An Iron Lady who works for purpose and enjoyment

Johannesburg – Nicknamed “Thatcher” by her colleagues, Funeka Montjane, chief executive officer of personal and business banking (PBB) at Standard Bank, may be a tough leader but she took the home loans business unit from a loss of R1bn to a profit of R100m within a year.

In an interview with Fin24 at the African Women Chartered Accountants conference this week, Montjane shared on her career and lessons learnt in leadership.

Known for her expertise in turning around loss-making businesses, Montjane initially qualified as a chartered accountant and started her career at PwC. Later she joined Standard Bank as chief financial officer of PBB in 2008 and took the role of CEO in 2012. She also holds a Master of Commerce degree from the University of Johannesburg.