In this influential role within a dynamic, global commercial bank, the Head of Business will be tasked with leading and expanding the bank's South African operations. The Head of Business will oversee both strategic and operational functions, necessitating a meticulous approach to the bank's daily operations. Key areas of expertise include business development, client coverage and acquisition, marketing, liquidity, treasury, regulatory compliance, credit and risk management.
The ideal candidate should be located in one of South Africa's major business hubs, preferably Johannesburg or Durban.
Key qualifications and experience required for the Head of Business:
- A highly qualified professional with a tertiary education in a relevant field; an MBA is strongly preferred
- At least 20 years of experience in business and commercial banking
- Demonstrated success in managing the daily operations of a bank
- Extensive regulatory knowledge, with expertise in compliance, credit and risk management
- Strong skills in business development, client coverage, acquisition and sales
- Crucially, the candidate must have established relationships with the Prudential Authority
- Experience working with owner-managed businesses is advantageous
Key duties of the Head of Business:
- Develop a strategic plan to acquire new customers and expand the bank's existing customer base within its business and commercial banking segments
- Ensure the strategic plan targets new-to-business (NTB) customers and includes outreach to diverse communities, such as Indian, Portuguese, Greek and Chinese
- Provide effective leadership and management of the bank's customer acquisition and management teams to ensure successful execution of the strategic plan
- Coordinate with all support channels across the bank, including operations, treasury, credit and compliance, to ensure superior service delivery to clients and alignment with the strategic objectives
- Set budgets, KPIs and performance objectives; analyse and report on progress; identify underlying factors affecting performance; and provide solutions when objectives are not met
- Uphold the bank's culture regarding risk and compliance, ensuring adherence to laws, regulations and both group and local governance documents and procedures
Key personal skills:
- Communicates clearly and effectively, both verbally and in writing
- Demonstrates drive, resilience and gravitas
- Exhibits strong leadership skills
- Capable of managing diverse viewpoints and navigating conflicting opinions
- Resilient and persistent in challenging situations
- Possesses strong business acumen
- Articulate, motivated and proactive
- Excellent problem-solving abilities
- Willing to delve into details and engage in hands-on work, unafraid of hard work
If you are a seasoned and strong-minded banking professional seeking a leadership role with international influence and a clear path for growth, we encourage you to get in touch for a further discussion.
