Absa entices talent from Standard Bank to strengthen pan-African operations
Absa CEO, former Standard Bank deputy CEO Kenny Fihla, is restructuring his executive team.
Image: Supplied
Having recently shuffled its top executives around, Absa is again enticing high-level management from Standard Bank as it sets out to boost growth, innovation, and customer focus across its Pan-African operations.
The changes come amid a period of significant leadership reshuffling. Five months ago, Absa appointed former Standard Bank deputy CEO Kenny Fihla as its new CEO after he resigned suddenly from his former employer the evening before.
This move was intended to address a leadership vacuum at Absa and possibly improve market sentiment in the bank.
Now, it has announced that Charles Russon, who served as interim Group CEO until Fihla’s appointment in the middle of the year, will take on the new role of Group Executive: Africa Regions from September 2025, pending regulatory approval.
Russon, who headed up Corporate and Investment Banking before moving into the top role, will oversee Absa’s operations across the continent and advise business units, driving strategic planning, stakeholder engagement, and regulatory compliance while steering the bank’s Africa-wide strategy, Absa said.
Joining the Group as CE of Corporate and Investment Banking (CIB) is Zaid Moola, subject to regulatory approval, from January 2026. Moola, who joins Absa in December, was previously at Standard Bank, where he headed up Global Markets, and CIB South Africa.
A Chartered Accountant with advanced management training at INSEAD, Moola joins the bank as a key driver of growth in its corporate and investment banking division.
Musa Motloung, who is also from Standard Bank, is set to join as Group strategic risk officer, reporting to Group chief risk officer Rajal Vaidya, pending regulatory approval.
Motloung will advise on strategic decisions with long-term impact. He has held senior roles at Barclays Africa, BHP Billiton, and Anglo American.
“Our ability to design and deliver as a client-centric Pan-African organisation, enabled by top talent, is critical to our success and I'm excited to work with these colleagues moving forward,” said Fihla.
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