Business Banking Sector Head Wholesale and Retail Portfolio at Absa Group Limited (Absa)

Job Summary

• The Business Banking Sector Head Wholesale and Retail Portfolio is accountable for defining and driving sector led growth strategies across the sector within Business Banking.
• The role sets strategy, governance, standards and portfolio wide outcomes across all Pan African markets, ensuring balance sheet optimisation, disciplined growth and risk aligned value creation.
• Acting as the enterprise sector authority for Business Banking, the role shapes the Business Banking sector strategy, credit and risk positioning, product direction and go to market execution, working collaboratively across Coverage, Risk, Credit, Product, Treasury and Country teams to ensure consistent, disciplined delivery while accommodating local market realities.

Job Description

Key accountabilities

Sector Strategy and Portfolio Leadership

• Define the Business Banking sector strategy is aligned to the bank’s growth, risk and return objectives.
• Translate group and Business Bank strategy into sector‑specific growth, penetration and profitability plans.
• Identify priority sub‑segments, client archetypes and growth opportunities within each sector.
• Ensure consistent strategy adoption across countries while allowing for market‑specific adaptations.
• Ensure alignment with Group balance‑sheet, capital and risk appetite

Portfolio Performance and Financial Outcomes

• Develop the industry and/or sector‑level portfolio performance, including lending growth, revenue, margins and returns.
• Drive optimisation of risk‑adjusted returns (RORC) across sector portfolios.
• Monitor portfolio health, concentration and early‑warning indicators; initiate corrective actions where required.
• Balance growth ambition with disciplined portfolio management and loss mitigation.
• Own portfolio‑level outcomes across all markets.
• Sense‑check country and segment exposures holistically.
• Act as final escalation point on portfolio‑level trade‑offs.

Risk, Credit and Governance

• Partner with Risk and Credit to define sector risk appetite, underwriting standards and credit policies.
• Ensure sector strategies align with approved risk limits, regulatory expectations and internal governance frameworks.
• Provide sector insight into portfolio reviews, credit forums and risk committees.
• Proactively identify emerging sector risks and structural changes impacting portfolio performance.

Go‑to‑Market Execution

• Work closely with Coverage and Relationship teams to embed sector strategies into frontline execution.
• Drive sector‑specific value propositions, client engagement models and pipeline discipline.
• Enable consistent application of best practices, tools and playbooks across countries and teams.
• Track execution effectiveness and intervene where delivery gaps exist.
• Identify and develop ecosystem and partnership opportunities that enhance sector positioning and client value.

Product, Treasury and Proposition Alignment

• Influence product and solution design to ensure sector relevance and commercial differentiation.
• Collaborate with Treasury on pricing, balance‑sheet optimisation and funding impacts at sector level.
• Ensure Business Banking sector propositions remain competitive, scalable and commercially viable.

Thought Leadership and Market Insight and Sector Expertise Enablement

• Act as the Business Bank’s internal sector authority, providing insight on market trends, regulatory developments and competitive dynamics.
• Develop sector thought leadership to support frontline teams and inform strategic decisions.
• Build deep insight into sector dynamics, value chains, regulatory developments and macro economic trends across Africa.
• Support marketing and client engagement initiatives through credible sector insights (non‑transactional).

Stakeholder Management

Build strong working relationships with:

• Country Business Banking Heads
• Coverage leadership
• Risk, Credit, Product and Treasury teams
• Ensure sector strategies and initiatives comply with governance, conduct and regulatory requirements across markets.
• Represent the sector agenda in executive forums, resolving cross‑functional issues and influencing enterprise priorities

Qualifications and Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Finance, Economics or related field. Postgraduate qualification is strongly preferred. 10–15+ years’ experience in banking or financial services.
• Proven track record leading sector strategies and portfolios across multiple geographies. Strong experience in origination, structuring and management of complex credit and transactional solutions.
• Demonstrated ability to drive portfolio optimisation and risk‑adjusted returns. Experience in pan‑African or multi‑country environments is strongly preferred.

Education

• Master's Degree: Finance, Postgraduate Degrees and Professional Qualifications: Business, Commerce and Management Studies

End Date: June 12, 2026