With over 2 decades in IT – spanning across local, regional and global jurisdictions and over 10 years in executive roles. I hold an MBA, alongside strong technical and business qualifications and I have a proven track record of strategically partnering with executive teams to shape and execute technology strategies that drive business growth, resilience, and innovation. I am deeply passionate about unlocking human potential and harnessing technology as a strategic differentiator.

Louise van der Bank, Chief Information Officer (CIO) of AfriSam, is a business and technology leader who has redefined the role of CIO as a catalyst for digital innovation, business transformation, and sustainable growth. She brings over two decades of IT leadership experience across multinational corporations, private enterprises, and state-owned entities.

Recognised for her strategic foresight and ability to lead in complex environments, Louise drives AfriSam’s digital transformation journey with a clear focus on operational excellence, data-driven insights, and people empowerment. Her collaborative leadership style and passion for developing talent have fostered a culture of innovation, agility, and accountability.

With a proven record of delivering large-scale transformation programmes and measurable business outcomes, Louise continues to position technology as a true enabler of strategic value. She champions emerging technologies—from AI and automation to advanced analytics—to enhance productivity and customer experience while advancing sustainability goals.

Louise holds a BSc in Computer Science and a Higher Education Diploma from North-West University, and she completed executive programmes through Assessment Technologies International and the Darden Business School, University of Virginia, USA.

In 2019, she became one of the first CIOs to achieve Professional CIO certification at the highest level and was honoured with the “Decade of CIO Service” award in 2024 for her significant contributions to IT leadership. Louise was also named “Visionary CIO of the Year” in 2025 in recognition of her visionary leadership and strategic use of ICT to drive innovation, transformation, and measurable business value.

Nomonde is an award-winning executive and the Chief Information Officer (CIO) at Bidvest Bank, recognized as the 2023 Top Performer for her transformative contributions. With over two decades of experience, she has excelled in leading technological advancements and driving organizational growth in the financial and multinational sectors. Her career includes senior roles at ABSA Group, including Head of Governance, Risk, and Compliance, Joint-CIO for Infrastructure Services, and Head of Technology for ABSA Regional Operations. She also worked at British American Tobacco, where she further developed her leadership expertise.

At Bidvest Bank, Nomonde’s strategic vision has been central to the bank’s turnaround. In just 18 months, she significantly improved operations and technology, earning her widespread recognition. She is a passionate advocate for gender parity in technology, serving as Chairperson of Wired4Women, an initiative that champions women’s advancement in the tech industry through mentorship, visibility, and opportunities.

Her leadership has earned her numerous accolades, including being named Visionary CIO of the Year and Young CIO of the Year at the 2024 CIO South Africa Awards. Nomonde’s ability to innovate and lead high-performance teams has cemented her reputation as one of South Africa’s top technology leaders.

Academically, Nomonde holds an MBA from the Gordon Institute of Business Science and a BA Law degree from the University of the Witwatersrand. She has also completed executive programs at prestigious institutions, including MIT, Harvard, LSE, and Kellogg. These academic achievements complement her professional expertise, allowing her to successfully integrate business strategy with technology innovation.

Nomonde is deeply committed to youth development and leadership. As a OneYoung World Ambassador since 2015, she has mentored young professionals and helped foster leadership potential in the next generation of leaders. Her dedication to community involvement extends to advocating for greater representation of underrepresented groups in technology, ensuring they have the support to thrive.

Nomonde remains dedicated to shaping the future of technology with a focus on innovation, inclusivity, and equal opportunity. Her leadership continues to inspire others to break barriers and create impactful, sustainable change within the tech sector.

She is a highly accomplished technology executive with over 22 years of extensive experience across multiple industries, currently serving in executive leadership capacities as Chief Information Officer (CIO), Chief Information Security Officer (CISO), and Data Privacy Officer (DPO). Her career spans Banking and Financial Services, Fast-Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG), Healthcare, Information and Communications Technology (ICT), Mining, and the Automotive sector, where she has led large-scale technology, cybersecurity, and digital transformation initiatives aligned to strategic business outcomes.

Her expertise includes strategic leadership, digital transformation, artificial intelligence (AI), Internet of Things (IoT), cybersecurity, governance, risk and compliance (GRC), and data privacy, with strong practical application of regulatory frameworks such as POPIA and GDPR. She has a proven track record in managing multimillion-euro budgets, delivering complex SAP lifecycle implementations, strengthening enterprise security postures, and enabling operational excellence through robust governance and technology innovation.

With significant experience in both international and local environments, she brings a strong ability to build strategic partnerships, lead diverse and high-performing teams, and drive organisational transformation. She is also deeply committed to mentorship and actively contributes to developing the next generation of technology and cybersecurity professionals.

Her leadership and impact have been widely recognised, including being named among the Top 50 Women in Cyber in Africa and receiving the prestigious Legend Award at the CIO 200 Summit in 2025. Her career reflects a consistent dedication to innovation, resilience, and positioning technology as a key driver of business growth, security, and sustainable competitive advantage.

