Andrew
Kuda Bwititi
News Editor
IN Zimbabwe, it is not usual to find the post of chief financial officer (CFO) in a top company occupied by a female or a youthful individual, but Ms Rebecca Manford is proving to be a peerless figure.
At just 34, Ms Manford has broken the glass ceiling by being, not just one of the few female CFOs in the country, but also excelling in the top job.
Since she was appointed CFO in 2021 at multinational tobacco company Cavendish Lloyd Zimbabwe, Ms Manford has been on top of her game, proving that females can make their mark in such male-dominated posts.
This year alone, she has scooped several awards locally and internationally. They include Most Outstanding Chief Financial Officer and Top Manager (Zim CEO Network Awards), Young Female Executive of the Year (Megafest Business Awards), Business Leadership 2022 (Gumiguru Achievers), and Best Female Entrepreneur in Financials and Future Leader Award (Vessels of Virtue Awards, Kenya).
In addition, she has been on the Institute of Corporate Directors Zimbabwe (IoCDZ) List of Top 40 Under-40 Influential Leaders, and nominated as one of 50 Visionary and Inspirational Leaders in Zimbabwe by the Women Corporate Directors Network.
In an interview with The Sunday Mail, Ms Manford said “although a cliché, hard work has taken me to the top”.
“Your CV can get you the job, but keeping the job and getting promoted is about character. It is about having that extra inspiration to do more than just completing tasks.
“I take my work personally and set goals for myself and I aim to surpass them. For me, work is not just a personal transaction with my employer. I am obsessed with surpassing targets. Another secret is that the journey to anything is never easy.”
Ms Manford revealed that when she started work at Cavdendish Lloyd Zimbabwe in 2018, she was humble enough to begin at a level lower than her qualifications — a chartered accountant. Her ability to multitask made her rise to the top.
“I took it (the low-entry level job) because of where I could see myself going within the company. I worked hard to get my way up and in 2021, I was appointed CFO after the vacancy arose. I have always made it my mission to do things outside my job description to gain experience. In addition to my accounting job, I started doing logistics and shipping for the company, things that I never went to school for.
“But after a few months, the confidence the shareholders and top managers had in me grew.
“We are exporters, and they saw that things were under control. I, thus, became finance and operations manager for the company, a very difficult portfolio to put the two together. I was then promoted to CFO. But even in my current post, I do finance and operations.”
How it all started
The former Blakiston Primary School and Arundel School learner exhibited strong leadership qualities at these institutions. In addition to being a Grade A student and head girl, she was the Harare Junior Council deputy mayor from 2005 to 2006. Also, she was a junior Member of Parliament and once represented Zimbabwe at the World Children’s Parliament.
However, when her father died, while she was in Form 5, she could not take the normal route of enrolling at university after A Level.
“Funds were a challenge, so I started working at the age of 19. I then decided to study while working at the same time, attaining a Bachelor of Accounting degree from UNISA, then proceeding to acquire an ACCA (Association of Chartered Certified Accountants) qualification. I worked at various organisations as a clerk, supervisor, manager, director and finally CFO, where I am now.”
Her work as CFO at Cavendish Lloyd Zimbabwe is hectic as the firm has a network of offices in the United Arab Emirates, China, Thailand, India, Hong Kong, Kurdistan, Zambia and Netherlands.
With her portfolio at the company encompassing treasury, finance, business and operations, one would think Ms Manford has her plate full, but she is so versatile that she has even carved a career as a mentor and gospel artiste.
“I am also a public mentor/speaker. I speak on local and Pan-African platforms. I also have a mentorship programme that I started, called Manford’s Underclass.
“It’s called an underclass because I am trying to get people who are upcoming, helping them to achieve their goals from where they are. I am also a gospel musician. I sing religious and motivational material. As someone with a passion for the empowerment of youths and women, I also make sure that, when I sing, I sing on these topics.”
Challenges faced
Ms Manford said getting into management and directorship was tough because her industry is dominated by people with decades of experience.
As such, she had to do a lot to prove her mettle, despite her lesser experience.
“I had to learn to pace myself and grasp what I could in a very short space of time. In the board of directors at my company, I am the only woman. In our industry, it’s not every day that you hear of a female CFO.
“Some say I am too young, so I have to work hard to show that I can deliver. The tobacco industry is cut-throat, but I have managed to sail through.
“Another challenge I faced in my earlier years was gender discrimination from women themselves. My worst working experience has been at the hands of women, which I found strange, but I am sure this is changing.”
Inspiration
Ms Manford revealed that, in addition to the guidance of her parents who encouraged her to excel at school, her career has been inspired by several female leaders.
“I follow and take notes from women like Precious Murena-Nyika (former Lafarge CEO), Dr Divine Ndhlukula (Securico founder and CEO), Chipo Mtasa (TelOne managing director) and Victoria Ruzvidzo (The Sunday Mail editor).”
Ms Manford — who, in her music career, has collaborated with well-known gospel music artiste Amos Mahendere and others — is also involved in philanthropic work. She is assisting in the construction of a primary school in Epworth, and is a board member of Total Greatness International, which is involved in tennis development.
Twitter: @KudaBwititi
Online Reporter