Head of Marketing Investment Banking at Absa Group Limited (Absa)

Job Summary

• At Absa Corporate and Investment Banking, we believe that every client, colleague and partner has a story worth investing in. Guided by our brand promise, “Your Story Matters”, we go beyond transactions to shape experiences that empower Africa’s tomorrow, one story at a time. Our commitment is to walk alongside our clients and teams through every challenge and triumph, co-creating solutions that reflect their ambitions and unique journeys.
• As Head of Marketing for Investment Banking, you will lead the strategic marketing agenda for Absa’s Corporate and Investment Banking business, driving brand leadership, market growth, and measurable demand generation. This leadership role requires a visionary leader who can build trusted stakeholder relationships, and translate business priorities into integrated, data-driven marketing strategies that elevate Absa’s profile, deepen client engagement, and deliver tangible ROI. You will inspire a high-performing team, foster cross-functional collaboration, and ensure that every marketing initiative positions Absa as a trusted partner to Africa’s leading corporates and institutions.
• You will lead and inspire a high-performing team, harness market research and insights and blend storytelling to turn insight into measurable demand (ROI) by ensuring every marketing initiative resonates with the evolving needs of corporate clients and delivers tangible business benefits that strengthen Absa’s role as a trusted partner to Africa’s leading corporates and institutions.
• This is a unique opportunity for a visionary marketing leader to shape the future of Investment Banking for CIB at Absa, driving both business impact and client success across Africa.  Success profile will be an individual with a bachelor’s degree in marketing, Business, or a related field (postgraduate qualification preferred) and a minimum of 10 years marketing leadership experience in investment or corporate banking, with a proven track record in B2B demand generation and digital marketing. Deep understanding of investment banking products, markets and client segments and ability to effectively craft and drive strategy secures

Job Description

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership & Data-Driven Planning 

• Develop and execute a forward-thinking marketing strategy for Investment Banking, aligned to Absa CIB’s business objectives and growth ambitions.
• Translate business priorities and plans into measurable marketing objectives, ensuring clear KPIs and robust ROI tracking.
• Champion the use of analytics, market research, and client insights to inform marketing decisions, segment audiences, and optimize campaign performance.
• Benchmark against industry best practices (e.g. Focus on centralized event planning and compliance) to ensure competitive differentiation
• Client Experience – drive differentiated experiences for clients based on the latest industry benchmarks and technology enhancements
• In partnership with business leads, define and prioritise strategic value propositions to drive business value and growth.
• Stay abreast of industry best practices and new/innovative areas of work required for the next level of work.

End-to-End Event & Client Engagement Lifecycle Management   

• Oversee the full lifecycle of high-impact B2B marketing initiatives, from ideation and planning through execution and post-campaign analysis.
• ⁠Development of the customer journey framework and ensuring seamless integration of digital, direct, and experiential marketing channels to maximize client engagement and lead generation.
• ⁠Drive continuous improvement by leveraging data, client feedback, market research and industry trends to refine marketing tactics and messaging.
• Manage risk through contingency planning, compliance audits, and adherence to financial services regulatory standards. 
• Identifying the appropriate marketing channels to drive initiatives and ensure optimal results in support of business objectives.
• Establish KPIs, real-time monitoring systems, and post-campaign debriefs to assess ROI and identify improvement opportunities. 

Stakeholder & Supplier Governance  

• ⁠Build and maintain strong relationships with Investment Banking Leadership, product teams, and client facing colleagues to align marketing with business and commercial priorities.
• Develop strong strategic relationships with business stakeholders to ensure understanding of commercial priorities and requirements
• Manage third-party agencies and suppliers, ensuring delivery excellence, cost-effectiveness, and adherence to Absa’s governance standards.
• Act as a brand ambassador, ensuring consistency and quality across all touchpoints to safeguard and enhance the Absa brand.
• Work and collaborate with colleagues across Africa and International Corridors to integrate and align plans / key messages.

Team Leadership & Development  

• Lead, mentor, and inspire a team of marketing professionals, fostering a culture of innovation, accountability, continuous learning and high performance.
• Drive talent development, succession planning, and knowledge sharing to build a future-ready marketing team.
• ⁠Set clear objectives, provide regular feedback, and recognize outstanding contributions.
• Coach and mentor team members on how to continuously improve their own productivity and performance.

Education

• Bachelor`s Degrees and Advanced Diplomas: Marketing (Required)