• Directed 4th Industrial Revolution Initiatives: Led initiatives including Big Data, Blockchain technology, and AI, focusing on integrating cutting-edge technologies to drive operational efficiencies and innovation.
• Developed AI Roadmaps and Strategies: Collaborated with business leaders to identify opportunities where AI could be leveraged to solve complex challenges and deliver exceptional business outcomes.
• Strategic IT Leadership: Formulated and executed IT strategies aligned with corporate goals, ensuring the technological direction supported the overall vision and objectives of DRDGOLD.
• Project and Program Management: Oversaw multiple large-scale projects and programs, ensuring they were delivered on time, within scope, and within budget.
• Risk and Governance: Reported to the Risk and Audit Board Committees, ensuring that all technological implementations complied with regulatory requirements and best practices.
• Vendor and Contract Management: Negotiated contracts and managed relationships with technology and business vendors, ensuring the best value and service for the company.
• Team Leadership: Led a diverse team of IT professionals, fostering a culture of innovation and continuous improvement.
• Digital Transformation: Spearheaded digital transformation initiatives, driving change across the organization and improving processes through the implementation of advanced technologies.

IT Executive, CIO and Non-Executive Director, with +25 years’ professional experience that span various sectors: Automotive, FMCG, Public Sector, Tech., and Financial Services. A Digital Transformation (Dx) evangelist with demonstrable strengths in aligning business and IT strategies, delivering large scale solution architectures and complex development projects.
– Experienced in financial services systems, incl. Banking, Fintech, trading platforms, and Straight Through Processing (STP).
– Experienced in car rental architecture, incl. integration with Global Distribution Systems (GDS), tourism industry partners, and designing Mobility as a Service (MaaS) capabilities.
– A Cybersecurity and, GRC advocate, with strong knowledge of legislative & compliance prescripts, incl. PCI DSS, Companies Act, GDPR, POPIA, PFMA, et al.
– An energetic people leader with proven abilities to effectively lead and work in complex business environments.
– An experienced conference speaker, presenter and panel participant; and a member of ISACA, IDC CIO Advisory Council, and the Institute of Directors South Africa (IoDSA).IT

An agile and dynamic IT Management Professional, Reinhardt Gerber holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree in Computer Science and Economics and leverages over two decades of experience in Leadership, Outsource and Vendor Management, Infrastructure Management, Business Process Analysis, ERP Implementations, Database Management, and BI Development.

A business-savvy solutions architect and change agent with strong financial acumen, Reinhardt is a motivational leader who forms cohesive teams and fluently translates complex technical information into easily grasped concepts to stakeholders at all levels, including Executive Boards and Audit and Risk Committees. His accomplished IT leadership has been recognised by the industry, being awarded a seat on the IDC CIO Council of South Africa.

As Head of IT at Sea Harvest Group, Reinhardt heads the IT infrastructure, Applications, Business intelligence and AI and Automation of the Group, having successfully led the IT integration between numerous national and international entities acquired by the Group. Responsible for full transition into a private cloud environment and then migrating to the public cloud, he has further seamlessly completed the company’s transition to Microsoft Azure and the O365 platform, adopting the full Microsoft Productivity Suite, allowing a hybrid working place and secure access to information anywhere at any time. He has a passion for Business Intelligence, AI and the Internet of Things (IoT), and with a background in Software Development and ERP consulting, has overseen extensive Microsoft Dynamics NAV and Business Central implementations.

An IT Executive with ICT career of over 29-years, equipped with a proven track record of excellent delivery and transformation of ICT divisions together with business technology direction.

2020 Visionary CIO of the Year in South Africa (IITPSA) Winner.

2021 Africa Chief Information Officer Award Winner in Africa (AFICTA- Africa ICT Alliance)

Joined Wits in May 2017 as its Chief Information Officer (CIO) with expertise in ICT business strategy, digital transformation, cybersecurity, mobile strategy and cloud strategy. Within a short period of time, the ICT team was able to transform Wits’ technology capability by positively influencing methods of learning, teaching, and research. Envisioned the concept of the “Smart Classroom” which was approved in 2018 and combined with the University’s “Blended Learning” objective. The implementation of Blended Learning gave Wits University the “edge” and advantage in its response to COVID19, adopting full online learning and teaching in less than a month under my stewardship.

Wits ICT was further recognized by the University’s Senior Executive Team (SET) and the University Council amidst the pandemic as central to the successful learning and teaching, the University continued seamlessly throughout the year 2020. I had the mammoth task of changing the ICT culture leading to 2020 and this led to the ICT division being rated by the Senior Executive Team and the University Council amongst one of the University’s best rated in the score card results.

In addition to my current CIO role, I am acquainted with taking leadership roles external to Wits University:

– Chair Person of HEITSA: A Board of CIOs from 26 Government Universities.

