MTN Group has announced the appointment of Michael Fleischer as Chief Legal Officer. He joins MTN Group from Gold Fields Limited, where he was Executive Vice President and General Counsel, after serving as a partner in the corporate services department of Webber Wentzel Bowens law firm. Lele Modise is Group Chief Legal and Regulatory Affairs Officer (CLRO) at MTN Group Limited (MTN) and was previously Chief Legal Counsel of MTN Group after joining MTN Group in August 2019. Lele is a member of the MTN Group Executive Committee and the Enterprise Risk Management Committee. Lele also reports to the subcommittees of the Group Executive Board on legal and regulatory risks, including the Group Risk and Compliance Committee, the Group Audit Committee and the Group Social and Ethics Committee. Lele also reports to MTN Group`s Board of Directors on certain important issues arising from MTN`s legal and regulatory aspects in its markets. Lele is Chair of the Group`s Executive Legal Committee and a member of MTN`s Diversity and Inclusion Committee. Lele leads the legal and regulatory function in the various markets where MTN operates in Africa and the Middle East. Lele leads the regulatory function with respect to various aspects such as licence renewals and applications, spectrum acquisition (including auctions), cooperation with various regulatory agencies, government departments and industry agencies, legislative and policy developments, and industry developments. Lele leads MTN`s advocacy programs for the industry and serves on various industry committees including GSMA, Smart Africa, ITU and ITA. Lele is also a member of GC50, an organization of general counsel in World50.

Lele joined MTN from Absa, where she served as General Counsel for Corporate and Investment Banking (CIB), including in a regulatory role. In addition to her role as General Counsel (CIB), Lele also established and led transaction management, which supported the delivery of end-to-end transaction execution services including legal structuring and resolution, as well as post-trade management services. Lele also served as General Counsel for Wealth Management, Investment Management and Insurance at Absa, while continuing to serve as General Counsel for Absa CIB. Lele joins MTN from Absa where, as Head of the Transaction Management Group (TMG), she was responsible for providing end-to-end execution services including legal structuring and resolution, transaction administration, transaction coordination and post-trade management services. Shuter added: “We would like to thank Michael for his skill and dedication over the past five years leading the group`s legal team. Michael has been a great support to MTN during this time and to me personally, and we wish him all the best for this new chapter in his life. Rob Shuter said: “We are delighted to welcome Lele on board. As a company, we consider ourselves fortunate to have someone of their caliber and experience on our leadership team. We have no doubt that she will be an asset to our organization. She replaces MTN Group Chief Legal Officer Michael Fleischer, who will retire from MTN at the end of July 2019. Lele`s launch date will be announced in due course. Johannesburg – MTN Group today announced the appointment of Kelebogile (Lele) Modise as Group Chief Legal Officer.

Lele will report to Group President and CEO Rob Shuter and join MTN Group`s Executive Committee. Lele holds a Master`s degree in Banking Law from UNISA, a B.Proc (LLB Exemption) from the University of Pretoria and certificates in Securities Law and Banking Law and Financial Markets. Lele began her career at Bell Dewar & Hall (now Fasken Martineau) and was called to the Bar of the High Court in 2003. Subsequently, she was a partner at Bowman Gilfillan, specializing in mergers and acquisitions. “What sets us apart from Lele is its deep knowledge and expertise in navigating pan-African and cross-border strategic investments and transactions. Her passion for the continent and its development is evident in the strategic work she has done throughout her career. As a leading operator in emerging markets, we believe this passion will help us achieve our strategy and positioning in the markets in which we operate. Lele Modise is the Group`s Director of Legal and Regulatory Affairs. Prior to this appointment, Lele served as the Group`s Chief Legal Officer. Given the strong interdependence between the legal and regulatory functions, Lele will now also lead the regulatory function.

Michael has been part of the MTN family since 2014 and is a respected member of the group`s management team, providing valuable advice and insights to the company as it goes through some of its most challenging times as a company. She specialises in capital markets and securities law, banking and finance law, corporate and commercial law, mergers and acquisitions and private equity. Lele has also worked extensively throughout Africa.