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Old Mutual

Katherine Barker is the Proposition Executive Head within Old Mutual’s Retail Mass Market, appointed in 2026, where she is responsible for driving strategic priorities and strengthening delivery across the business unit, with a focus on developing simple, scalable and customer-centred solutions. She brings more than two decades of financial services experience across insurance, banking and reinsurance, spanning executive leadership, board-level governance, actuarial insight, regulatory navigation and digital innovation. Before joining Old Mutual, Barker served as CEO and Executive Director of Capitec Life and Group Executive: Insurance at Capitec Bank Holdings, playing a leading role in building Capitec Life from concept to execution and establishing a fully licensed, digital-first life insurer serving millions of South Africans. Her previous roles include Head: Life and Health Southern Africa at Swiss Re, senior leadership roles at Momentum, and earlier actuarial experience at Old Mutual. A qualified actuary and Fellow of the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries in the United Kingdom, she is recognised for building high-performing teams, leading complex insurance transformation, and delivering propositions built around customer needs. She is also a published author on leadership.