Tell us a little bit about yourself:
a) What did you do before you were appointed to your current role?
After qualifying with a bachelor’s degree in psychology and English and a higher diploma in education at UWC in 1988, I began my career as a high school teacher in 1989. After eight amazing years, I felt it was time to spread my wings and went on to work as a fundraiser for an NPO.
In 2002, I set up my own training consultancy working for the UCT School of Education and Old Mutual’s Business School for several years. My work as a lecturer and mentor at UCT on a school leadership programme saw me visiting a multitude of schools all over Cape Town. During the same period, I was privileged to train hundreds of Old Mutual employees all around South Africa and in Namibia, mainly on personal mastery.
It was during this time, in 2013, that I started as an academic manager (part-time) at the ASISA Academy. In 2018, I took on the role of leadership of the ASISA Academy full-time.
b) What inspires you in your work?
As someone who was born into an apartheid South Africa and experienced first-hand the ravages of this brutal regime, I am deeply committed to the work of transformation in my country. I am motivated by partnerships that serve to make a massive difference in the lives of people who have come from spaces in our country where they have experienced hardship and probably never dreamt of a future career.
c) What do you do to “switch off”?
I enjoy attending a variety of theatrical performances, kayaking and swimming, reading a good autobiography or work of non-fiction, listening to a wide range of music and walking in nature.
d) Anything else we should know about you?
My family has nominated me as their favourite baker of chocolate cakes, lamingtons and koe’siestas.
When did the ASISA Academy begin and what is its mandate?
The Academy was set up in 2007, registered as the Investment Management Association of South Africa (IMASA) Academy. A short while later the name was changed to the Association for Savings and Investment South Africa (ASISA) Academy. It was established as an ASISA entity whose mandate would be to offer high-quality learning solutions to ASISA member companies, mainly focusing on investment professionals, CFA candidates and retirement fund trustees.
What is your role as CEO of the Academy and what are the key roles in your team?
I oversee the business of the Academy and am accountable to its board of directors as well as the ASISA board. In essence, my role is to ensure that we fulfill our vision and purpose (strategic objectives and transformation mandate) to explore new offerings relevant to the industry, build partnerships with ASISA members and industry stakeholders and grow sustainably.
We have a lean team that has grown steadily over the years. Our key roles are finance, academic, teaching and administration. We have a team of accountants, an academic manager, business development coordinator, a team of programme champions and presenters who deliver the training and an administrative team who attend to logistics and all things admin, ensuring that every course and event runs smoothly. A key appointment is underway – that of an operations manager.
What types of programmes does the Academy run?
We offer a variety of short courses, graduate programmes and internships. We offer one full qualification – the NQF 7 Financial Markets Practitioner qualification, which is a registered learnership by the Finance and Accounting Services Sector Education and Training Authority (FASSET). We have three target audiences, namely:
- People already working in the financial services industry who wish to enhance their knowledge and skills. Courses focus on investment management administration and client servicing, collective investment schemes and compliance, equity analysis, life insurance claims assessing and underwriting.
- Retirement fund trustees, principal officers, shop stewards and union representatives. Workshops focus on a variety of topics that assist trustees in fulfilling their fiduciary responsibilities (eg governance and ethics, responsible investing, death benefits, annual financial statement analysis, etc). We also offer a course for new trustees as well as an advanced course for more experienced trustees.
- Young people seeking to enter the industry, particularly black South Africans. Our graduate programmes and internships are aimed at this audience. The industry sponsors all these programmes and ultimately employs the grads. We currently run one investment management administration undergrad programme in partnership with TSIBA Education, one independent financial advisor internship and one programme for black women graduates entering asset management.
What makes ASISA Academy’s progammes unique?
All our programme champions and trustee educators are professionals who have worked in the industry at some point and who have a passion for education. These independent consultants anchor our various courses and draw on the expertise of many industry professionals who are happy to present pro bono on specific courses, within their area of expertise. This brings a distinctive richness to the quality of the courses we deliver. We also work closely with representatives from competing companies who serve on ASISA’s technical committees and co-create courses with the assistance of working groups from these committees.
While a few years ago we were referred to as the industry’s best-kept secret, now we are much more well-known among the ASISA membership and industry stakeholders.
What is the ASISA Academy’s vision?
Our vision is to be the skills development partner of choice for financial services industry firms and stakeholders who wish to upskill their employees and engage in transformation initiatives that promote the employment of young people who desire to work in our industry.
How is the Academy funded?
Some of our courses are marketed publicly and paid for by the employers of individuals who enrol or the individuals themselves. Our internships and graduate programmes are mainly funded by ASISA member companies but there is a small number of non-member companies who also fund these programmes. Our retirement fund trustee education (RFTE) workshops and courses are indirectly funded by ASISA member companies who make contributions to the ASISA Foundation for consumer financial education. The Academy has a service level agreement with the ASISA Foundation and all our RFTE workshops are externally monitored and evaluated.
What makes someone attend the ASISA Academy rather than another educational institute?
The ASISA Academy has a good reputation in the industry. While a few years ago we were referred to as the industry’s best-kept secret, now we are much more well-known among the ASISA membership and industry stakeholders. We find that most of our delegates have been referred to us by a colleague who has been on a course with us or fellow alumni from their university who have been on our graduate programmes. This speaks volumes about the quality of the learning experience they have had.
We receive direct feedback from professional bodies we work with that the learning experience we deliver is of top quality. Our results speak for themselves. We ask delegates for feedback daily, and we act on the feedback as soon as possible to enhance the learning experience wherever possible. We have outstanding attendance, completion, pass and absorption rates (employment of graduates). The impact we are making in the industry is huge because we value people and want to make a positive difference in their lives through the powerful partnerships we have with industry.
What are the biggest challenges that the Academy faces?
To ensure we remain competitive and relevant while managing costs, we need to remain in touch with our market and innovate how learning is delivered.
What would you say has been the Academy’s greatest success?
Our greatest success has been our graduate programmes and internships where we have opened doors to employment for hundreds of black South African graduates in the industry. These are only possible because of our amazing industry partners who believe in us and regard us as a partner of choice with who to build a talent pipeline. It warms our hearts to see our alumni filling the roles of portfolio managers, fund accountants, financial advisors, para planners and so forth. We have also developed many courses for trustees and trained thousands.
What advice would you give a recent university graduate who wants to enter the financial services industry?
Don’t rest on your laurels and expect a job to fall into your lap. Empower yourself not only with knowledge but also with vital practical skills and qualities that will help you succeed, such as being organised and punctual, being proactive and action-oriented, communicating effectively, working in teams, asking questions, constantly learning, etc. Life is tough and this is a competitive industry, so grab every opportunity to upskill yourself. Good marks alone are not a guarantee for career success. Good character, resilience and a positive attitude will take you far.
Transformation is a key issue in the financial services industry. What advice would you give employers who want to help transform the industry?
We live in a country with the highest Gini coefficient in the world, so it is a fact that we have extreme income inequality, dire poverty and high levels of unemployment. If we all partner in doing the hard work of transformation, we will see a better South Africa. Cultural Intelligence is important as are empathy and inclusive approaches. Employers must seek to nurture and grow talent within their businesses by putting a talent pipeline in place and ensuring employees have a career path mapped out.
