WORLDVIEW: Boardrooms embrace Fisher’s Scuttlebutt turning rivals into allies

I have no particular insight into yesterday's surprise decision by Liberty CEO Thabo Dloti to resign over a "disagreement" with his board of directors. Except that it must have been pretty serious. Because Dloti was on a rather well paid gig – the latest annual report shows he earned R24m in 2015 and R19m last year.

Even though Liberty hasn't exactly flourished under his direction, there is little doubt Dloti will land on his feet. The gentlemanly days when corporations resisted recruiting each other's executives are long gone. Dloti, an actuarial science graduate, was himself poached from rival Old Mutual seven years ago.

In the same vein, my visit to Sanlam's London office earlier this month coincided with a similar one by Paul Hanratty. Not long ago he was among the last people I'd expect to see there. After 31 years with Old Mutual, its COO was universally regarded as a "lifer" at Big Green, Sanlam's fiercest rival.

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