Regional Segment Head: Gauteng

With over 100 years of rich history and strongly positioned as a local bank with regional and international expertise, a career with our family offers the opportunity to be part of this exciting growth journey, to reset our future and shape our destiny as a proudly African group.

Job Summary

We are seeking a strategic and commercially astute leader to take on the role of Regional Segment Head – Commercial Clients within Absa Relationship Banking. This executive role is accountable for driving the end-to-end commercial strategy across a key region, delivering sustainable revenue growth and deepening client relationships across the mid-corporate segment. The incumbent will lead a team of high-performing Relationship Executives and Segment Leads, driving growth across lending, transactional banking, working capital, and investment solutions. With full P&L responsibility, the role requires exceptional leadership, deep financial acumen, and the ability to influence cross-functional stakeholders. The ideal candidate is a bold, purpose-driven leader with a proven track record in commercial banking, strong stakeholder management skills, and the ability to convert strategy into measurable impact. This is a critical leadership role with direct influence on regional performance and national commercial banking direction.

Job Description

1. Strategic and Commercial Leadership

• Lead the design and execution of regional strategies aligned to the national Commercial Client value proposition.
• Identify growth opportunities across lending, deposits, investment solutions, and non-interest revenue.
• Track and deliver performance against financial targets: revenue, ROE, cost-to-income ratio, and capital efficiency.

2. Client Engagement and Segment Growth

• Build and maintain relationships with strategic commercial clients across key industries (e.g., Manufacturing, Healthcare, Logistics, Wholesale, Franchising).
• Champion a deep understanding of evolving client needs to drive product uptake and cross-sell.
• Collaborate with product houses, digital teams, and innovation units to co-create client-centric solutions.

3. People Leadership and Culture

• Lead, coach, and empower a team of Segment Leads, Relationship Executive Managers, and Relationship Executives.
• Foster a high-performance, inclusive culture focused on commercial excellence, continuous learning, and transformation.
• Build strong talent pipelines and lead succession planning across the region.

4. Risk Management and Governance

• Oversee credit risk management in collaboration with the Credit Risk team and ensure portfolio quality.
• Monitor operational risks and ensure strict compliance with regulatory and governance standards.
• Champion early warning frameworks and proactive client engagement for stressed portfolios.

5. Stakeholder Engagement and Market Influence

• Serve as a strategic advisor to internal stakeholders including Risk, Finance, Product, Digital Transformation, and Coverage teams.
• Represent the region in national strategic forums and industry engagements.
• Provide market insights to influence product development and national segment strategy.

Education

Bachelors Degree and Professional Qualifications: Business, Commerce and Management Studies (Required)

Absa Bank Limited is an equal opportunity, affirmative action employer. In compliance with the Employment Equity Act 55 of 1998, preference will be given to suitable candidates from designated groups whose appointments will contribute towards achievement of equitable demographic representation of our workforce profile and add to the diversity of the Bank.

Absa Bank Limited reserves the right not to make an appointment to the post as advertised.