– Member of Ministerial Task Team for Higher Education, and

– Board Member of Tertiary Education & Research Network of South Africa (TENET)

– Council Member of Cranefield College

Disciplined, influential, ethical, and copes very well in difficult terrain and “fixer” of chaos. I am competent at developing and executing strategies, implementing governance structures, and developing a service catalogue to manage service and Service Level Agreements. I have over the years proven my abilities in the public sector, including Eskom Enterprises & Transnet before joining Wits University.

I hold the principles of ownership and accountability closely and prefer using agile methods, skilled in Innovation Management, Youth Development, Tech-savvy, Business Savvy, and Decision-Making.

With more than two decades of IT expertise, Wilma has navigated strategic planning, digital transformations, stakeholder management, systems design, and leadership. Her rich professional journey spans diverse industries, including financial services, mining, telecommunications, engineering, retail, insurance, media, healthcare, and research and development. Having worked across various countries and immersed herself in different cultures, she has honed invaluable life skills and interpersonal acumen. As a dedicated advisory board member for the Women In Technology SA Chapter, Wilma actively contributes to the growth and empowerment of young women in South Africa.”
Wilma’s entrepreneurial expertise became evident as she founded and co-owned two thriving IT consulting firms. Her relentless passion for all things digital propels her to constantly seek out and engage with new technological frontiers.”
Outside of her professional achievements, Wilma channels her passion into creating impactful forums. These spaces empower individuals to step into leadership roles, enhance their skills, offer mentorship, and engage in round table discussions. Through these connections, women find common ground based on shared experiences, interests, and aspirations.”

Strategic IT Leader | Risk & Digital Transformation Specialist

​Norbit Williams is a veteran technology strategist with a proven track record of bridging the gap between complex IT infrastructure and long-term fiduciary objectives. Throughout his career, Norbit has specialized in modernizing legacy systems within highly regulated environments, ensuring that digital transformation never comes at the expense of security or data integrity.

​His expertise lies in developing resilient IT governance frameworks that protect institutional assets while enhancing the user experience. Norbit is a vocal advocate for “Security by Design,” particularly in the context of pension funds where protecting member data is the ultimate priority. Notably, he recently led a digital overhaul that transitioned a major fund to a Cloud-native architecture, resulting in a 22% reduction in operational costs and a significant boost in member engagement.

​By joining the IT Advisory Board, Norbit aims to leverage his deep understanding of Data Orchestration and InvestTech to ensure the fund remains agile, compliant, and future-proof in an increasingly volatile digital landscape.

I am a goal-orientated ICT professional with over 35 years in strategic ICT Management. I have extensive knowledge in Executive Management and managing Enterprise implementation of Datacentres, Servers, Desktop, and other IT-related systems. Proficient in gathering, analysing, and defining business and functional requirements.

Experienced Team Lead with a demonstrated history of working in the banking industry. Skilled in SQL, Oracle, ACBS, Hermes, GL Talx, BDA, Requirements Analysis, ITIL, IT Service Management, and Unix. Strong information technology professional.

Jyoti Lalchandani is a seasoned business executive with more than 25 years of experience in emerging markets across Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (EMEA). In his role as IDC’s Group Vice President and Regional Managing Director for the Middle East, Turkey, and Africa (META), he has been instrumental in establishing IDC’s presence in the region – first, through the initial expansion of the Dubai headquarters and then by spearheading the development of IDC offices in Johannesburg, Istanbul, Riyadh, Casablanca, Lagos, Nairobi, and Cairo.
Jyoti is responsible for the planning, development, implementation, and coordination of IDC’s market intelligence and advisory services, sales, conferences and events, go-to-market services, and office development activities across the META region. As a respected authority on emerging market tech trends, he is also regularly invited to speak at major industry events throughout the region and is frequently quoted by both the national and international media.
His field of expertise includes key tech areas such as cloud, analytics, artificial intelligence, and the Internet of Things, and he is well known for providing guidance on digital transformation strategies for the entire C-suite. He is a trusted advisor to senior executives in the supplier/enabler space across the ICT ecosystem, as well as to tech buyers from the CIO and line-of-business communities.
Starting at IDC’s CEMA (Central and Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and Africa) headquarters in 1995 in Prague, the Czech Republic, Jyoti served as IDC’s regional consulting manager. In this role, he headed several country-based project teams that advised local and multinational IT vendors on issues relating to entry strategy, competitor analysis, ROI analysis, distribution and partner evaluation, and market segmentation. He later took on the additional responsibility of overseeing the CEMA software practice, in which he was responsible for overseeing all related research (applications, system infrastructure, and tools) and advisory work across emerging EMEA countries.
Before joining IDC, Jyoti served on the national board of international non-profit organization AIESEC, where he managed the association’s partnership agreements with leading Indian conglomerates. He graduated from Loyola College, India, where his studies focused on strategy management and business policy. He later attended a corporate-sponsored program at MIT’s Sloan School of Management, Massachusetts.