregoire Theron
Chief Investment Officer
Robert Robinson
Senior Investment Analyst
Philippa Owen
Investment Operations and Compliance
Sarel Louw
Senior Investment Analyst
David Goosen
Investment Analyst
Communications Team
Bailey Dewing
Marketing Manager
Nande Boss
Communications Manager
Tania Theron
Head of Wealth
“NEVER TOUCH ANYTHING WITH HALF OF YOUR HEART.”
Tania is a Chartered Accountant by profession and has a keen interest in taxation legislation. She cuts no corners and her perfectionistic eye misses no detail – she has the ability to think of everything that never even occurred to you. Her pedantic disciplined and organized work ethic makes it a delight for clients to be in her presence. Every task is performed effortlessly and she implements and executes transactions while you have a worry-free investment experience. Her previous work experience at one of South Africa’s largest accounting firms and also at one of the biggest banks trained her to build strong client relationships through service excellence.
Her professional excellence is uniquely combined with a passionate and purpose-driven heart. She manages the GraySwan Charitable Trust together with three other trustees. Giving and helping is a devotion the entire team at GraySwan infinitely pursues. It’s part of our DNA as we allocate 10% of our profits to our direct community.
Her precision and perfection aren’t just a matter of professionalism; she is an avid golfer and hits the ball with the accuracy only a CA possesses. When she’s not being a supermom to her 3 kids, she mountain bikes, attends charitable events or explores the countless cuisine secrets that the Winelands have to offer.
Qualifications
B Com Accounting Degree;
Certificate in the Theory of Accounting;
B Com Accounting Honours;
Advanced Certificate in Auditing;
Higher Diploma in Tax;
Chartered Accountant;
First Level Regulatory Examination: Representatives;
First Level Regulatory Examination: FSPs (sole proprietors) and Key Individuals in Categories I, II, IIA, III and IV.
Mart-Marie de Jongh
Investment Consultant (CFP® Professional)
“IF WE DID ALL THE THINGS WE ARE CAPABLE OF, WE WOULD LITERALLY ASTOUND OURSELVES.”
Mart-Marie is a Certified Financial Planner (CFP) with 9 years of wealth management experience. She is responsible for developing and implementing financial plans for our private clients covering all areas of finance, including pre-and post-retirement planning, risk cover and estate planning. In addition to financial planning, she also provides financial advisory services to family businesses and small to medium-sized companies.
She has a keen interest in behavioural finance and a passion for empowering people to understand their portfolios.
She loves going to the beach, hiking, picnicking and enjoying the good food and wine that Cape Town has to offer. When she isn’t busy with her most recent hobby of gardening, you will find her cooking in the kitchen with friends and family.
Qualifications
B Com Degree;
Post Graduate Diploma in Financial Planning;
Certified Financial Planner Professional;
First Level Regulatory Examinations: Representatives.
Okkie Slabbert
Investment Consultant (CFP® Professional)
“PLANNING IS BRINGING THE FUTURE TO THE PRESENT.”
Okkie completed his B Com Degree at the University of Stellenbosch and is a Certified Financial Planner (CFP®). He has been working as a wealth manager, advising high net worth private investors as well as corporate clients, for the past 20 years.
Okkie has a passion for people and their finances and has built his career on the effective interpretations and implementation of his client’s specific financial needs and objectives. In addition to his investment experience, he boasts extensive experience in assessing and addressing risk management solutions for individuals and businesses.
“It’s about keeping things simple but taking account of all aspects of a client’s estate, before deciding on a cost and tax-friendly solution. Every client is unique. There is no one-size-fits-all solution for our clients. Every client, whether it be an individual, business or institution, receives our best practice advice and our 100% dedication to their investment as well as short term insurance portfolio.”
He is an easy-going mountain biker, loves to fish and is a very competitive tennis player. He loves to be outdoors, playing or watching sport – the latter with a glass of quality red wine.
Qualifications
B Com Degree;
Post Graduate Diploma in Financial Planning;
Certified Financial Planning professional (CFP®);
Regulatory Examination: Key Individual;
Regulatory Examination: Representative.
Braam Bredenkamp
Investment Consultant
“NEVER SACRIFICE WHAT YOU COULD BE FOR WHAT YOU ARE.”
