Penny is the CEO and founder of Mohau Equity Partners, strategic investment partner to high growth businesses, like GrowthHouse, aimed at meaningfully transforming the South African economy.

A medical doctor by qualification and many other qualifications from several business schools including Harvard, Columbia, Wits and the University of Michigan; Penny served on the board of Discovery Health and was the CEO of the Board of Healthcare Funders, where she also assumed the role of deputy chairperson. She serves as non-executive director on the Boards of Clicks Group, Wits, Donald Gordon Medical Centre and is also chairperson of Witkoppen Health and Welfare Clinic.

Rivonia, a Chartered Accountant brings a proven track record in financial services leadership. Her previous roles include Head of Distribution Strategy as well as Chief of Staff to both the CEO of Discovery South Africa and the CEO of Discovery Bank, and Management Consultant at McKinsey in the Johannesburg and London offices.

With deep expertise in insurance, financial services, and distribution, as well as a strong foundation in market entry, strategy, operational implementation, and transformation, Rivonia’s leadership blends strategic acumen with robust finance and mergers & acquisitions experience – skills pivotal for driving GrowthHouse’s long term growth.

Rivonia holds a Bachelor of Accounting Science (Honours) degree from the University of the Witwatersrand.

Gari is a seasoned industry veteran and has played leading roles at Allianz Insurance Namibia and Alexander Forbes, where he transformed Alexander Forbes Insurance into a successful insurance company with significant growth in premium income. He was also the founder of Composure Insurance Consultants and drove the establishment of Discovery Financial Consultants – Business Insure (DFC – BI). Gari has extensive experience in strategic planning, team alignment, and sales execution, with a focus on collaborative success and organizational excellence.

Gari holds a Fellowship with the Insurance Institute of South Africa (FIISA) and an MBA in Strategic Management. In addition to his professional achievements, Gari has been involved in industry governance as a former Board member of the Ombudsman for Short-Term Insurance and Deputy Chair of the South African Insurance Association (SAIA).

Experienced executive with 30 years of demonstrated success in various advice and specialist advisory businesses in the in the financial services industry, for both listed companies and boutique advisory and wealth firms. Lize has managed and lead financial services teams across all advice disciplines, she was a representative and key individual on various license categories for listed companies and was a representative on the Asisa board committee.

She is a master at enhancing businesses, building strategies and implementing innovative ways to deliver business goals. Inclusivity, energy and belief in her team is what distinguishes her as a leader. Biggest career achievements include the successful turnaround strategy of the AIMS Lisp, the first RDR-ready investment platform at PSG Wealth and subsequent growth of the PSG fund solutions and most recently the award-winning implementation of industry-first advice practices at Nedbank Wealth Management.

Abigail is an admitted Advocate of the High Court of South Africa and a legal and regulatory expert with over 9 years of experience in the financial services sector. As Head of Legal and Compliance, she ensures the company remains compliant with evolving regulatory and legal landscapes.

Abigail’s diverse experience includes working with South Africa’s apex institutions, such as the Constitutional Court, and serving on industry bodies like the Financial Intermediaries Association of Southern Africa (FIA). She holds a LLB and LLM. In her spare time, she is passionate about all things family and is also a qualified family law mediator and has previously held strategic regulatory compliance roles at PSG Financial Services.

Johan is an industry veteran with over 28 years’ experience in the development and management of financial advisory businesses at major financial institutions including Liberty Life and Standard Bank. Johan’s journey in financial services started as a broker consultant, then as business development manager followed by many leadership roles in Standard Bank Financial Consultancy – including that of Head of Corporate and Pension Funds, Head of Risk and Governance: Personal and Business Banking and Provincial Head for Gauteng North.

Johan has an in-depth understanding of the challenges faced by many advisors. He is passionate about financial advice and believes that the quality and integrity of people and the consistency of advisory approaches are what differentiates firms in this industry.

Johan is a Certified Financial Planner CFP®, obtained a Post Graduate Diploma in Financial Planning from the University of the Free State and holds a B Proc degree. Johan has been appointed as Key Individual for GrowthHouse.

Michael is a seasoned financial services professional with over 30 years of experience. Michael’s journey started as Trainee-Admin manager at Old Mutual and after a short stint in this role, he moved into the role of Broker Consultant. After 10 years, he then joined Southern Life, which later became Momentum, also fulfilling various distribution roles, including that of Investment Specialist.

In 2019, Michael joined Momentum Consult as a Wealth Management Specialist and Franchise Development Manager for KZN and parts of the Eastern Cape. As a Key Individual in most license categories, including Cryptocurrency, Michael had various KI, training and supervision responsibilities, he recruited new advisors to grow his region and assisted in growing the wealth management proposition. He also chaired the Momentum Consult Investment Committee for their range of model portfolios.

