Mandla Nyathi
Randburg,GP
Summary
HR professional with passion for driving organizational success through innovative people strategies. Extensive experience in transforming workplace cultures and aligning HR initiatives with business objectives. Collaborative and results-driven, known for adaptability and reliability. Skilled in talent acquisition, employee relations, and strategic planning.
Overview
21
21
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Chief People Officer
ABSA- Personal and Private Banking
06.2025 - Current
Chief People Officer
ABSA
07.2022 - 06.2025
- In this role, I am accountable for the end-to-end people and culture agenda for the cluster with a primary focus on the following:
- Developing and strengthening the cluster’s leadership profile, posture and bench strength
- Framing and executing the Cluster’s talent agenda including building sustainable succession pipelines
- Facilitating the Cluster’s diversity, equity and inclusion aspirations
- Shaping, building and embedding target cultures in the businesses
- Shaping the people shape transformation/evolution agenda for maximum organizational performance
- Shaping and facilitating the people change narratives and colleague mobilization for strategy execution
- Regulatory Compliance and Stakeholder engagement (Prudential Authority, Board, REMCO and Social Ethics Committee)
- Driving organizational effectiveness through operating model optimizations
Head: HR
ABSA- Physical Channels ( Branch Network)
01.2018 - 01.2022
- In this role, I was accountable for the end-to-end people and culture agenda for the cluster and for building and facilitating the embedment of an environment that enabled our colleagues to thrive. Focus was on the following:
- Culture Transformation, employee engagement and Leadership Development
- People change management and transformation
- New Ways of Work and Workforce Transition
- Operating model optimization
- Talent Management and strategic workforce planning
- Optimizing Organisational Performance
- Optimize industrial relations harmony
- Self-motivated, with a strong sense of personal responsibility.
- Proven ability to learn quickly and adapt to new situations.
- Excellent communication skills, both verbal and written.
- Skilled at working independently and collaboratively in a team environment.
- Worked effectively in fast-paced environments.
- Demonstrated respect, friendliness and willingness to help wherever needed.
- Worked well in a team setting, providing support and guidance.
- Assisted with day-to-day operations, working efficiently and productively with all team members.
- Passionate about learning and committed to continual improvement.
- Worked flexible hours across night, weekend, and holiday shifts.
- Managed time efficiently in order to complete all tasks within deadlines.
- Organized and detail-oriented with a strong work ethic.
- Used critical thinking to break down problems, evaluate solutions and make decisions.
- Paid attention to detail while completing assignments.
- Adaptable and proficient in learning new concepts quickly and efficiently.
- Developed and maintained courteous and effective working relationships.
HR Executive
ABSA- RBB Distribution and Coverage ( Various Roles)
01.2015 - 01.2018
- In these roles, I was primarily accountable for the formulation, design and execution of the people strategy across the enterprise.
- (various portfolios)
Director and Founder
Palladium Beverages
01.2014 - 12.2014
- In this role, I was responsible for the following:
- Distribution strategy development
- Market development and sales
- Supplier development
- Reason for Leaving: The business took too long to take off
Head- Strategy Execution
Standard Bank
09.2012 - 12.2013
- In this role, I was responsible for facilitating strategic alignment efforts between in-country businesses (Rest of Africa) and the corporate office including between Personal and Business Banking, Corporate and Investment Banking and the various Group Enabling Functions.
- Reason for Leaving: To pursue a business opportunity.
HR Head
Standard Bank
01.2011 - 12.2012
- In this role, I was accountable for facilitating the shaping, delivery and embedment of the people agenda in various Group Enterprise Functions across the 16 countries of presence in the continent. Working very closely with the in-country HR Directors and their teams, I was responsible for ensuring the full cascade and alignment of the organisational people agenda across the 16 geographies of presence and the group central functions.
- Reason for Leaving: Career growth opportunity.
Senior HR Programme Manager
Standard Bank
01.2008 - 12.2010
- In this role, I was accountable for facilitating the shaping, delivery and embedment of the people agenda in various Group Enterprise Functions across the 16 countries of presence in the continent. Working very closely with the in-country HR Directors and their teams, I was responsible for ensuring the full cascade and alignment of the organisational people agenda across the 16 geographies of presence and the group central functions.
- Reason for Leaving: Career growth opportunity.
Management Consultant
Resolve Group (acquired by Ernst & Young)
06.2007 - 12.2007
- In this role, as a Management Consultant, I was responsible for developing business solutions for clients in both the private and public sectors. During this brief period, I led and managed various high impact and strategic project teams at client sites.
- Some of the key projects involved in:
- Organisational restructuring: Project Lead member in an organizational restructuring project at a major SOE in South Africa. The project entailed redesigning the structures, role and competency profiling, placements and outplacements.
- HR Process Review: Project Lead in an HR process review and mapping project at SOE in South Africa
- HR Turnaround and Re-organisation: Stream Leader in an HR turnaround and re-organisation project for a government department in South Africa. The project entailed amongst others auditing performance gaps in the HR function, reviewing policies and processes, formulating an HR Strategy
- Reason for Leaving: Family responsibilities
HR Executive
WesBank
05.2004 - 06.2007
- My core responsibility in this role was to ascertain the implications of the business strategy on the people agenda, formulating and operationalising the people strategy to enable the said business strategy.
- Reason for Leaving: Career growth.
Education
BSc (Hons) - Political Science
Post Graduate Certificate - Strategic Management
University of Derby
MBA - undefined
University of Edinburgh
Skills
- Organizational culture change
- Effective strategic leadership
- Workplace wellness initiatives
- Human resources analytics
- Workforce optimization
- Enhancing organizational effectiveness
- Strategic workforce planning
- Strategic succession planning
- Adaptable work schedules
- Employee engagement
- Employee engagement strategies
- Organizational strategy development
- Building strong professional connections
- Leadership development
Certification
- Prince2 Practitioner
- Senior Leadership Development Programme (Standard Bank)
- Regulatory Exams
- Organisation Design for Digital Transformation- MIT Sloan
- Digital Business Strategy MIT Sloan
Timeline
Chief People Officer
ABSA- Personal and Private Banking
06.2025 - Current
Chief People Officer
ABSA
07.2022 - 06.2025
Head: HR
ABSA- Physical Channels ( Branch Network)
01.2018 - 01.2022
HR Executive
ABSA- RBB Distribution and Coverage ( Various Roles)
01.2015 - 01.2018
Director and Founder
Palladium Beverages
01.2014 - 12.2014
Head- Strategy Execution
Standard Bank
09.2012 - 12.2013
HR Head
Standard Bank
01.2011 - 12.2012
Senior HR Programme Manager
Standard Bank
01.2008 - 12.2010
Management Consultant
Resolve Group (acquired by Ernst & Young)
06.2007 - 12.2007
HR Executive
WesBank
05.2004 - 06.2007
Post Graduate Certificate - Strategic Management
University of Derby
MBA - undefined
University of Edinburgh