As Absa's group chief security officer, Manoj is ultimately accountable for all matters relating to protecting the Group's digital assets. Before this role, Manoj held the position of managing director and CIO for ABSA Regional Operations, reporting directly to ABSA Group's deputy CEO and the chief executive for Rest of Africa operations. Manoj, an enterprise architect by nature, also has extensive experience leading and managing large-scale teams and multifaceted projects. He specialises in designing, implementing and executing global and domestic IT and security strategies that focus on reduced business costs and increased efficiency. Faced with the challenge of transferring all technology applications and support systems from Barclays plc to ABSA within a three-year deadline and a fixed budget, Manoj successfully delivered this task by leading a diverse team across 10 countries, collaborating with partners in India, the UK and Singapore, and implementing a DevSecOps model to ensure agility, security and speed. Before joining Barclays Africa, Manoj spent two years as global head of operations technology at Standard Bank, South Africa, where he oversaw operations across 16 countries. One of several key achievements in his time was designing and implementing a co-sourcing strategy for Standard Bank IT operations, which reduced income statement costs by 20%. Manoj also spent four years as executive board member and CIO at Strate, Johannesburg and held multiple posts at Tata Consultancy Services in South Africa, Singapore and Canada. Manoj's career is a blend of technological expertise, strategic security leadership, and continuous professional development. His role at Absa as the Group Chief Security Officer is the culmination of a career dedicated to innovation, efficiency, and global impact in the realms of technology and security. His journey from an engineering graduate to a Harvard AMP graduate and leader in global forums like the WEF and PCI DSS Board is a testament to his visionary leadership and enduring impact in the field.

South Africa’s large youth population key to addressing cybersecurity skills shortages