Nicky Newton-King is CEO of the Johannesburg Stock Exchange, a position she earned after working in several influential organizations throughout South Africa including one of the country’s top law firms. Credited with having an eye for what the South African economy needs, she’s doing impressive work. Here are 8 things you didn’t know about Nicky Newton-King, CEO of JSE.
Source: Bloomberg.com, Biznisafrica.co.za.
Newton-King has a bachelor of arts and a bachelor of law from the University of Stellenbosch, one of the leading public research universities and the second best university on the continent. She also has anadvanced law degree from the competitive Cambridge University in England, according to Bloomberg.com.
Nicky Newton-King was a partner in the financial services department of one of the largest law firms in South Africa, Webber Wentzel Bowens. During her time there, she became closely involved in advising the Johannesburg stock exchange on all aspects of its business, according to Biznisafrica.co.za.
Newton-King’s legal background primed her to advise the Johannesburg Stock Exchange on legal as well as financial matters. Biznisafrica.co.za says Newton-King guides the JSE on all legal matters when it comes to operations, and prepares JSE presentations for parliament as well as other entities that might affect rules and regulations on the stock exchange.
Newton-King also helped advise the Johannesburg Stock Exchange’s human resources team. She was closely involved in the company’s work to introduce its Affirmative Action Policy as well as its Employment Equity Plan, says Indsturysa.co.za.
Nicky-Newton was largely responsible for creating the legislation which required the “the disclosure of beneficial interests in securities,” says Industry.co.za.
If you take a look at her Twitter page, you’ll see that not only does she have several thousand followers (not bad for a public figure in an industry that isn’t exactly glamorous) but she’s also encouraging of her workforce. She posts a lot of Tweets congratulating or celebrating her employee’s work.
She is able to balance the rules for the Johannesburg Stock Exchange with decisions that are in the interest of the South African economy. “If someone has a good idea, even if it is not in the rules, we will look at it if it aligns with what we are trying to achieve and try to make it work as best as possible,” Newton-King told Oxfordbusinessgroup.
Newton-King is working to create alliances between African stock exchanges across the continent. She knows that combining all 24 African stock exchanges isn’t possible, she said, but creating alliances between some exchanges has the potential to improve the economy of some African countries. She is putting a large emphasis on dual listings, according to Riskafrica.com.
