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Absa & IMD REIMAGINING BANKING WITH AFRICANACITY Absa & IMD | REIMAGINING BANKING WITH AFRICANACITY 2 TABLE OF CONTENTS − EXECUTIVE SUMMARY | 3 − INTRODUCTION | 4 − THE CHALLENGE | 5 − THE COMMITMENT | 7 − THE L&D INITIATIVE | 9 − THE IMPACT | 18 − REFLECTIONS | 23 − THE TEAMS | 24 − APPENDIX: THE IMD CO-CREATION PROCESS | 25 Total words: 3,990 © 2021 BY IMD – INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR MANAGEMENT DEVELOPMENT, LAUSANNE, SWITZERLAND Absa & IMD | REIMAGINING BANKING WITH AFRICANACITY 3 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY In 2018, the pan-African financial services provider Absa Group Ltd completed its separation from its majority shareholder, Barclays. Entering a new chapter in its history, the bank faced the challenge of articulating a new growth strategy and successfully rebranding itself with existing and new customers across the African continent. Adding to the enormity of Absa’s task was the intensifying competition and digital disruption in the banking industry. Could Absa live up to these challenges and redefine its identity and purpose as a boldly relevant, digital-first and proudly African enterprise? Absa partnered with IMD to develop an integrated offering, organized into a series Having emerged with a sense of renewal of learning journeys that targeted the from the learning journeys, Absa continues bank’s young talent, middle managers to reposition itself as a confident, digitally and senior executives. Through a mix transforming player. Organizationally, of custom modules, open programs, its focus and momentum remain on the coaching, pre- and post-workshop customer and front line. Living up to learning, and intrapreneurial customer- its commitment to fuel growth across focused projects in a number of countries, the African continent, its managers the L&D initiative aimed to accelerate are spearheading and successfully development of a thriving entrepreneurial implementing tech-powered and other culture at Absa. One of the goals was innovative projects – country-based as well to embed new habits and practices as pan-African – that create real impact traditionally associated with startups – for local communities. The Absa Group is speed, customer-centricity, hands-on steadily becoming a force to reckon with. learning, agile experimenting and prototyping. © 2021 BY IMD – INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR MANAGEMENT DEVELOPMENT, LAUSANNE, SWITZERLAND Absa & IMD | REIMAGINING BANKING WITH AFRICANACITY 4 INTRODUCTION Leading a large organization in a ABOUT Absa developing society involves a continual quest for relevance – relevance to One of Africa’s largest diversified financial the unique needs of employees and services providers, Absa Group Ltd has customers; to the growth opportunities 42,000 employees in 12 countries across pursued by local entrepreneurs and the continent. Listed on the Johannesburg communities; and to the ongoing struggles Stock Exchange (JSE), it provides and nation-building aspirations of the clients with retail, business, corporate, country and society. investment and wealth management solutions. A truly African brand, Absa In 2016, South Africa-headquartered is inspired by the people it serves and financial services group Absa had this determined to be always brave, passionate quest for relevance thrust upon it with and ready to make Africa proud. new urgency: When Barclays, its global investor and majority shareholder for over a decade, exited the partnership, ABOUT IMD Absa suddenly had to go it alone. This entailed designing, from the ground up, The Institute for Management a new philosophy and growth strategy Development (IMD) is an independent for its markets across Africa; addressing academic institution with Swiss roots and head-on the challenge of intensifying global reach, founded 75 years ago by disruption in the banking sector; and business leaders for business leaders. actively infusing this repositioning with Since its creation, IMD has been a a pan-African culture of resilience. To pioneering force in developing leaders who capture and brand this distinct African transform organizations and contribute to spirit of turning adversity into opportunity, society. Based in Lausanne (Switzerland) Absa coined the term Africanacity. and Singapore, IMD has been ranked in the Top 3 of the annual FT Executive Undaunted by the storm of change, Absa Education Global Ranking for the last nine knew that its people were its biggest asset. consecutive years and in the top five for 17 What they needed was the right set of consecutive years. IMD’s custom programs tools to tackle the challenges ahead. In are co-created with selected companies 2019, Absa partnered with IMD to design to help them build new capabilities and three distinct learning journeys for the address their most significant