Putting yourself forward

Here we meet two members of the Institute of Risk Management (IRM) in Africa – one from Zimbabwe and the other from Uganda – who have both benefited from putting themselves forward to become risk managers Kesande Dianah Sharon is a risk analyst at Equity Bank Uganda and has a Bachelor’s Degree In Procurement and Supply Chain Management; a Diploma In Procurement And Supply (Cips); and a Certificate In International Enterprise Risk Management. How did you get your job? I joined a financial institution (Equity Bank Uganda) as a banking officer graduate trainee in August 2017. During the induction programme, the session by the bank’s head of risk intrigued me the most. At the end of the induction programme, I was one of the best-performing candidates in the assessment held by the bank. The discipline of risk management was not totally new to me as I had previously studied a module on supply chain risk management while pursuing a diploma from the Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply. As a banking officer, I took the initiative to acquaint myself with the company’s policies, procedures, guidelines and best practices to carry out my daily operations diligently. In the process, I noted a few gaps in the procedures and shared my propositions with my line manager on several occasions. This is when I realised I had a passion for risk management. When a position in the risk department opened up, I applied for it and, following a successful interview, was appointed as a risk analyst. Risk management has since become my area of specialty. What’s a typical day like as a risk analyst? As a risk analyst, I am responsible for developing and updating policies, procedures and process flows for all bank products; and processes in line with assessed risks arising from new or changes in regulations, legislation, technology and industry. I am also responsible for sharing the business’s risk profile and assessments with company stakeholders and board members. In addition, periodic activities are to be carried out such as quarterly reporting to board, monthly reporting to the executive committee, coordinating quarterly risk control self-assessments and designing the annual business impact analysis that feeds into the business continuity planning and raising risk awareness within the organisation, by constant interaction with staff. However, the activities are not set in stone, as risk management is volatile. What do you enjoy most about your job? The fact that I learn something new every single day. Risk management has a wide scope. Therefore, to provide the most effective and efficient position, one must be knowledgeable and lot of research must be done. What are the challenges? The risk management function is an oversight function that relies on information from other departments. However, many employees do not have sufficient appreciation of risk management and are not forthcoming with information. With the constant interaction with staff members, the opportunity to improve the risk awareness culture is taken with both hands. How has your role developed and what are your career ambitions? My ambition is to continue growing as a risk professional who will cultivate risk culture in organisations and communities. I am more knowledgeable in risk management and I can confidently carry out the whole cycle of the risk management process and how it fits into the risk management context, knowing the essence of the steps being carried out. Top tips u Have interest/passion in risk management u Take on qualifications to enhance your knowledge u Be ready to learn, unlearn and relearn Godknows Madziva is group risk officer at First Mutual Holdings, Harare, Zimbabwe How did you get your job? This is a journey I started in 2005, when I enrolled for my undergraduate degree in risk management and insurance, but it only came into actual fruition 14 years later, in June 2019. In between, I briefly joined risk management as a student intern in risk management with a leading local financial services group between 2007 and 2008 and, on completion of my undergraduate studies, I joined First Mutual Life Assurance as an employee benefits administrator in 2011. Due to my deep passion for risk management, I advocated for the establishment of an independent risk management function within the organisation to the extent of designing an ERM framework for the organisation as a thesis for my Master’s Degree. I then enrolled for the IRM’s Certrificate in Financial Services in 2017, which I completed in 2018; and then enrolled for the Diploma subsequently. In April 2019, a standalone risk function was established within the group, which I then joined in June 2019 after interviews. What’s a typical day like as a group risk officer? As group risk officer, I am primarily responsible for implementing the risk management cycle, providing comprehensive risk reports to management, coordinating segment teams, and constantly researching and understanding the operating environment around. Thus, on a daily basis I understand the environment around, coordinate people around, and perform the risk management process. What do you enjoy most about your job? Risk management has always been my passion and just being where my heart is, is refreshing. Besides this, I enjoy the aspect of risk being a continuous process, thus the dynamism risk management brings is quiet fascinating. First Mutual Holdings is a listed conglomerate with interests in short-term insurance, reinsurance, life and pensions, property, funeral, investments and banking. Understanding this dynamic from a risk perspective is more than fascinating. Making people understand and appreciate risk management makes me feel good, but best of all, risk management is a strategy enabler, and I enjoy facilitating the company to achieve its objectives. What are the challenges? Risk is ubiquitous and therefore this presents a big challenge itself in that risk management has to be a continuous process, thus as a risk practitioner, I have always to be on-point and dynamic, with a high sense of understanding. The greatest challenge though is that First Mutual Holdings is a diversified concern and, to give value to this diversity, I have to understand all the operations, and this is no mean feat. Also, the risk function is a new function and a lot of people around are still struggling to understand and appreciate risk management. How has your role developed and what are your career ambitions? I have moved from employee benefits, to becoming a risk officer and soon the role should develop to senior risk officer – ERM and strategy. Top tips u Develop the art of listening, understanding and analysing u Enrol with the IRM – it equips you with a great learning experience and valuable case studies u Finally, with determination, comes success – Rome was not built in a day

Putting yourself forward

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