Anesh Kala
Transformation Consulting Manager
Sandton
Summary
Strategic and growth-driven consultant specializing in digital transformation, AI-powered automation, and customer experience optimization. A visionary thinker with a deep understanding of human and business psychology, leveraging cutting-edge technologies to drive efficiency and innovation. Adept at developing scalable, human-centric systems that bridge the gap between technology and seamless user experiences. Passionate about mentoring, fostering continuous improvement, and guiding organizations through AI-resistant change.
Overview
13
13
years of professional experience
6
6
years of post-secondary education
Work History
Delivery Lead: CX
First National Bank Commercial
2024.04 - 2025.10
- Designed a journey-specific KPI Dashboard that integrates CX and operational metrics using the Journey Analytics framework for both onboarding journey and an additional multi-channel journey
Delivery Lead: Customer Seat at The Table
ESKOM
Sandton
2024.10 - 2025.03
- Led the development of the Product Center of Excellence (CoE) within Group IT, focusing on the Customer Seat at the Table pillar to align IT initiatives with customer needs
- Designed and implemented AI-driven automation strategies, streamlining internal workflows and enhancing operational efficiency
- Championed digital transformation initiatives, fostering a culture of innovation and data-driven decision-making within a highly regulated public sector environment
- Spearheaded the creation of a CX measurement framework, enabling Eskom to track and enhance user engagement across digital platforms
- Provided strategic mentorship and coaching to teams, ensuring a seamless transition to modernized, customer-centric IT operations
- Developed stakeholder alignment strategies to overcome resistance to AI-driven change, facilitating smoother technology adoption across departments
Operations Manager
ABSA Financial Services
2023.09 - 2024.12
- Boosted bank productivity 40% by consolidating fragmented systems and automating data flows
- Pinpointed workflow constraints and outdated systems hampering productivity
- Spearheaded consolidation of disconnected systems into streamlined, automated frameworks
- Pioneered automation of previously manual data handoffs, directly contributing to 40% productivity increase
CEM Consultant
Otraco Pty Ltd
2023.07 - 2024.09
- Boosted sales performance (20%) by strategically redefining company value proposition and brand persona
- Pinpointed distinct re-branding opportunities through quantitative and qualitative analysis
- Spearheaded executive workshops, aligning leadership on targeted market repositioning
- Pioneered messaging and cultural transformation, reinventing brand persona and differentiation
CEM Consultant
Multichoice
2023.05 - 2024.05
- Boosted product sign-ups (32%) by pioneering customer experience transformation for core relaunch
- Championed root cause analysis of engagement barriers throttling awareness, sign-up, and onboarding
- United cross-functional teams in intensive systems design sprint to collaboratively re-envision seamless CX
- Pioneered integrated redesign approach driving 32% increase in new sign-ups post-relaunch
CEM Consultant
Standard Bank
2023.03 - 2023.05
- Architected breakthrough CX strategy impacting 1M+ banking subscribers, targeting double-digit lifts
- Spearheaded analysis of 1M+ records, surveys & transactions to chart high-impact personalization roadmap
- Pinpointed integration of predictive engine to boost satisfaction 14%, advocacy 18%, share-of-wallet 21%
- Pioneered journey personalization approach leading to double-digit gains across key CX metrics
Implementation Manager
Standard Bank CIB
2022.03 - 2023.03
- Architected design system unifying experiences for 1M+ customers and 2,000+ employees, lifting NPS 8 points
- Spearheaded centralized UX/UI standards governance strategy across 20+ product teams
- Drove adoption via structured capability, unifying consumer and employee experiences
- Established Agile governance with clear scoping, timelines, and actions, slashing costs 15%
Digital Consultant (CX/DX Maturity)
AVBOB
2021.06 - 2021.12
- Spotlighted efficiencies around claims, policy access and advisor contact via benchmarking and journey analysis
- Produced digital transformation strategy addressing gaps through CRM and portal integration
- Performed critical tasks including scheduling, budgeting and resource management
- Carried out digital maturity assessment and provided recommendations to enhance customer journey
Concept Discovery Consultant
Momentum Metropolitan Life
2021.07 - 2021.09
- Championed innovation sprint to re-imagine loyalty value, leveraging metrics and customer interviews
- Pinpointed engagement gaps by analyzing usage, churn predictors, and member value distribution
