At more than R23-billion/year, Standard Bank Group has the biggest IT budget of any company in South Africa – and quite possibly in the whole of Africa.

The man charged with ensuring the continent’s largest financial services provider is spending that money optimally is group CIO Jörg Fischer, who is TechCentral’s guest in this episode of Meet the CIO, the publication’s monthly interview series presented by Wipro, where, instead of focusing on the vendors of technology, we interview the end users of IT – banks, retailers, manufacturers and more – about how they’re using modern technology to grow their businesses and drive their strategic agendas.

Meet the CIO is presented by Wipro

In this episode of Meet the CIO, Fischer chats about the technology function at Standard Bank Group, the role of a CIO in the financial services industry, the big strategic IT projects which the bank is involved with – and much, much more.

Among other topics, Fischer discusses:

• The career trajectory that resulted in him becoming a top IT leader;

• Why Standard Bank Group spends as much as it does on IT, and where that spending is directed;

• How IT aligns with the group’s strategic focus areas;

• The decision to migrate to SAP’s core banking solution, what was involved, the lessons learned and how the platform is working for the bank in 2024;

• What Standard Bank’s technology stack looks like, and its investment in the cloud;

• What makes a good CIO in 2024, including the skills that are important in the role;

• How Standard Bank is approaching AI – and what it can actually achieve for the bank and its clients;

• How technology is changing the banking industry;

• Standard Bank’s approach to cybersecurity; and

• How Standard Bank attracts and retains IT talent.

Don’t miss a fascinating conversation that provides great insight into how IT has become mission critical in modern banking. TechCentral