Joe van Niekerk joined Discovery in 2009 as CIO for Vitality Life in the UK, and held both operational and systems roles during his tenure there. During this period he led the build-out of the systems that helped grow the organisation from start-up to the second-largest insurer in the UK. In 2014, he transferred to Vitality RSA as CIO, where he oversees the growing portfolio of systems and partner integrations. He is a member of the Vitality Exco, is the convener of the annual IT and systems conference, and is a member of the Group CIO Forum. He contributes significantly to a number of Group IT initiatives and leads the Group IT Cost Optimisation programme. Van Niekerk’s unique combination of leadership, IT and business skills have contributed to him successfully delivering innumerable projects, product launches and new initiatives over his years of tenure at Discovery.