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Pallidus, the South African investment banking and alternative asset management firm, has appointed Keith Ackerman as CEO, effective 1 September 2026.
The appointment follows 11 years of building the business from an independent corporate finance advisory firm into an integrated platform focused on private capital.
Ackerman joins from PwC, where he spent much of his career and built what the firm describes as an exceptional track record in leadership, professional services, and business transformation.
His appointment allows co-founder and current managing director Stephan van der Walt to transition into a new role as managing director of private capital and investments, where he will focus on originating and scaling investment opportunities, capital formation, investor relationships, and strategic transactions.
“I am honoured to lead Pallidus at this pivotal moment in its journey. Despite everything Pallidus has achieved over the past 11 years, there is a clear sense that the business is only beginning to realise its potential. The founders, executives and broader team have built a remarkable business through discipline, resilience and entrepreneurial execution,” said Keith Ackerman, incoming CEO of Pallidus.
Pallidus is a corporate finance advisory and investment firm in South Africa. They provide trusted advice on listings, capital raising, BEE transactions, and mergers and acquisitions for corporations, multi-nationals, and high-net-worth individuals.
Pallidus combines advisory capabilities with investment expertise and the ability to originate, structure, and allocate capital across private-market opportunities. The firm says its strategy is to become the leading investment banking and alternative asset manager in South Africa for private capital, while broadening its international reach.
“We believe Pallidus has reached an important inflection point. I genuinely do not believe we could have found a better person than Keith to lead Pallidus through this next chapter,” said Stephan van der Walt, co-founder and managing director of private capital and investments at Pallidus.
The appointment comes shortly after Pallidus advised on one of its largest transactions to date.
The firm acted as exclusive transaction adviser to Kanton Beleggings in securing approximately $86.6 million (R1.4 billion) in debt financing from a pan-African bank for Phase 1 of a new Akademia campus in the east of Pretoria.
The deal represents one of the most significant private investments in tertiary education infrastructure in South Africa in recent years.
Pallidus has partnered with Kanton Beleggings since 2019, supporting the project from early strategic positioning and capital planning through to the structuring and execution of the funding solution
