Group Executive: Head of Governance at Absa Group Limited (Absa)

End Date: May 7, 2026

Key Accountabilities

Enterprise Governance Strategy & Frameworks

• Lead the design, implementation, and continuous enhancement of the Group’s enterprise‑wide governance frameworks, ensuring alignment to King IV, applicable regulatory requirements, and international best practice.
• Translate governance strategy into practical policies, standards, delegations, and operating models that are scalable across diverse African jurisdictions.
• Ensure governance frameworks remain proportionate, pragmatic, and aligned to the Group’s risk appetite and strategic objectives.

Board and Committee Governance

• Provide governance oversight of Group Boards, Board committees, and key subsidiary governance forums to ensure effective decision‑making, role clarity, and accountability.
• Strengthen Board and committee processes, charters, calendars, mandates, and information flows to support effective oversight and regulatory confidence.
• Partner closely with Group Company Secretariat and Legal to ensure seamless coordination of governance activities.

Regulatory Alignment & Stakeholder Confidence

• Act as a key governance interface with internal and external stakeholders, ensuring governance practices meet regulatory, supervisory, and stakeholder expectations.
• Enable consistent interpretation and application of governance‑related regulatory requirements across jurisdictions.
• Anticipate emerging governance and regulatory trends and proactively embed them into Group frameworks.

Governance Integration Across the Group

• Act as the integrator across governance‑related disciplines (Legal, Compliance, Risk, Secretariat, Ethics, Conduct, and ESG) to ensure alignment and avoid fragmentation.
• Drive consistency while allowing for local regulatory, cultural, and operational nuances across African markets.
• Enable governance uplift in subsidiaries through guidance, support, and shared standards.

Culture, Ethics, and Governance Maturity

• Promote a culture of ethical leadership, accountability, and responsible decision‑making in line with the Group’s values.
• Embed governance principles into leadership practice, conduct frameworks, and organisational capability.
• Support the maturity of governance practices beyond compliance toward performance‑enabling governance.

Oversight, Assurance, and Continuous Improvement

• Monitor governance effectiveness through defined metrics, reviews, and assurance mechanisms.
• Identify governance gaps, risks, and inefficiencies and implement targeted improvements.
• Ensure governance processes are efficient, sustainable, and continuously improved in response to business and regulatory change.

Minimum Requirements

Qualifications

• Postgraduate qualification in Law, Governance, Risk Management, Finance, or a related field
• Professional certification in governance (e.g. Chartered Governance Professional) advantageous

Experience

• Minimum 12–15 years’ experience in governance, legal, regulatory, or risk environments within financial services
• Proven experience operating at executive or senior leadership level in a complex, multi‑jurisdictional organisation
• Demonstrated exposure to Board and executive governance within a regulated banking environment
• Experience across African markets preferred