OPPENHEIMER GENERATIONS - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Executive Chairman of Nianova
Arnold Meyer is the Executive Chairman of Nianova (which includes Tswalu Kalahari, Fireblade Aviation, Niarra Travel, Weeva and a joint venture with JAN Group). He has extensive experience in executive roles in the property industry. He studied Organisation and Workstudy at the Technikon Witwatersrand (University of Johannesburg) and in 2002 completed his MBA at De Montfort University, Leicester.
Arnold commenced his career in real estate holding various roles at RMB Properties and then Broll Property Group, becoming CEO in 2003. During Arnold's tenure, Broll became the largest property services group in Africa. In 2007, Arnold was interim CEO of the V&A Waterfront before joining Renaissance Capital where he established the Pan African land development business, Rendeavour.
David Lambotte is the Head of Governance and the Jersey Office for Oppenheimer Generations. In this role and as a member of the Executive Committee, he is involved in various aspects of the fiduciary, legal, tax and risk matters pertaining to the Oppenheimer family and their global interests. David sits on numerous boards and oversees the management of the various trusts and investment entities which make up the global ownership structure.
David has worked in Jersey, London and the Cayman Islands throughout his career in wealth management, trustee and family office services; and has been recognised by CityWealth as a ‘prominent and leading figure' in these industries.
David holds a Bachelor of Arts (Hons) in International Business, he is a Fellow of ICSA: The Governance Institute and is also a full Member of the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners.
Dr Greg Mills heads the Johannesburg-based Brenthurst Foundation, established in 2005 by the Oppenheimer family to strengthen African economic performance. He holds degrees from the Universities of Cape Town (BA Hons) and Lancaster (MA cum laude, and PhD), and was, first, the Director of Studies and then the National Director of the SA Institute of International Affairs from 1994-2005.
With Brenthurst he has directed numerous reform projects in African states, including Rwanda (2007-8), Mozambique (2005-11), Swaziland (2010-11), Malawi (2012-14, and again 2020-2021), Kenya (2012 and 2020), Lesotho (2008; 2019-2020), Liberia (2006-2007), Zambia (2010; 2016), Zimbabwe (2009- 2013), Ghana (2017), Ethiopia (2019-2020), Nigeria (2017-2018), and almost continuously at various levels of government in South Africa from the Foundation's outset. He also sat on the Danish Africa Commission and on the African Development Bank's high-level panel on fragile states, and served four deployments to Afghanistan with the British Army as the adviser to the commander. He has also worked extensively in Colombia, and with a variety of African governments in both improving the conditions for peacebuilding and investment, including through the Zambezi Protocol on the natural resource sector.
Job Titles:
- Chief of Staff
- Managing Director
- Managing Director of Oppenheimer Generations Asia
Edoardo Collevecchio is the Managing Director of Oppenheimer Generations Asia.
Edoardo joined Oppenheimer Generations as Chief of Staff in 2016. In this role he coordinated several strategic and change-related projects in South Africa, UK and Jersey. He has recently relocated permanently to Singapore to set up a presence in Asia and lead the family's interests across the region, with a focus on early and growth stage investments. Edoardo also serves on the board of Nianova's joint venture with South African Michelin-starred chef Jan Hendrik (JAN Group). Edoardo began his career at Barclays bank, holding client coverage and strategy roles in London and New York, including in the Group CEO office. Edoardo holds an MSc in Foreign Service from Georgetown and a BA in International Politics from Warwick University. He is currently completing his Executive MBA at Chicago Booth School of Business.
Notwithstanding his Italian origins, Edoardo has deep roots in East Africa - Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania - where his family have lived for four generations.
Job Titles:
- Founding Partner of Oppenheimer Partners
Jacob is a founding partner of Oppenheimer Partners. Jacob has
James Teeger - Chief Investment Officer
Job Titles:
- Chief Investment Officer
- Chief Investment Officer of Stockdale Street Ltd
James Teeger is the chief investment officer of Stockdale Street Ltd - the team which manages the Global Portfolio.
James joined E Oppenheimer & Son as Group Managing Director in May 2005.
Based in Johannesburg, James was a non-executive director of De Beers prior to the family selling its interest in De Beers. Prior to joining the family, James worked at RMB where he was a Management Board Member, responsible for structured and property finance.