business bank’s young talent, middle managers and challenges. senior executives. © 2021 BY IMD – INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR MANAGEMENT DEVELOPMENT, LAUSANNE, SWITZERLAND Absa & IMD | REIMAGINING BANKING WITH AFRICANACITY 5 THE CHALLENGE Absa’s majority shareholder, Barclays, This is how the concept of Africanacity – announced in 2016 that it was refocusing the distinctly African ability to always find on its core UK and US markets. This a way to get things done – was born. It was signified an exit from its African operations a new word for an age-old attitude unique and the end of an 11-year partnership to the continent and defined by ingenuity, with Absa, during which the two groups tenacity, creativity, audacity and positivity. had integrated systems, processes and Absa set out to build its strategy around policies. The separation process required a shared sense of purpose and identity hundreds of technical solution projects, and a celebration of diversity and financial involving more than 1,000 employees and inclusion. contractors, to disentangle the two entities in a physical, IT and branding sense. In July 2018, Barclays Africa Group (BAGL) transitioned into Absa Group Ltd (AGL). Faced with the challenge of fundamentally redesigning Absa’s identity and strategy, the company’s leadership framed this pursuit as part of a deeper process of cultural renewal. Absa embarked on repositioning itself. It was determined to redefine its values and ways of doing things as a pan-African organization and position itself as a truly integrated pan-African bank that is the pride of the continent. © 2021 BY IMD – INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR MANAGEMENT DEVELOPMENT, LAUSANNE, SWITZERLAND Absa & IMD | REIMAGINING BANKING WITH AFRICANACITY 6 Yet Absa’s African focus was more than a manifestation of its cultural values. Enabling growth on the continent was a strategic imperative: Many of Absa’s opportunities lay outside South Africa, in the rest of sub-Saharan Africa: Botswana, Ghana, Kenya, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, the Seychelles, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia (Fig. 1). Collectively, these countries’ contribution to Absa’s portfolio rose from 13% in 2013 to 21% in 2018. As it embarked on its transformation, it was crucial for Absa to make decisions in the best interests of its customers and other stakeholders across these markets. 1 G 7 M 2 N 8 Tanzania 2 3 N 1 9 Uganda 9 10 11 4 Aa 8 10 Ka 6 7 5 B 12 11 Seychelles 3 5 6 Zambia 4 12 M Fig. 1: Absa Group Ltd’s African footprint African specificity and relevance would also have to inform the bank’s approach to digital transformation. Around the world, financial services players were grappling with intensifying competition and the incursion into their traditional territory by fintechs and other startup players. Meanwhile, with a rich tradition of leapfrogging entire waves of technology adoption, African consumers – increasingly internet- and smartphone- savvy – were ready to embrace new waves of tech disruption coupled with convenience. Absa’s People and Culture function knew that, fundamentally, Africanacity depended on people. Developing Absa’s leadership capabilities had to be the transformation’s cornerstone, and developing them at speed and scale would require Absa to partner with a global learning provider. © 2021 BY IMD – INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR MANAGEMENT DEVELOPMENT, LAUSANNE, SWITZERLAND Absa & IMD | REIMAGINING BANKING WITH AFRICANACITY 7 THE COMMITMENT Absa’s leadership understood well the immensity of the group’s proposed repositioning. What the bank needed was a partner it could work with to co-create a series of intricate learning journeys. Each journey would target the specific needs and personal and professional growth potential of the company’s young, middle and senior managers, while fostering dialog and collaboration between the three cohorts. In January 2019, Absa started discussions with IMD. Reflecting the values of Africanacity, from the outset the discussions focused on impact, not only for Absa but also for society. Instead of a set-in-stone proposal, IMD brought to the table a co-creation approach, giving Absa a sense of co-ownership. In April, the two parties signed an agreement. The following month, they finalized the structure and participant nominations for three learning journeys (Fig. 2). Learning Number of Target segment Start date Completion date journey participants EA Y alent 20 Jul F TRANRM M s 10 Sept Jul TAIN xecutives 15 A A (delay bec I Fig. 2: Absa-IMD learning journeys The Absa-IMD journey started with a vision to drive leadership development and cultural capability building, but also to accelerate the development of succession and business-critical talent. We did our due diligence and looked at business schools around the world.