A prosperous week for the Saltzman brothers.
The Saltzman Brothers' Suite Success
Brothers Dan and Mark Saltzman are now significant movers and shakers in the pharmacy world, thanks to their dad Ivan, the co-founder of Dis-Chem. This South African pharmaceutical behemoth first opened its doors back in '78, and under Ivan and his wife Lynette's guidance, it skyrocketed into a pharmacy powerhouse.
Fast forward to June 2025 and Ivan decided it was time to pass the torch. He handed over approximately a quarter of his shares in Dis-Chem, worth around R6.8 billion, to Dan and Mark in a strategic share transfer. Each brother now holds a hefty 12.62% beneficial interest in the company.
Before this share madness, Ivan controlled nearly 30% of Dis-Chem shares through Ivlyn Local Investment Holdings, a family-founded vehicle. After the transfer, Ivlyn's stake dwindled to 4.06%, although the Saltzman clan's control over the company remains intact.
While Ivan officially stepped down as CEO in July 2023, dad and mom are still in the cockpit, guiding Dis-Chem's operations and leadership, and collecting hefty paychecks. Son Saul Saltzman is an executive director at Dis-Chem, but as for Dan and Mark, their roles, if any, haven't been publicly disclosed. Mark, a commercial lawyer, runs his own law firm.
In essence, Ivan Saltzman, the brainchild behind Dis-Chem, is now an active non-executive force in the company. His sons, Dan and Mark, are being ushered into the business world, thanks to their father's strategic succession planning that keeps the family's stakes high in the pharmaceutical empire.
The Saltzman brothers, Dan and Mark, are being introduced into the business world, following their father Ivan's strategic succession planning, as they now hold significant beneficial interests in the pharmacy industry's giant, Dis-Chem. Their roles within the company's finance sector, though not publicly disclosed, signal a transition of power in the pharmaceutical industry and finance.
