Throughout my career, I’ve always been someone who asks: “Why are we doing it this way?”, "What is the quickest way of doing this" and “Can we do it better?”

I’m naturally drawn to strategy, problem-solving, and building systems that make sense - not just for today, but for the long term. I’ve never been one to accept “we’ve always done it like this for years” as a reason to keep doing it. If there’s a better, smarter, more sustainable way to work - I’ll find it. So, when I joined a bank, I walked in with that same mindset.

It didn’t take long to notice a key challenge: manual processes were everywhere, especially when it came to reporting. Teams spent hours compiling the loan book and other credit-related reports. There were multiple downloads, data checks, and reconciliations - all before any actual analysis could begin, if there was time to at all. And yet, decisions were expected fast. Which is expected - This is banking!

The reality? There was barely any time for strategic insight because we were drowning in data collation. That’s when it hit me, there has to be a better way.
I’ve always said: the most innovative people are sometimes the “laziest.”

“I choose a lazy person to do a hard job. Because a lazy person will find an easy way to do it.”

Bill Gates

This is not because they don’t want to work - but because they don’t want to do the same inefficient work twice. I didn’t see long-term value in just compiling data. What I wanted was to find a smarter, faster, repeatable solution that would unlock time for the real work: insight and action, which is what I enjoy.

So I asked myself: What would a high-impact, credit risk dashboard look like for this bank? What if stakeholders could log in and get a daily snapshot of what really matters?

And with that, the journey began. I shared my idea with the Chief Credit Officer, who believed in me enough to say, “Do what you have to do.” He didn’t ask for a lengthy business case or shoot it down because I was new. He gave me the one thing every potential innovator needs: trust. He gave me his insights and allowed me to START.

Him and I later had a conversation with the CEO, who was so impressed by the vision that he placed me on the bank’s Innovation Think Tank - a small team made up of forward-thinkers. At the time, I was based in Zambia, and he connected me to developers in South Africa to help build the solution. Together, we turned the idea into a reality.

We built an automated credit dashboard that:

• Extracted the loan book in seconds - To speed up reporting and analysis cycles, freeing teams to focus on insights, trends, and strategic actions - rather than data collation.
• Tracked IFRS 9 Expected Credit Loss (ECL) ratio against regulatory-aligned RAG indicators - Enables the bank to monitor the health of its portfolio, assess credit impairment, and proactively manage provisions, while aligning with both internal thresholds and regulatory expectations.
• Flagged sector exposures that exceeded the bank’s internal thresholds - Helps manage concentration risk by identifying sectors where exposure may be too high relative to risk appetite or economic conditions.
• Provided loan-to-collateral ratios, segmented by risk - Provides insights into how well loans are secured. Higher ratios = higher potential loss in case of default, especially in volatile markets.
• Identified underutilized or overdrawn overdrafts, and flagged savings accounts in distress - Highlights accounts that could signal borrower strain or inefficient use of credit. Underutilisation may indicate excess limit allocation; overdrawn accounts can flag delinquency risks.
• Identified overdrafts that are about to expire to allow relationship managers or credit teams to Engage clients early about renewal, restructuring, or repayment options, maintain a healthy client relationship and prevent surprises as well as avoid reputational damage from cutting off access abruptly.
• Broke down the local vs. foreign currency mix, filtered by sector, IFRS 9 stage, gender, and customer segment - This assesses currency mismatch risks in the portfolio and supports diversity insights. Important in markets with FX volatility, dual currency lending, or gender/lending equality reporting goals.
• Monitored roll rates between IFRS 9 credit risk stages - Helps with monitoring the bank's credit migration trends, whether accounts are improving or deteriorating — helping identify early warning signs and improving stage classification accuracy.
• Highlighted collateral last valuation dates, and much more - Ensures collateral remains fairly valued over time. Outdated valuations can misrepresent the bank’s secured position and affect provisioning decisions.

This wasn’t just automation. It was strategic enablement. It helped the bank move from reactive risk management to proactive oversight.
The best part? It sparked conversations. Cross-functional collaboration between Credit, Risk, Recovery team, Loan originators, Finance, and IT became normal. It helped leadership make better decisions - faster. It strengthened compliance readiness. It became a tool for strategy, not just reporting.

All of this was possible because a leader believed in me and allowed me to try.
Yes, sometimes trying, costs. But when it works - it saves time, enhances decision-making, and future-proofs the organization. And even if it fails, it sharpens the individual for the next challenge. As a leader, don’t let your team fail to innovate because they’re afraid of failing. Trust them. Empower them. Guide them — but let them think. Sometimes all it takes is one person with a vision and the space to bring it to life. Understand the process and be realistic with your expectations.

I’m curious, in your experience, what helps create a space where innovation can truly happen? Whether you're leading a team or part of one, have you found it easy to try new ideas and challenge the status quo?

I’m curious, in your experience, what helps create a space where innovation can truly happen? Whether you're leading a team or part of one, have you found it easy to try new ideas and challenge the status quo?