Award-winning Bidvest Bank CIO Nomonde White-Ndlovu had her hands full, literally, when she walked away with three awards at last year’s CIO Awards - best high performance team; best strategy & leadership; and, the title of 2024 Young CIO of the Year.
Figuratively, this visual presents an accurate reflection of her multifaceted life juggling between and across her roles as technology executive, wife and mom, and shaping transformation in the technology sector in both her personal and professional life.
Nomonde credits pilates alongside meditation as significant boosters to maintaining optimal physical and mental health. Describing herself as a homebody and introvert, she unwinds by retreating to the bush, enjoying its breathtaking scenery and creating special memories with her family.
Outside her ordinary course of business leading the technology arm of Bidvest Bank, Nomonde also serves as the chairperson for Wired4Women’s advisory board.
Given her own career trajectory and the influence of mentors therein, Nomonde enthusiastically takes on the opportunity to mentor others when approached. “We all started somewhere and everyone at a certain point received a hand up, myself included, having benefited from intentional guidance and support from incredible industry leaders,” she explained.
She insists that potential mentees have a clear vision of what they hope to achieve from the relationship in relation to their own goals and the value of what they understand the potential mentor to hold in the context of their own careers and unique journeys. This is also helpful for the potential mentor to assess their own capacities as to whether they are the best positioned person to support their journeys.
“These days, the types of mentees I engage with are people who are trying to transition from senior management to executive roles and, therefore, in need of guidance and constructive support in pivoting towards that direction,” she said. “I have a vested interest in ensuring that we have more female representation at executive levels in our country because I also selfishly want to see more women occupy these positions and thrive.”
In good hands
At a point in her life, while her mother furthered her education, Nomonde was raised by her late great-grandmother, who played a pivotal role in shaping her upbringing.
Nomonde’s parents placed a high value on quality education right from the beginning of their childhood. “I have such an immense appreciation for my father’s foresight who simply yearned for his children to live a better life than he did.”
From working as a call centre agent to support her family as a student, Nomonde’s curiosity, grit, and hard work saw her move into various roles within the company and transition into technology, beginning at USC Solutions followed by British American Tobacco, later Absa, and ultimately Bidvest Bank.
After investing years in her career, holding significant roles within financial services, she stepped into a new additional role when her family was expanding and she was pregnant with her second child.
During this time, Nomonde caught the attention of an executive headhunter for the role which she currently holds at Bidvest Bank. After spending close to a decade at Absa, she was not necessarily looking for other opportunities, more so because she was expecting to welcome her son, and likely to go through a promotion process with her then employer.
More significantly, however, her continued success depended on being strategic and timely in thinking through her next move. “I wanted to be intentional about my next career opportunity and my future more broadly. And so, my first inclination was to decline the opportunity because starting a new role at a new organisation while pregnant did not seem like a wise decision at the time.”
It was the invitation to meet with Hannah Sadiki, Bidvest Financial Services CEO that made Nomonde reconsider. “I really loved everything she had to say about the opportunity and who she was as a person. In addition to that, working for strong women is something that I both value and enjoy, so I knew I was in trouble!” she exclaimed.
What also left a strong impression on Nomonde was how her pregnancy was embraced, rather than seen as a challenge by her new boss. A natural problem-solver who is always eager to tackle new opportunities head-on, she could not resist the opportunity to add value.
A supportive ecosystem
Nomonde joined Bidvest Bank when the country had come out of its Covid-19 response. As the newly minted CIO of a bank known for its foreign exchange business, Nomonde’s leadership would be vital in ensuring the division succeeded in its turn-around strategy.
“Our CEO brought in a seasoned executive team to support and tackle the challenges that confronted the business. We were clear on what we needed to get done in order to turn around our business and, as an executive team, we were all up for the task of ensuring that we increased our revenue lines and recovered from the losses experienced as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.”
Nomonde noted that the ability to work alongside an exceptional executive team who were up to the task of pulling together to ensure a successful turnaround was the key ingredient. “Everyone rolled up their sleeves; no task was too small or involved - this made all the difference in how we were able to mobilise success as the executive function.”
“I’ve never witnessed the level of synergy before of everyone working together to achieve profitability at such a high level. It took a lot of blood, sweat, and tears across the board. Despite being a smaller division, we managed and continue to punch above our weight as it were, and compete successfully at the level of our counterparts. Once again, underscoring the power of unity, innovation, and determination in driving success, coupled with a team that is exceptional and committed.”
In December 2024, Access Bank agreed to acquire 100 percent of the share capital of Bidvest Bank. The acquisition is expected to close in the second half of 2025, subject to regulatory approvals.