Michael is a Certified Financial Planner CFP®, obtained a Post Graduate Diploma in Financial Planning from the University of Stellenbosch and completed the RE1 & 5 Regulatory Examinations.

Lourens is an industry veteran with over 30 years’ experience in the broking, development and management of financial advisory businesses at major financial institutions including Old Mutual, Standard Bank and Adviceworx.

Lourens’s journey in financial services started as a financial advisor with Old Mutual and then Standard Bank Financial Consultancy whereafter he moved up the ranks into a sales management role, eventually as the Regional Manager for Private Banking SBFC Gauteng. He then moved to Adviceworx as Partnership Director for Gauteng where he built a very strong advisory business from scratch.

Lourens believes in honesty, integrity and consistency when it comes to quality financial advice and understands the unique challenges many advisors face when building their advisory practices.

Lourens obtained a Post Graduate Diploma in Financial Planning from the University of the Free State as well as a Diploma in Investment Management from University of Johannesburg (RAU).

Howard is an experienced executive in the financial services sector, with 25 years’ experience and demonstrated success in healthcare administration and distribution. First as CFO of Allcare Administrators, and later as majority shareholder and CEO, Howard succeeded in growing the business from 10 000 members to more than 80 000 with 7 schemes under administration. He also served as director on the Board of Healthcare Funders.

In addition to Healthcare, Howard is also passionate about investments, employee benefits and business development. He implemented the first BBBEE transaction in the industry with a 51% sale of equity to a broad-base Black empowerment consortium.

Howard holds an Honours Degree in Accounting Science, obtained RE 1 & 5 Regulatory qualifications and attended executive education courses at both Harvard Business School and General Electric USA.

Tim first joined Investec in 2013 as a client support banker and soon after obtaining his B Com degree at the University of Johannesburg, he joined Discovery, as part of the financial adviser graduate programme.

After obtaining his post graduate diploma in financial planning through the University of the Freestate, Tim joined Discovery Financial Consultants as a representative. Later he moved into a Business Development role for the Gauteng region creating and implementing strategies for the rollout of new products and increasing new business revenue.

After a two-year secondment to GrowthHouse where Tim was instrumental in successfully starting the Bank Desk, he officially joined GrowthHouse in 2023.

Jonathan is an admitted Attorney of the High Court of South Africa and a seasoned Certified Financial Planner (CFP®) with advanced qualifications in Estate and Investment Planning. He brings over six years of experience to his role as Technical Head of Investments & Life Insurance.

As one of the Key Individuals of GrowthHouse, Jonathan drives the retail advice business, focusing on identifying opportunities and selecting innovative, market-leading products to align with clients’ unique goals. His passion for financial planning and his belief in the power of informed decision-making ensure that clients receive expert advice and tailored solutions. This combined with his dedication to building strong client relationships based on trust and transparency, makes him a valuable member of our technical team.

Hillary is a seasoned Risk and Insurance professional with a distinguished career spanning technical and managerial roles in Insurance Underwriting, Reinsurance, Insurance Broking, Risk Financing, and Corporate Risk Advisory. With expertise honed across diverse sectors—including energy, logistics, and engineering—Hillary has successfully managed portfolios ranging from small businesses to complex corporate and specialty accounts.

His experience includes leading roles at Discovery, Hollard, and Alexander Forbes, where he delivered innovative insurance solutions, enhanced product lines, and revitalized underperforming portfolios. Hillary holds a Postgraduate Diploma in Risk Management (IRM, UK), is a Certified Risk Manager, and a Fellow in Risk Management.

Hillary’s technical acumen, strategic vision, and commitment to excellence position him as a pivotal leader in the short-term insurance sector.

With over 12 years of experience in the short-term insurance industry, Steven brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to the operations team.

His journey started in 2012 at Alexander Forbes Insurance, where he pioneered and managed their social media presence successfully for 3 years.

Following his studies in Business Management through UNISA, Steve’s passion for operations led him to Compsure Insurance Consultants in 2016, where he oversaw operations and sales, and gained invaluable insight into the intermediated insurance environment.

In 2019, Steven joined Discovery as Head of Operations for the DFC Business Insure team that was eventually integrated into GrowthHouse in 2024. Today, Steven is responsible for overseeing the day-to-day operations of the short-term insurance division, ensuring seamless delivery of services to our clients.

Claudette is a results-driven professional with 15 years of experience in the Financial Services Sector. She has a versatile background that includes client services, broker support, and operations.

Claudette excels in managing and optimizing daily operations and streamlining processes to enhance business efficiency. She strongly believes in the importance of establishing solid operational procedures, recognizing that they are fundamental to the success of an adviser’s practice.

Claudette has extensive experience in managing teams and processes and ensures seamless service delivery and exceptional client experiences across all touchpoints.