Standard Bank CIO of Global Markets Nicole Borges leads one of banking’s most demanding technology environments, where delivery is non-negotiable. Yet her story is just as much about mentorship, team-building and the hard-won lesson that ambition means little without balance.
Nicole Borges did not set out with a grand plan to work in technology. If things had gone differently, she says, she might have ended up in medicine. Instead, she found her way into tech through a mix of aptitude, timing and curiosity, then stayed because of its energy.
“The relentless pace of change. Nothing stays static for one and the constant evolution is what gets me out of bed every day. The opportunity to continuously learn, adapt, innovate, and help shape what the future looks like,” says the Standard Bank CIO of Global Markets. “I love constant change and I love learning.”
More than 20 years into her career, Nicole still speaks about technology with enthusiasm. But what stands out more is the way she talks about leadership. Her instincts are less about theatre or authority, and more about growth, good judgement and putting strong people around her.
She grew up in Johannesburg in a close-knit family, with cousins, shared weekends and a strong sense of support. That grounding still seems to shape how she sees leadership now, especially in roles that can often be more isolating than they appear.
One of the defining moments in Nicole’s career came early, when she was asked to lead a major industry programme in the money markets space. It was high stakes, tightly timed and impossible to bluff one’s way through.
Growth in discomfort
The experience taught her a lesson that has stayed with her ever since. “Instead of stepping back, you need to lean in and ask a lot of questions and move quickly to understand the problem,” she says.
It also taught her something else: growth is rarely comfortable. “It’s in that discomfort that you’ve got your biggest growth,” she explains.
That mindset resurfaced when she left a role which required managing a team of 60 people for one where she had to build a team from scratch.
For Nicole, it became one of the most valuable periods of her career and sharpened what she sees as one of her key strengths. “I think one of my superpowers is putting the right people in the right roles,” she says. “As much as the organisation needs incredible people, it also is about the human.”
People, then platforms
Now leading a team with hundreds of people in one of the bank’s most demanding environments, Nicole’s view is practical – stability and security come first.
That same pragmatism runs through how she thinks about modernisation, AI and digital transformation across the African markets. Different business areas need different things. Some need resilience above all else. Others have more room for experimentation. Across the continent, local realities also matter, from regulatory requirements to market conditions.
It is one of the reasons her role carries so much complexity. The challenge is to modernise in a way that supports fast-moving business demands while maintaining control, consistency and trust.
Through all of it, she comes back to people.
Support structures, mentors and trusted colleagues have all played an important role in her own journey. “Surround yourself with people whose strength exceeds your own – that's where real success can be achieved,” she adds. “Often you see leaders that are intimidated by doing that, and I think it's a missed opportunity to elevate talented individuals.”
Outside work, Nicole runs half marathons, plays golf, does CrossFit and spends as much time outdoors as she can. She is also deeply committed to mentoring, particularly through graduate development and women in technology initiatives.
“A good life for me is balanced,” she says. “You can’t be at 100 percent in all aspects. Different seasons will demand different levels of investment of your time.”
