Samantha Bowen

Managing Director of Carrick Athena

Samantha Bowen is the Managing Director of Carrick Athena and has been part of the Carrick Group since its inception in 2014. Widely recognised as one of the company’s top performers and most respected leaders, Samantha has played an important role in shaping the growth and culture of the business over the years.

She developed Carrick’s first team of Private Wealth Managers and has successfully built and led high-performing teams across multiple jurisdictions. Her leadership combines deep industry experience with a genuine passion for people, relationships, and helping others grow with faith.

Carrick Athena was created with a clear vision: to offer women a more personal, supportive, and empowering financial experience. Athena is built around understanding the real-life moments women face – whether navigating divorce, loss, retirement, business success, family responsibility, or simply wanting greater certainty and involvement in their financial future.

Under Samantha’s leadership, Athena is focused on creating a trusted space where women feel heard, understood, and supported without pressure, judgment, or unnecessary complexity. Her vision for Athena is not only to provide exceptional financial guidance but to build a meaningful community centred around confidence, education, trust, and long-term relationships.

Known for her warm and approachable nature, Samantha believes the best advice begins with truly understanding people and the lives they want to create. She genuinely loves mentoring others, developing strong teams, and leading with empathy, authenticity, and integrity.

Outside of work, Samantha enjoys travelling, walking, golf, and spending quality time with her Wife and friends, values that continue to shape the balanced and relationship-focused approach she brings to both life and leadership.

Paula Yates-Bowen

Business Development Executive

Paula Yates is the Business Development Executive for Athena, now proudly in its fourth year.

With a background in communication, relationship management, and supporting senior leadership teams, Paula brings a warm, personable, and relationship-driven approach to Athena’s growth, partnerships, and client engagement strategy.

Working closely alongside Athena’s Managing Director, Samantha Bowen, Paula is part of a team dedicated to creating a supportive and empowering environment where women feel confident, understood, and comfortable engaging with their financial future.

Under Samantha’s leadership, Athena has been built around meaningful relationships, trusted advice, and a community-focused approach to wealth management for women.

Throughout her career, Paula has worked closely with business leaders, developing a strong passion for building genuine connections and creating positive, lasting client experiences.

Within Athena, she plays an important role in helping grow the brand while ensuring every interaction feels welcoming, supportive, and personal.

Known for her approachable nature and genuine care for people, Paula believes financial conversations should feel empowering, easy to navigate, and centred around trust, understanding, and long-term relationships.

Outside of work, Paula values building a happy life with her wife and enjoys travelling, keeping fit, and spending quality time with family and friends, who remain a very important part of her life.

As Athena continues to grow across South Africa and internationally, Paula remains focused on building strong relationships, meaningful collaborations, and a supportive community centred around confidence and financial well-being.

Lize Burger

Private Wealth Manager

​Lize Burger is a seasoned treasury and investment professional with more than 15 years of experience in banking, financial planning and portfolio management. Over the course of her career, she built long-lasting relationships and managed substantial client portfolios, driving significant business growth.

Lize holds a BCom in Accounting and a Postgraduate Diploma in Financial Planning. She is a member of the Financial Planning Institute. Her strong analytical ability, strategic mindset and client-centric approach have positioned her as a trusted advisor within the South African banking and investment industry. Lize is passionate about connecting with women and helping them navigate their financial journey with confidence and clarity.

Outside of work, Lize treasures time with family and friends and has a deep appreciation for wildlife, birding, exceptional food and great wine. Guided by curiosity, connection and a sense of adventure, she brings warmth, insight and enthusiasm to every client relationship.

Stacey Matadin

Head of Growth and Partnerships

Stacey Matadin is the Head of Growth and Partnerships at Carrick Athena. With 19 years of experience in the financial services industry, she is deeply passionate about empowering women to build wealth with confidence, clarity, and purpose.

Her career spans a progressive journey across sales, relationship management, business development, and strategic partnership leadership within the financial services sector. This foundation has shaped her expertise in driving growth, building high-value client relationships, and expanding market opportunities within competitive investment environments.

Stacey is known for her dynamic energy, authentic leadership style, and her ability to build meaningful partnerships that unlock opportunities for women to invest, grow, and achieve long-term financial independence.

Outside of work, Stacey enjoys travelling and exploring new cultures and global destinations. She values family deeply and shares her life with her husband and their two daughters, alongside their two beloved furbabies. She also enjoys personal development and wellness practices that keep her grounded, inspired, and continuously growing.

Her mission is to inspire more women to step into lives of freedom, security, and choice through financial empowerment and education.

Taneth Pestana

Private Wealth Manager

​Taneth Pestana is a Private Wealth Manager at Carrick Athena, bringing more than 25 years of experience in the financial services industry. Since beginning her career in 1998, she has built a reputation founded on trust, integrity, and a genuine commitment to helping clients achieve financial clarity and confidence.

Taneth believes that successful financial planning starts with understanding the person behind the portfolio. Her warm, relationship-focused approach enables her to build meaningful connections with her clients, ensuring they feel heard, informed, and empowered to make confident financial decisions at every stage of life.

She works closely with professionals, business owners, and high-net-worth individuals, providing tailored guidance across local and offshore investments, wealth creation, retirement planning, estate planning, and risk management. Her ability to simplify complex financial matters allows clients to navigate important financial decisions with greater certainty and peace of mind.

As part of Carrick Athena, Taneth is passionate about creating a supportive and collaborative environment where clients feel comfortable discussing their financial goals, aspirations, and concerns. She is dedicated to building long-term relationships and delivering personalised advice that evolves alongside her clients’ changing needs and life circumstances.

Taneth holds both a Certificate in Wealth Planning and a Certificate in Financial Planning. She remains committed to helping individuals take control of their financial futures and is passionate about contributing to a more inclusive, empowered, and financially confident community.

Outside of her professional life, Taneth is a devoted wife and mother to a daughter and a son. Family is at the heart of everything she does, and she treasures spending quality time with her loved ones. Whether enjoying great food, spending time outdoors, or creating lasting memories together, she values the balance between building a successful career and nurturing a fulfilling family life.

Her strong appreciation for family, security, and long-term planning naturally influences her approach to wealth management, helping clients build, grow, and protect the futures that matter most to them.