- Incubated personalized service concepts via need-state research and co-creation workshops
- Converted ideas into interactive prototypes, quantifying 3x potential engagement lift
Business Analyst
ABSA
2020.12 - 2021.01
- Spearheaded call center CRM overhaul by pinpointing process constraints causing poor lead conversion
- Built solutions consolidating systems and digitizing data flows, enhancing productivity
- Acted as BA lead - defined problems, opportunities and solutions through detailed analysis
- Resolved bottlenecks causing 20% lag in lead conversion via CRM consolidation, improving agent productivity
Business and Process Optimization Competency Lead
Dark Fibre Africa
2020.09 - 2020.11
- Spearheaded legacy CRM replacement program with customized Salesforce rollout
- Spotlighted sales visibility gaps in current BDM systems leading to sales leakage
- Led organizational change management for global Salesforce implementation
- Clearly scoped tech and business requirements, trained stakeholders on functionality
Business Development
VODACOM
2018.06 - 2018.06
- Designed and developed disruptive IoT-enabled solar solutions for low-income households
- Created access to affordable power and wireless connectivity leveraging synergies
- Crafted full business solution encompassing financials, marketing, operations, supply chain
- Maximized synergies with existing infrastructure to develop a scalable market entry strategy
BI Analyst
Sun International
2015.05 - 2018.04
- Boosted fact-based decision-making enterprise-wide through an integrated data platform
- Revealed actionable customer and campaign insights, instituting analytics capability uplift
- Established metrics-based culture with self-service dashboards democratizing insights
- Identified risks and designed an analytical reporting structure for the executive team
- Trained stakeholders and guided loyalty program tactics to create personalized CX
- Upped analytics adoption via integrated data platform fueling predictive models
- Portal usage metrics showed 60% task efficiency gains from self-service analytics
Business Development Analyst
Tsogo Sun Pty Ltd
2012.08 - 2013.12
- Built compelling business case for in-house cinema brand through comparative analysis
- Blueprinted national cinema roll-out strategy and scalable operational workflows
- Reverse-engineered operational blueprints via site assessments to adapt best practices
- Built dynamic financial models projecting profitability for scaled deployment
- Forged win-win equipment partnerships to optimize the supply chain
- Devised customer engagement frameworks to differentiate the brand experience
- Mapped adaptable launch roadmap to drive growth, margins, and consumer loyalty
Education
B.Comm - Marekting Management
UNISA
2003.03 - 2007.03
PDM - undefined
Wits Business School
2013.02 - 2014.12
AI & Data Product Management - undefined
UDEMY
Enterprise Business Agility Strategist - undefined
Agility Health
Certified Process Professional - undefined
IQ Business Consultancy
Digital Strategies for Business: Leading Digital Transformation - undefined
Columbia Business School
ACXM - undefined
BP Group
2024.04 - 2024.05
Gen AI - undefined
Google
2024.02 - 2024.03
Skills
- AI Automation and Strategy
- Decision making under uncertainty
- Change Management
- Human Centered Design
- Platform Product Lifecycle Management
- Digital Integrations
- Business Growth
- Service Excellence
- Strategic Problem solving
- Customer Experience Optimization
- Business Operations Optimization
Timeline
Delivery Lead: Customer Seat at The Table
ESKOM
2024.10 - 2025.03
Delivery Lead: CX
First National Bank Commercial
2024.04 - 2025.10
ACXM - undefined
BP Group
2024.04 - 2024.05
Gen AI - undefined
Google
2024.02 - 2024.03
Operations Manager
ABSA Financial Services
2023.09 - 2024.12
CEM Consultant
Otraco Pty Ltd
2023.07 - 2024.09
CEM Consultant
Multichoice
2023.05 - 2024.05
CEM Consultant
Standard Bank
2023.03 - 2023.05
Implementation Manager
Standard Bank CIB
2022.03 - 2023.03
Concept Discovery Consultant
Momentum Metropolitan Life
2021.07 - 2021.09
Digital Consultant (CX/DX Maturity)
AVBOB
2021.06 - 2021.12
Business Analyst
ABSA
2020.12 - 2021.01
Business and Process Optimization Competency Lead
Dark Fibre Africa
2020.09 - 2020.11
Business Development
VODACOM
2018.06 - 2018.06
BI Analyst
Sun International
2015.05 - 2018.04
PDM - undefined
Wits Business School
2013.02 - 2014.12
Business Development Analyst
Tsogo Sun Pty Ltd
2012.08 - 2013.12
B.Comm - Marekting Management
UNISA
2003.03 - 2007.03
AI & Data Product Management - undefined
UDEMY
Enterprise Business Agility Strategist - undefined
Agility Health
Certified Process Professional - undefined
IQ Business Consultancy
Digital Strategies for Business: Leading Digital Transformation - undefined
Columbia Business School