Braam has more than 10 years of experience as an independent financial advisor. He aims to provide every client with bespoke advice while building long-term trusted relationships and helping clients make sense of all aspects of the financial planning landscape.
He is married to an artist and father to a 10-year old daughter and 6-year old son. He loves camping, music, reading, movies, cricket (watching professional, playing backyard), cooking, baking and launching Nerf gun battles from behind the living room couch.
Qualifications
Post-Graduate Diploma in Financial Planning (UFS)
National Certificate in Financial Planning, NQF6 (AFM)
BA Degree in Communication Studies (NWU)
RE1, RE3 & RE5 Regulatory Examinations
Duncan Theron
Chief Executive Officer
“SUCCESS COMES TO THOSE WHO DEDICATE EVERYTHING TO THEIR PASSION IN LIFE”
Duncan has 25 years of investment experience of which 20 years as an investment consultant and 5 years in offshore alternative investment management. His extensive investment experience in both fields provides him with a unique perspective to ask the right questions and provide high conviction investment insights.
Duncan has consulted to most of the largest and most prestigious retirement funds in South Africa. He previously fulfilled the role of Director, Head of Manager Research and Senior Investment Consultant at two of the largest investment consulting companies in South Africa. He also previously fulfilled the role of Managing Director and finally the Chief Investment Officer of Sanlam’s offshore alternative asset management business.
In 2010 he founded GraySwan, a boutique and independent investment consulting and wealth management company, alongside his partners Gregoire and Tania.
This father of three is a novice stage-racing mountain biker and surfing, fly-fishing and guitar enthusiast. He is a bespoke reader and a curious learner who always amazes you with his extensive knowledge of investments.
Qualifications
B Com Law;
B Com Honours (Investment Management);
Diploma in Financial Markets and Instruments;
Programme in Mathematical Modelling of Derivatives;
International Certified Hedge Fund Professional qualification;
CFA Level I;
South African Registered Persons Exams;
Financial Services Board Regulatory Exams.
Gregoire Theron
Chief Investment Officer
“OPPORTUNITY EXISTS FOR THOSE WHO LOOK”
As Chief Investment Officer, Gregoire leads the GraySwan Investment Committee and investment manager research efforts. He and his research team focus on proprietary and fundamental investment manager research. He is exceptionally committed and together with his team of research analysts, performs rigorous and scrutinizing investment manager due diligence, both qualitatively, quantitatively and operationally. No stone is left unturned as they skillfully find tomorrow’s consistent performer.
He has 20 years’ investment experience of which 15 years as an investment consultant and 5 years in offshore alternative investment management. His previous role as Head of Risk at Sanlam’s offshore alternative investment business strategically trained him to find and thereafter monitor investment managers with superior risk-adjusted-performance. His thorough and critical thinking feeds into his role as Senior Investment Consultant to provide transparent and leading-edge investment solutions for you.
Under his eagle eye guidance, the investment manager research team continuously meets with investment managers as part of our due diligence process and furthermore produces more than 30 different extensive monthly peer group investment manager surveys, covering all asset classes within local, developed and developing markets.
He is the father of two, an eager runner, always in for a good laugh, thrives on the bountiful energy of the city and is an ambitious musician (not magician) by heart.
Qualifications
International Certified Hedge Fund Professional qualification;
Financial Services Board Regulatory exams;
SAIFM Registered Persons Examinations.
Robert Robinson
Senior Investment Analyst
“AN INVESTMENT IN KNOWLEDGE PAYS THE BEST INTEREST”
Robert is self-driven with robust problem-solving orientation skills and a strong focus on deliverables and possesses the ability to incorporate and consolidate research into product needs. With over 14 years’ investment experience, he started in the local / offshore alternative investment management and thereafter moved to more traditional investment management. He is experienced in both passive and dynamic asset allocation and active and passive investment management. With Robert’s wealth of knowledge and one-of-kind programming skills, he is sure to help our clients navigate the investment markets.
Born and raised in Johannesburg, he is a keen traveller and loves to go on 4×4 trails in Botswana, enjoys spending time outdoors mountain biking and entertaining at home with his wife over a good bottle of wine with friends.
Qualifications
B Com Risk Management Degree;
Financial Services Board regulatory Exams.
Philippa Owen
Investment Operations and Compliance
“BE A REFLECTION OF WHAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO RECEIVE”
Philippa has over 22 years of investment experience, the last 8 of which have been focused solely on investment operations, fund structuring (onshore and offshore), compliance, development of a sound investment infrastructure and the implementation of effective risk management and compliance plans.
