L EI L A F OU RI E
I N T E RV I E W
TAKING THE BULL BY THE HORNS - H OW INVESTING IN AFRICA IS GETTING UPGRADED Leila Fourie, Group CEO, JSE, is using her wide-ranging experience and
interactions in South East Asia and
the way that technology advancement is
moving in today’s rapidly-evolving world.
Australia to redefine what capital markets
KEY TAKEAWAYS TO LISTEN OUT
a reimagined investment community
1. Often our careers, achievements
and investing will look like in Africa –
FOR IN THIS PODCAST
accessed through cutting edge fin tech,
and failures are a culmination of
By tapping into the potential of AI, block
ourselves have to tell - our approach
platform that works for every South African,
lessons we’ve learned from those
untapped capital markets and SMMEs.
our upbringings and the stories we
chain and fin tech to deliver an investment
to life can be very rooted in the
the focus is shifting to not only increasing
who came before us.
the current number of great companies
For the last 25 years Leila’s business career has spanned working in consulting, investment banking, retail
2. Sometimes enquiry is more powerful
that are already listed on the JSE, but
than advocacy, and in the same
from elsewhere in Africa, the Middle East,
powerful than telling.
banking and capital markets. Her
diverse experience has been acquired
also to aggressively attract investors
sense, sometimes listening is more
Eastern Europe and South-East Asia.
3. As business women, we are privileged in a society with many underprivileged
In this Top Women podcast, Topco CEO,
women who have either not had
who has held the position of CEO of the
opportunity to build their careers.
Ralf Fletcher is in conversation with Leila JSE since October 2019. With a career
in some of South Africa’s leading
positions and directorships of global
that spans more than 25 years, Leila has
emerging markets have, is that we are
systems, consulting, investment banking
- we have a very real opportunity to
wealth of knowledge not only in the realm
5. Technology advancement really comes
and retail banking. Leila brings with her a
attract international investments.
of business, but also on an interpersonal level. She uses her experience, both
locally and globally, to implement new
director. Leila has also served as
board chairperson. Over the course of her career, Leila has gained
experience in turnarounds, set up of
divisions within a multi-national
advancements . In this podcast, Leila
organisation; launched new products;
discusses how our roots and experiences
established and closed down joint
are what shape us and how we, as
ventures; advocated on national
Africans, are in a very unique position at
policy matters; and maintained
this time, where there is much space for
in order to achieve optimal success and
executive director and managing
established new global and local
to stay up to date with new worldwide
way we need to approach leadership roles
Her board roles have included
two new Greenfields organisations;
strategies in all of her roles, making sure
us to do good. She also considers the
portfolios, local boards & US boards. that of non-executive director,
down to the culture that leaders create to enable it.
Johannesburg Stock Exchange. Leila has held senior executive
4. An advantage that Africa and
able to leap frog legacy technology
Accenture, Standard Bank and the Through the course of her career,
the opportunity for education or the
worked in the capital markets, payment
companies in these fields, including
existing revenue producing and CLICK HERE
support functions. Leila holds a Ph.D. in Economic and Financial Sciences.
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