Ms Cathy Goddard is a Director of a South African-based women-owned private equity fund manager called FyreFem Fund Managers. The firm was founded in 2017 with a mandate to invest in SME’s in South Africa and has made two investments to date, both being SME’s in the food and beverage supply chain in South Africa. Ms Goddard has been a part of the VW B-BBEE Initiatives Trust since January 2020, bringing over 19 years of rich experience and expertise. Prior to forming FyreFem, Cathy was Chief Investment Officer for 8 years, at yet another South Africa PE firm, this one backed by Old Mutual. Earlier in her career she focused on debt, mezzanine and hybrid debt instruments during her team-lead role at investment bank, Investec. She has many years of corporate finance and advisory and transaction services at E&Y and Deloitte. She completed the Impact Measurement and Management programme at the University of Cape Town’s Graduate School of Business in 2019 and Competent Boards Canada’s ESG Competent Boards programme in 2020.
Ms Goddard’s comprehensive expertise lie in venture capital, private equity, M&A advisory, and banking, making her invaluable to a Trust lending to SMEs in the automotive supply chain. As the founding partner of FyreFem, she has hands-on experience in originating and structuring deals, coupled with a strong focus on fund compliance and governance. Her financial structuring skills, honed at Investec Bank, and her extensive network as an active originator enable her to identify and support promising SMEs. Her commitment to impact investing aligns with the Trust's mission, particularly in Gender and Diversity and SMEs and Jobs. Her affiliations with industry associations like SAVCA and her role as a Registered Senior Business Rescue Practitioner underscore her credibility and commitment to professional standards.
Ms Goddards thoughts on the work done by the VW B-BBEE Initiatives Trust:
“Lending to small SMEs in large supply chains plays a crucial role in bolstering South Africa's economic ecosystem. These SMEs often act as vital cogs in the supply chain, contributing to innovation, job creation, and economic growth. By providing them with access to finance, they can expand their operations, invest in technology, and improve their competitiveness. The Trust has loaned to SME’s in the automotive supply chain and especially to those where commercial funders are not able to.”
Ms Goddard’s aspirations for the VW B-BBEE Initiatives Trust
For the Trust to fund many more SMEs to foster entrepreneurship, promote local industry development, and contribute to broader socio-economic upliftment by creating sustainable jobs and fostering skills development within communities. I’d like to help the Trust do this so that it can be instrumental in driving inclusive growth, reducing inequality, and fostering a thriving business environment in South Africa.