Pallidus announces the appointment of Keith Ackerman as Chief Executive Officer

We are pleased to announce the appointment of Keith Ackerman as Chief Executive Officer of Pallidus, effective 1 September 2026.

The appointment marks an important next step in Pallidus’ evolution and the beginning of an exciting new phase for the business.

Over the past 11 years, Pallidus has evolved from its origins as an independent corporate finance advisory firm into an integrated investment banking and alternative asset management platform focused on private capital. Throughout this journey, the business has been defined by technical excellence, trusted relationships, disciplined execution, an entrepreneurial mindset and, above all, the quality and commitment of its people.

Having established a strong foundation, Pallidus is now positioned to scale.

Our strategy is to build Pallidus into the leading investment banking and alternative asset manager in South Africa for private capital, combining our advisory capabilities, investment expertise and ability to originate, structure and allocate capital across attractive private-market opportunities. We remain proudly rooted in South Africa while continuing to broaden our investment capabilities, relationships and international reach.

Keith’s appointment significantly strengthens the leadership capacity required to deliver on this ambition.

Keith brings extensive leadership, professional services and business-building experience from PwC, where he built an exceptional track record over many years. His deep technical and commercial expertise, strategic insight, people-focused leadership style and ability to embrace technology as an enabler of business transformation make him ideally suited to lead Pallidus through its next phase.

His appointment will also allow Pallidus’ co-founder and current Managing Director, Stephan van der Walt, to transition into the role of Managing Director, Private Capital and Investments, with a dedicated focus on growing the Group’s private capital investment activities.

In this role, Stephan will focus his time and energy on originating, developing and scaling investment opportunities and platforms; capital formation and investor relationships; strategic transactions; and the continued growth of Pallidus’ private capital investment portfolio. This represents a natural evolution of his role and aligns closely with his passion for investing, entrepreneurship, transactions and building businesses.

For our clients and business partners, the leadership transition provides additional depth while maintaining the entrepreneurial approach, trusted relationships and execution capability that have characterised Pallidus since its establishment.

For our investors, it reinforces our commitment to building a differentiated private capital platform that provides access to carefully selected investment opportunities supported by disciplined capital allocation, thoughtful structuring, active investment management and strong governance.

For our people, it represents an investment in the future of Pallidus and our commitment to creating an environment in which exceptional people can build meaningful careers, embrace innovation and technology, and participate in building an enduring investment institution.

I am honoured to lead Pallidus at this pivotal moment in its journey. We have an exceptional opportunity ahead of us: to build the leading investment banking and alternative asset management business for private capital that is proudly rooted in South Africa while increasingly recognised for its international relevance and capabilities. When I considered the opportunity to lead the firm, three things stood out immediately. First, the quality of the people is extraordinary: ambitious, entrepreneurial, competitive, humble and committed to excellence. Second, the Pallidus culture creates a genuine competitive advantage. It is reflected in values-based leadership, high standards, strong relationships and a shared commitment to doing meaningful work exceptionally well. Third, despite everything Pallidus has achieved over the past 11 years, there is a clear sense that the business is only beginning to realise its potential. The founders, executives and broader Pallidus team have built a remarkable business through discipline, resilience and entrepreneurial execution. They have created a trusted platform with real depth, an excellent reputation and significant potential to grow. I am grateful for the responsibility entrusted to me and excited to work alongside Stephan and JD, the broader leadership team and everyone at Pallidus as we build the next chapter of the business. Our ambition is significant, our foundation is strong, and I believe the opportunity ahead of us is exceptional.”

Comment from Stephan van der Walt, co-founder and Managing Director, Private Capital and Investments

As founders, we are immensely proud of Pallidus, our people and what we have built together over the past 11 years. What started as an entrepreneurial vision has developed into a business with exceptional people, deep capabilities, trusted relationships and a strong foundation from which we are now ready to scale. We believe Pallidus has reached an important inflection point. Our ambition for the next phase is clear: to build Pallidus into a leading investment banking and alternative asset manager for private capital. To achieve that ambition, we need exceptional leadership, and I genuinely do not believe we could have found a better person than Keith to lead Pallidus through this next chapter. Keith and I have known each other for almost four decades. We studied together and subsequently completed our articles together at PwC. I have therefore had the privilege of knowing him both personally and professionally for most of our working lives. I have seen first-hand his extraordinary work ethic, leadership ability and brilliant mind. What Keith subsequently built and achieved at PwC was remarkable. His depth of experience and knowledge, strategic and commercial judgement, people-focused approach and ability to embrace technology and use it to transform and improve a business are exactly the capabilities Pallidus needs as we enter our next phase. Knowing Keith as well as I do gives me enormous confidence in transitioning into my new role as Managing Director, Private Capital and Investments, while Keith assumes responsibility as CEO. This is not about stepping away from Pallidus – quite the opposite. It allows me to focus more of my time on the area about which I am most passionate and where I believe I can create the greatest value for the Group: growing our private capital investment activities, deepening our relationships with investors and business builders, and building the investment platforms required to deliver on our strategy. We have spent 11 years building the foundation. We now have the people, capabilities, relationships and ambition to scale Pallidus into the business we believe it can become. I am incredibly excited to work alongside Keith and the rest of our team on that journey.”

Keith’s appointment and Stephan’s transition to Managing Director, Private Capital and Investments represent a deliberate strengthening of Pallidus’ leadership structure for its next phase of growth.

With a strong foundation, an exceptional team and a clear strategic direction, Pallidus now enters its next chapter with the ambition to become South Africa’s leading investment banking and alternative asset manager for private capital — building an enduring, differentiated business that connects capital with exceptional investment opportunities and creates sustainable value for our clients, investors and partners.

Pallidus announces the appointment of Keith Ackerman as Chief Executive Officer

Comment from Stephan van der Walt, co-founder and Managing Director, Private Capital and Investments

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