Prior to returning to South Africa in 2012, Philippa was investment director and portfolio manager for a number of large institutional fund of hedge fund portfolios in London, where she gained significant exposure to investment strategies and implemented sound operational due diligence practices for manager selection. As part of the investment committee, she was responsible for the top-quartile performance of the various absolute return mandates she managed.
Philippa is a mother of three and loves being back in Cape Town and embraces all the outdoors lifestyle has to offer. She is a keen nature photographer and enjoys exploring Southern Africa with her young family.
Qualifications
B Business Science;
Major in Economics;
Honours in Information Systems;
CFA Charterholder;
First Level Regulatory Examination: Representatives; First Level Regulatory Examination: FSPs (sole proprietors) and Key Individuals in Categories I, II, IIA, III and IV;
JSE Registered Person (SAIFM).
Sarel Louw
Senior Investment Analyst
“AN INVESTMENT IN KNOWLEDGE PAYS THE BEST INTEREST”
Sarel is an investment strategist who enjoys understanding the bigger picture of corporate operational challenges as well as micro issues within the investment process. An analytical person who thinks in innovative and unorthodox ways to develop unique investment and business solutions. Skilled big data analyst using a range of data analysis tools such as R and Excel.
Loves challenges where a diverse range of skills can be applied. To describe Sarel, some key characteristics include being ambitious, adaptable, disciplined, and goal-oriented.
Occasional ultra-distance cyclist.
Qualifications
B Com Degree;
Post Graduate Diploma in Financial Planning;
Master of Business Administration;
CFA Charterholder;
Regulatory Examination: Key Individuals – RE1;
Regulatory Examination: Representatives – RE 5.
David Goosen
Investment Analyst
“WHEREVER SMART PEOPLE WORK, DOORS ARE UNLOCKED”
David is a strategic problem-solver who enjoys sharing knowledge. He started his career in the health care consulting industry, whereafter he moved to Bancassurance. Out of his passion to share the knowledge he transitioned to lecturing business statistics. After having fulfilled his lecturing need, he boldly moved into the investment management industry and celebrates over five years of investment management experience. Being introverted with a strong appreciation for solving complex issues often leads him to hours of creating different investment opportunities for investors.
Outside of work, he enjoys a good non-fiction book or spending time outdoors.
QUALIFICATIONS
BSc Actuarial Science.
Bailey Dewing
Marketing Manager
“BE FEARLESS IN THE PURSUIT OF WHAT SETS YOUR SOUL ON FIRE”
Bailey has over 10 years’ of investment experience. She takes responsibility for our branding and marketing. As a very analytical but also creative person with good communication skills, Bailey is responsible to promote brand activities and strategies to establish and maintain the presence of the GraySwan brand.
Bailey has a keen interest in innovation, especially disruptive technologies and the trends they are creating in business.
Bailey is mom of two young children and loves to be part of their world of imagination and curiosity. She loves to read, is always ready for a new adventure, is an avid ‘FRIENDS’ fan and her favorite place to be is the bushveld with family.
Qualifications
Honours degree in a Bsc Property Studies;
Advanced Adobe Certificates.
Nande Boss
Communications Manager
“THERE IS ONLY ONE RULE FOR BEING A GREAT TALKER – LEARN TO LISTEN”
Nande is an experienced Management Consultant with 5 years’ experience in Project and Change Management across the financial services, engineering, telecommunications and retail industries. With a strong skill set for managing change at programme and project levels, Nande brings practical ideas and workable solutions to manage and advise clients. She has successfully partnered with medium to large companies to craft communication campaigns for transformational programs and has developed approaches and tools for managing strategic change initiatives.
Her professional excellence and incredible ability to connect and communicate with people adds a dynamic layer to the GraySwan business and how we serve our people.
Powered by her singing and dance sessions with her 6-year-old daughter, her participation in inspiring both men and women through her speaking at conferences globally; Nande believes she can inspire anyone she meets to overcome any challenging situation that may come their way.
In 2020, Nande joins GraySwan as Communications Manager to oversee and ensure excellent communication for our clients.
Qualifications
Diploma in Electrical Engineering;
BTech in Project Management;
Trained in Lean Change Management.