JSE CEO set to retire, successor named

Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) CEO Leila Fourie is to retire early next year after over six years at the helm and will be succeeded by the head of the bourse's capital markets, Valdene Reddy, the group said on Thursday, 9 October 2025.

A woman walks at the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE), in Sandton, South Africa, 1 August 2025. Reuters/Siphiwe Sibeko

Reddy's appointment is effective from 1 April 2026, it said in a statement. She has been with Africa's largest stock exchange for more than 10 years, bringing over two decades of experience in financial markets, including senior roles at international investment banks, it added.

She is currently the director of capital markets focusing on listings and secondary market trade activity across all asset classes.

"My focus will be on accelerating innovation and enhancing our competitiveness through ongoing strategic transformation," Reddy said.

Reddy will provide strategic continuity such as driving earnings growth through diversified revenue streams and innovation in capital markets, the JSE said.

"I am confident that Valdene's deep industry expertise, strategic acumen, and stakeholder relationships will position the JSE for continued success in a rapidly evolving financial landscape," JSE Chair Phuthuma Nhleko said.

During her tenure as CEO, Fourie has delivered a turnaround in earnings, diversified the group's revenue profile and modernised its core technology and regulatory frameworks, the company said.