Head, Custody and Investment Administration, Transaction Banking

Company Description

Standard Bank Group is a leading Africa-focused financial services group, and an innovative player on the global stage, that offers a variety of career-enhancing opportunities – plus the chance to work alongside some of the sector’s most talented, motivated professionals. Our clients range from individuals, to businesses of all sizes, high net worth families and large multinational corporates and institutions. We’re passionate about creating growth in Africa. Bringing true, meaningful value to our clients and the communities we serve and creating a real sense of purpose for you.

Job Description

To lead the Custody & Investment Administration portfolio by providing strategic direction and end-to-end product leadership. Accountable for defining a multi-year strategy to drive commercial growth (>70% of Investor Services revenue) and innovation across Africa. The role ensures regulatory compliance and operational excellence, providing market thought leadership to position the bank as a premier securities services provider.

Responsibilities include

• Define and deliver the multi-year strategic roadmap for the Custody and Investment Administration portfolio, ensuring alignment with broader Investor Services and Corporate & Investment Banking (CIB) growth objectives through product innovation, emerging technology integration, and continuous enhancement of the value proposition.
• Drive commercial growth and profitability by orchestrating sophisticated pricing models, executing the annual business plan and revenue targets, and evaluating new market entry opportunities and inorganic growth transactions to expand geographic footprint and service capability across Africa.
• Lead strategic business development initiatives in partnership with Coverage and Sales teams to secure large-scale institutional mandates, increase market share, identify cross-sell opportunities across the CIB ecosystem, and maximise share of wallet from existing custody clients.
• Manage high-level institutional client relationships and service excellence, overseeing client satisfaction, service level agreement adherence, and client experience outcomes to protect the existing asset base, strengthen retention, and reinforce the organisation's reputation as a world-class, client-centric service provider.
• Oversee the end-to-end operational value chain across custody and investment administration services, including safekeeping, settlements, corporate actions, automation and digitisation initiatives, to deliver seamless execution, enhance operational efficiency, reduce manual intervention, and improve the cost-to-income ratio.
• Maintain executive oversight of risk, governance, and regulatory compliance, establishing robust governance structures, executive reporting frameworks, and fiduciary oversight across multiple jurisdictions, while proactively managing product risk and integrating evolving regulatory and market infrastructure requirements into product strategy.
• Build and lead a high-performing team of product specialists, driving coaching, performance management, talent development, succession planning, and strategic resource allocation, while fostering a culture of accountability, innovation, and operational excellence.
• Influence senior stakeholders and provide industry thought leadership, partnering across Client Solutions, Technology, Operations, and Risk functions, engaging with regulators and financial market intermediaries, and contributing to the future development of capital market infrastructure and securities services across Africa.

Qualifications

Qualification
Degree or Post Graduate Degree in Business Commerce, Finance and Accounting

Experience Required
Minimum 10-13 years of experience in African financial markets, with significant exposure to the Custody and Securities Services business. Extensive experience managing senior product teams and navigating complex, matrixed organisational structures across a Pan-African footprint. A track record of successfully managing a high-revenue portfolio (>R1bn+) and delivering large-scale strategic or transformational initiatives.

Additional Information

Behavioural Competencies:

• Analysing and Interpreting Information
• Adopting Practical Approaches and Checking Things
• Documenting Facts and Interpreting Data
• Developing Expertise and Exploring Possibilities
• Developing Strategies and Making Decisions
• Articulating Information and Interacting with People
• Directing People and Empowering Individuals

Technical Competencies:

• Analysing and Interpreting Information and Root Cause Analysis
• Financial Acumen and Financial Analysis
• Financial and Accounting Control and Management Accounting
• Financial Consolidation and Preparing Financial Statements
• Financial Management (Financial) and Strategic Planning and Reporting
• Strategy Definition and Policy Development
• Programme Management and Quality Management
• Stakeholder Management and Brand Reputation Management
• Statistical & Mathematical Analysis