Gerrit Heyns — Parsed Resume (Intelletto.ai)

Professional Summary

Institutional finance executive and company builder with a track record across emerging markets, resource‑efficiency investing, and regulated digital finance. Co‑founded Osmosis Investment Management, a research‑driven asset manager linking environmental resource efficiency to financial outperformance; currently Executive Chairman at Block Markets Africa, advancing real‑economy payment rails using compliant digital instruments.

Bridges policy and markets: trustee and board experience in sustainability reporting and governance; frequent commentator on climate/ESG data quality and portfolio construction. Known for systems thinking, clear communication to boards and investment committees, and convening partnerships among banks, DFIs, fintechs, and regulators.

Core Competencies

  • Institutional Distribution & EM: Decades in equity sales and allocator engagement across global and emerging markets; network spanning asset owners, DFIs, and private capital.
  • ESG Integration & Reporting: Resource‑efficiency thesis development and commercialization; experience with disclosure frameworks and Islamic Reporting Initiative.
  • DLT & Regulated Rails: Executive leadership on tokenized payments and stable‑value instruments; policy‑aware approach to KYC/AML, reserves, and settlement.
  • Board‑level Communications: Trusted advisor to boards/ICs; authored and delivered briefings on transition finance, environmental data quality, and market structure.
  • Systems Thinking: Pattern recognition across technology, regulation, and market adoption; ecosystem orchestration to deliver measurable outcomes.

Strategic Focus Areas

  • Institutional growth in EM with inclusion outcomes (IDV cost, credit portability, fast payments risk).
  • Tokenization pilots (money market, cash‑equivalent, and settlement assets) within regulatory guardrails.
  • Efficiency‑driven ESG investing using auditable operational data, minimizing Scope‑3 model risk.

Experience

Executive Chairman — Block Markets Africa
2024 — Present
  • Lead commercialization of eZAR, a SA rand‑based stable instrument enabling instant, low‑cost payments and value‑added services (rewards, credit, on‑chain identity) across real‑economy networks.
  • Build partnerships with banks, processors, and enterprises; align with supervisory priorities (IDV fees, fraud risk in fast payments, interoperability).
  • Establish governance, reserves oversight, and AML/CFT controls in collaboration with regulated partners.
Co‑founder / Senior Leadership — Osmosis Investment Management
2009 — Present
  • Helped develop and scale a resource‑efficiency factor linking operational environmental data (carbon, water, waste) to equity returns; contributed to distribution and strategy through multiple market cycles.
  • Supported institutional mandates, index partnerships, and research dissemination in developed and emerging markets.
Equity Sales & Distribution Leadership — Global Investment Banks
Prior
  • Senior distribution roles spanning J.P. Morgan, Lehman Brothers, Kleinwort Benson, and Troika Dialog with a focus on emerging markets and institutional origination.
Principal — The 17Africa Initiative
Concurrent
  • Systems‑change and market‑design work linking growth, inclusion, and climate outcomes; convening across DFIs, governments, and private capital.

Selected Highlights

  • Advanced a live, regulated‑adjacent payment rail (eZAR) in partnership with banks/processors to reshape fuel‑sector settlement and enable programmable services.
  • Scaled a data‑driven sustainability investing platform with consistent track record and significant institutional AUM growth.
  • Board/trustee roles and public commentary shaping the discourse on ESG data quality (e.g., Scope‑3 model bias) and transition finance.
  • Advocated policy moves that reduce IDV/KYC frictions to expand access while maintaining financial integrity.

Boards & Advisory

  • Trustee, Islamic Reporting Initiative (IRI) — sustainability reporting and standards.
  • Board / Co‑founder, Osmosis Investment Management.
  • Advisory, EMG CSR Consultancy — communications and sustainability.
  • Advisory, Thinking Active — start‑ups, crypto regulatory compliance, DLT.
  • Advisor, SADC digital challenger banking initiative (strategic/regulatory).

Skills

InvestmentsEquitiesFinancial MarketsCapital Markets ESGSustainability ReportingDecarbonization Institutional SalesMarket AnalysisValuation Portfolio ManagementDLTBlockchainRegulatory Compliance EntrepreneurshipSystems ThinkingBoard & Governance CommunicationsEmerging Markets

Selected Commentary & Media

Payments & Tokenization (recent)
  • Executive commentary on eZAR stable instrument and real‑economy rails; engagement with SARB/BIS TechSprint themes (digital ID, credit data portability, fraud/cyber in fast payments).
  • Tokenized money‑market case studies and regulated partner delivery models.
ESG & Resource Efficiency (Osmosis IM)
  • Interviews and op‑eds on responsible investing; critiques of Scope‑3 modeling bias and emphasis on auditable operational data (carbon, water, waste).

Industries & Domains

Institutional Asset Management, Capital Markets, Banking/Payments, FinTech & RegTech, ESG/Impact, Emerging Markets Policy & Governance.

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