James holds a Bachelor of Commerce and Honours degree in Accounting from the University of the Witwatersrand and is a qualified Chartered Accountant.
Jonathan Oppenheimer is a South African businessman and social impact investor. He began his career at NM Rothschild & Sons, before moving to Anglo American and subsequently De Beers, where he held several senior management roles in Southern Africa and London over two decades. He completed his education at Harrow School London and the University of Oxford where he studied Politics, Philosophy and Economics.
As Executive Chairman of Oppenheimer Generations, Jonathan is actively involved in all aspects of the family's private, commercial, and thought leadership activities, including: Oppenheimer Partners, Oppenheimer Generations Asia, Nianova, Shangani Holistic, the Brenthurst Foundation, Oppenheimer Generations Foundation, Oppenheimer Generations - Research & Conservation.
In January 2018, Jonathan joined the Board of Trustees of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (CEIP). CEIP is the oldest international affairs think tank in the United States and is committed to advancing the cause of peace through its global network of policy research centres.
Mark Smith is the Head of People for Oppenheimer Generations. He is involved in various aspects of people management for each of the entities of the Oppenheimer Generation Community globally and is a member of the Custodian Executive Team. He provides input and advice in all the key elements of human capital management including executive hires, performance consulting and remuneration.
Mark's previous roles were all in the human capital arena and started with a stint in the electricity generation division of Eskom (SA's electricity supplier), before moving into financial services with Nedbank (one of SA's big four banks) followed by the role of HR Director for Truworths, also a listed entity and one of the biggest retailers in SA.
Mark did his undergraduate studies at UCT and holds a BA Hons in Psychology, completed a senior management programme at the Stellenbosch Business School and an MBA in Executive Management from the UCT Graduate School of Business.
Nicky Oppenheimer - a South African businessman and conservationist - joined the Anglo-American Corporation in 1968, serving as a director from 1974 until his retirement in 2011 and as Deputy Chairman from 1983 to 2001. In 1985, Nicky became Chairman of the Diamond Trading Company and Deputy Chairman of De Beers Consolidated Mines. He was Chairman of the De Beers Group from 1998 to 2012. Nicky was educated at Harrow School London and University of Oxford where he studied Politics, Philosophy and Economics.
As Chairman of Oppenheimer Generations, Nicky continues his long and respected legacy of environmental and conservation leadership by serving on the board of Tswalu Kalahari Game Reserve. Nicky is also a keen supporter and sponsor of the Oppenheimer Research Conference, which brings together preeminent individuals and organisations from the natural and environmental science industries across the world.
In 2005, Nicky and Jonathan established the Brenthurst Foundation, to reflect the family's contribution to the debate around strategies and policies for strengthening Africa's economic performance. As a Trustee of the Oppenheimer Memorial Trust, Nicky believes in education investment and that every South African has the right to a high standard of education at all levels.
Nicky holds a Doctorate in Technology, honoris causa, from the Technikon Witwatersrand in South Africa; the first recipient from the public and private sector and an Honorary Fellowship from the London Business School. Nicky is also a recipient of the Presidential Order of Honor from His Excellency the President of the Republic of Botswana, Mr. Festus Gontebanye Mogae.
Job Titles:
- Head of Finance for Oppenheimer Generations Custodian
Sandrika Chetty is the Head of Finance for Oppenheimer Generations Custodian, the entity that represents the global long-term commercial, philanthropic and family interests of the Jonathan and Nicky Oppenheimer family.
Prior to joining the Oppenheimer family, Sandrika was a finance director and a member of various executive and investment committees of Barloworld and Netcare, both JSE Listed companies in South Africa. Her roles have included managing teams across Africa, Siberia and London. She qualified as a chartered accountant at Deloitte in Johannesburg.
Job Titles:
- Founding Partner of Oppenheimer Partners
Scott Brodsky is a founding partner of Oppenheimer Partners. He has extensive legal experience coupled with broad knowledge in both corporate and commercial matters and holds an MA in Law from the University of Cambridge.
Based in Johannesburg since 2007, Scott was previously a partner in the commercial department, co-head of the Africa practice and head of the Johannesburg office at Macfarlanes LLP. He has worked with investors, financial institutions, governments, and other parties on transactions across Africa; Asia; the Indian sub-continent; the UK; and throughout Europe.