Digital & Product Head, Personal & Private Banking, Africa Regions

Liberty is seeking a seasoned strategic leader to head the Digital and Product division for its Personal and Private Banking (PPB) operations across Africa Regions. This role is pivotal in driving the digital transformation of financial services, requiring a leader who can bridge the gap between complex banking products and the evolving needs of the modern, tech-savvy African consumer. The successful candidate will spearhead an integrated strategy that balances commercial growth with seamless, client-centric digital experiences.

About the role

This position is designed for an experienced professional who understands the nuances of the African financial landscape. You will be responsible for defining a unified vision that aligns product value propositions with the broader digital transformation goals of the business. The mandate covers the entire lifecycle of financial products—from initial concept and design to launch, optimisation, and eventual decommissioning.

You will act as the primary custodian of product economics, ensuring that each portfolio remains competitive and profitable while adhering to stringent risk appetites. Collaborating closely with technology, credit, and regional heads, you will ensure that the digital architecture is scalable, resilient, and capable of supporting a multi-channel environment that spans mobile, web, and traditional banking touchpoints.

The core of the role involves executing a strategy that enhances customer engagement and drives digital adoption across diverse geographies. Your key responsibilities will include:

• **Strategy Execution:** Translating high-level segment strategies into actionable, scalable product and digital solutions that reflect market-specific requirements.
• **Resource Optimisation:** Overseeing the allocation of capital, time, and human resources to ensure that cross-functional squads deliver measurable results within budget and time horizons.
• **Customer Journey Design:** Architecting intuitive, personalised client journeys that reduce friction across all service channels, ultimately improving NPS and digital adoption rates.
• **Operational Excellence:** Managing the stability of digital channels and ensuring that every product release meets internal regulatory, compliance, and risk frameworks.
• **Agile Leadership:** Fostering a culture of speed-to-market by leading cross-functional teams that integrate business, technology, and operations to improve execution quality.

What they're looking for

Liberty is looking for a leader with a significant track record in Personal and Private Banking. You should possess deep expertise in digital and e-commerce growth strategies, particularly within the context of the African market.

• **Academic Background:** A postgraduate degree in Business, Commerce, Finance, or Accounting is required.
• **Industry Experience:** A minimum of 10 years of experience is expected, with a strong focus on product management, product economics, and portfolio management within the financial services sector.
• **Technical Proficiency:** You must have a robust understanding of product development, digital value propositions, and the complexities of multi-market banking integration.
• **Soft Skills:** The role demands high-level behavioural competencies, including strategic decision-making, the ability to empower individuals within large teams, and the composure to manage risk and change in a fast-paced environment.

Roles of this calibre at top-tier financial institutions in Johannesburg typically command competitive executive-level packages. These positions offer a career path toward C-suite executive leadership or senior regional management roles within the broader financial services landscape. For a professional with strong experience in the Africa Regions, this represents an opportunity to influence the digital trajectory of one of the continent’s most prominent financial service providers.

Type of Qualification: Post Graduate Degree
Field of Study: Business Commerce, Finance and Accounting

Experience Required
Digital & eCommerce, CHNW
Personal and Private Banking
More than 10 years
Significant experience in the personal and private banking segment. Significant experience in understanding integration of digital and eCommerce sales growth around products, solutions and go-to market plans. Extensive knowledge and experience in development, design and enablement of Product and Digital and eCommerce value propositions across multiple markets, specifically Africa Regions. Experience in product management and banking product economics and portfolio management.

Behavioural Competencies:

• Conveying Self-Confidence
• Developing Strategies
• Embracing Change
• Empowering Individuals
• Exploring Possibilities
• Making Decisions
• Producing Output
• Pursuing Goals
• Seizing Opportunities
• Showing Composure
• Upholding Standards
• Valuing Individuals

Technical Competencies:

• Business Development
• Financial Acumen
• Risk Reporting
• Risk Response Strategy
• Risk/ Reward Thinking
• Strategic Planning and Reporting