Sean Berrington Email Address

Chief Financial Officer Group Information Technology

Standard Bank Group is the largest African bank by assets and earnings. It is a universal bank and full-service financial group offering a range of banking and related financial services. Our three business units include Personal & Business Banking, Corporate & Investment Banking and Wealth - Liberty.

Being at the heart of the digital revolution is something most modern executives aspire to be a part of. Whilst I have had the privilege of being part of this revolution (over the last 20 years), it is hands my hands on experience in defining, influencing, implementing and driving this change that sets me apart. Through my time at both Standard Bank and PwC I have had the opportunity to define strategies, lead and implement strategic change, direct a complex portfolio and drive a process to reskill the teams that I have lead. In addition to this, I have been able to transform (implement) processes and strategically influence the areas I support. It is this skill set that puts me in a unique class, one that makes me a strong leader and positions me well to lead and transform any organisation. More specifically 1.Deep Technology, Digital & Financial management experience: Through my experiences, I have been able to stay at the cusp of emerging trends and blend this with my deep understanding of technology, my understanding of the Financial Services environment and my financial management experience. As part of this I have been able to use this knowledge to strategically influence the organisations I have been a part of. 2.Executive presence: I have developed an executive presence that enables me to talk about a wide range of topics in a manner that engages the audience, allows me to perform the role of trusted advisor and allows me to influence the strategic outcomes of the areas I support. 3.Building strong teams (Building a finance team of the future): I have been able to transform and support the teams that I have led, empowering them to deliver their goals and, in the process, improve engagement, delivery and reduce the number of headcount. 4.Driving change: I have had the unique opportunity to define define strategies, prepare business cases, negotiate agreements, manage vendors and drive outcomes. This experience has taught me an intuitive six sense that helps identify when strategic or commercial outcomes aren’t being achieved, and to take the requisite actions to course correct. This skill has proved pivotal in all my roles, regardless of size and complexity. 5.Commercially and legal minded: Finally, I have been tasked with leading numerous large cost reform programmes, and being part of a deal team responsible for negotiating the numerous large contracts and the terms of some of the key strategic relationships within the Standard Bank Group.