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FORMER Stanbic Bank Zimbabwe chief executive officer (CEO) Pindie Nyandoro has been appointed Norfund regional director for Southern Africa, landing yet another high-profile post in her long career spanning several institutions in the financial services industry.
Prior to her latest appointment, Ms Nyandoro was the regional chief executive; Standard Bank Africa; South Central Region.
Norfund said in a statement Ms Nyandoro’s long career, which has taken her to companies like Unilever, Standard Bank Africa, Stanbic Bank Zimbabwe, and Standard Chartered Bank has now brought her to Norfund.
While visiting the Norfund Oslo office she talked to communication adviser Indigo Trigg-Hauger about her journey to the new position and what excited her the most about the Norwegian development institution.
“I think I’ve always admired DFIs (Development Finance Institutions) from a distance. When you’re African and working with banks, you hear a lot about DFIs.
“So, when the opportunity came, there was this history [for me]. It’s something I’ve always wanted to do. It coincided with the fact that I liked the developmental, the impact side, that DFIs tend to have as part of their mandate.
She said as an African, Zimbabwean by birth, she believed there was just so much to be done although there were not enough people to do it.
“So Norfund is well placed to play a fairly significant role in changing lives within the continent. Especially when you look at the more mundane things that people take for granted.
“By that, I’m looking at access firstly to infrastructure, so if you look at things like transport, energy, water, I think there’s a lot that Norfund has done, continues to do, and can do going forward. Changing lives, if I can call it that,” she said. Ms Nyandoro said she was convinced there was a lot that could be done in terms of making sure the impact is actually noticeable and “we are able to build on that as opposed to making a difference and then leaving it at that and starting something completely different”.
There was a need, she said, to build on what has been done in the past in making sure that the level of impact is a lot bigger than maybe what has been achieved previously.
Responding to the question on other things that captured her imagination at Norfund she replied; “People. I am a people person. I find it very easy to mix and get along with people. I feel I learn more from talking to people, not just formally, like in meetings, but over a bite.
” I’ve been training for the past three days, and the amount of knowledge I’ve learned about Norfund as an organisation, Norway as a country, and other places like Thailand, Costa Rica, the other countries where we have a presence has been absolutely amazing.
“This knowledge has come via informal channels like lunchtime chats as opposed to sitting behind a desk or in a formal meeting.
She said for the two weeks she has been with Norfund, one of the most outstanding things that she noticed about Norfund was the number of young people within this organisation.
Ms Nyandoro said having been “around the world” a few times, there is so much to learn from the young people at the Norwegian DFI.
“Of course, I also have a lot to impart, so hopefully it is a win–win–win outcome! So, for me, it is all about people, and we work through people, we achieve through people. Building those bridges and networks is going to be excellent. I’ve been amazed at the level of the warm welcome I’ve had. Although I’ve met people for just a few days or one week, it feels like I have known them for months or years. I feel at home. I want to thank everyone for the very pleasant welcome I had. I’m looking forward to being part and parcel of this amazing family,” she said.
Norfund is a development finance institution established by the Norwegian Storting (parliament) in 1997 and owned by the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The fund receives its investment capital from the state budget. Its head office is located in Oslo with local offices in Thailand, Costa Rica, Kenya, South Africa and Ghana.
Norfund’s mission is to create jobs and improve lives by investing in businesses that drive sustainable development in developing countries.
Received, thank you.Well received, thanks.Very interesting!
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