Dr Gavin Moss, CIO of RMB corporate transaction banking, is driving technology in one of the bank’s newest divisions. With a people-first ethos, he balances operational demands with bold bets on digital banking in South Africa.
A qualified master distiller and scuba diving instructor, Dr Gavin Moss is a lifelong learner whose love for learning continues to lead him down interesting paths. Today, Gavin finds himself at RMB, where he is CIO of the relatively new division having formed officially in October 2023.
His role is both demanding and rare as he is leading technology in a sector that is still growing within the bank. Gavin has been in his role for the past 18 months, relishing every second of the opportunity. “You don’t often get a chance in technology leadership to build your own team from scratch, especially in a corporate environment,” he explains.
While the opportunity is an exciting one, Gavin notes that it’s also not an easy space. Clients depend on the systems running without interruption. “It’s quite fast-paced and if our systems fail, clients are naturally upset,” Gavin says. But he views the challenge as an advantage and an opportunity to leapfrog rather than replicate what competitors already have. “If we try to solve problems in the same way others have, we’ll never catch up. The opportunity we have is to leapfrog where our competitors are by thinking differently.”
Gavin traces his entry into technology to a primary school computer lab. Growing up when PCs were just becoming common, he recalls the curiosity that first set him on his path. “I’ve got an engineering brain. I like to take things apart and then see if I can put them back together again,” he says.
That instinct led him from dismantling PCs to experimenting with Visual Basic code in his school’s computer lab, and the combination of understanding both hardware and software and early exposure to coding sparked a lifelong passion. “Technology is now ubiquitous across the world and it’s the greatest environment to be a part of,” he adds.
If he were not in technology, Gavin says he would have attempted to pursue professional golf as a career. He jokes that he was ready to retire at 40 and prepare for the senior tour at 50 but received a kind but firm “no” from his wife when he raised the idea.
Balancing firefighting and transformation
One of Gavin’s core responsibilities is to balance short-term operational pressures with long-term transformation. His approach is structured around what he calls the “three horizon model”. Horizon one is firefighting: solving the immediate issues. Horizon two is the medium-term goals and horizon three is long-term digital transformation.
“If you’re always firefighting, you’ll never focus on long-term goals. But if you only focus on the long term, the fire will stay lit and your people will burn out,” he explains. To create space for strategy, Gavin looks for small things that can add value initially to calm the fire. Those wins buy the breathing room needed to plan and execute long-term initiatives.
In light of his people-focused approach to strategy, Gavin’s personal ethos is shaped by valuing people first. This principle guides his decisions and how he structures his teams.
He compares the demands of corporate technology to professional sport. “If you look at a professional sports team like the Springboks, they don’t perform at 100 percent all the time. They’re expected to perform at an optimal level during the game. The rest of the time they’re training, recovering and planning,” he says. He has structured his teams to work the same way. Capacity is deliberately planned at 80 percent, leaving space for other things like training, leave and family responsibilities. “If you plan to consistently perform at 100 percent, you are planning to fail,” he adds.
He measures his success as a leader less by traditional metrics and more by two cultural indicators: low attrition and the quality of applicants his department receives. “If high-quality people are applying for vacancies or reaching for career opportunities, it means the team is functioning at a level where people want to be part of our journey,” Gavin says proudly.
Creating psychological safety
He fosters psychological safety in his team by taking responsibility and accountability for mistakes while ensuring individuals receive credit for wins. “I try my best to take responsibility when the team makes a mistake, while ensuring that when we succeed the people who made the difference are clearly identified,” he explains. This approach gives people the freedom to try new things without fearing for their wellbeing.
He learnt this philosophy early in his career after accidentally taking down most of the ATM network at a previous employer. His manager’s response was pivotal: “You were trying to make things better. Don’t make the same mistake again and learn from it.” Gavin has carried that lesson throughout his leadership journey.
Family also plays a significant role in who he is and how he shows up as a leader. “My family is the most important thing to me, and I actively encourage my team members to be there for their own families,” he says. He gives team members time for family commitments like sports days or school concerts. “If something happens to the bank systems, we’ll fix it. The bank will survive but those moments with your family can never be replaced.”
Gavin’s toughest personal test came when he welcomed his first child while he was working a demanding job and starting a master’s. The key lesson he took away was about sleep. “Adults need a minimum four-hour block of sleep to function. Without it, you can’t solve problems. Once you get enough sleep most problems can be solved,” he says.
These days Gavin turns to family, triathlons, golf and practices meditation to clear his mind.
Modular technology and bold bets
In corporate transactional banking, the product suite is largely commoditised and finding the right technology partners with the right modular architecture and collaborative approach is vital for success. Gavin sees blockchain as a transformative technology. Documentary trade, with its complex multi-party documentation requirements, is a prime use case for this technology.
Looking further ahead, his bold bet for corporate transactional banking is financial inclusion across South Africa. He believes the sector must align with the Reserve Bank to open the payments industry and broaden access for the good of the country. The Payments Ecosystem Modernisation Programme is the SARB’s flagship initiative to drive this transformation, aiming to enable fast, simple, inclusive and secure digital payments across South Africa. “It might diversify revenue between banks and fintechs in the short term. But for the country, it’s absolutely the right thing to do,” Gavin says.
On artificial intelligence, Gavin takes a measured approach. “We’re still in the AI hype cycle and don’t actually know what the true value of AI is going to be,” he says. He does not believe AI will replace jobs but warns that individuals who learn to use it effectively will outpace those who do not, and training is therefore key.
“We need to give people skills now to understand how AI functions, how it gets information in and out and how to optimise it to do things better or faster,” he explains. At the same time, he stresses the need to preserve pathways for junior staff to gain experience alongside AI, ensuring future generations of senior leaders.
Building technology factories in Africa
Gavin believes South Africa has untapped potential in technology. “The skills we have coming out of our universities are amazing,” he says, citing disciplines like computer science and engineering graduates across all universities in the country. Yet limited economic growth has constrained job opportunities. He sees a chance for South Africa to follow India’s model of building ‘technology factories’ to attract outsourced international work based on the skills of our graduates and the economically attractive price point we can offer to other countries.
South Africa’s mobile-first history is another advantage. “Because of Africa’s size, mobile data has become much more prevalent over wired connectivity across the continent and we’re ahead of the curve from a mobile development perspective. A lot of what we do is mobile first,” Gavin says.
He also sees hybrid work as a competitive edge for South African companies. “We manage people’s outcomes rather than where they are. If you want the best skills, you have to offer hybrid work, especially in the technology arena.”
Gavin holds an array of qualifications, including a doctorate in commerce, an MBA and two postgraduate diplomas in business administration and CIO Practice. When it comes to continuous learning, his advice is simple. “There’s never a good time to focus on additional studies. If you want to do it, just start. You’ll generally find the time if it’s that important to you,” he says. He is now considering further study in the humanities, particularly around how the brain functions.
“I love what I do and I want to be successful. But my family, my support system and the bigger goal of financial inclusion will always be what drives me,” he says. It is a perspective that keeps Gavin grounded while pushing the boundaries of what corporate banking technology in South Africa can achieve.
