PERSONALITY XXX PROFILE
In conversation with: Reana Steyn, Ombudsman for Banking Services, South Africa “It may sound like a worn-out record, but I dream of and hope for a peaceful, non-racial country where we can eradicate this tragedy of poverty and where everyone is valued for who they are and what they bring to the table.”
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orn in Boksburg in Johannesburg, which is still her home town, Reana Steyn has been South Africa’s Banking Ombudsman for the last five years. It’s a position that carries with it enormous responsibility, not only with regard to her team but also to the country’s millions of banking customers. From her first job with law firm Norton Rose Fulbright (originally Deneys Reitz Attorneys), following her graduation from university with a BComm LLB, to positions with the NCR (National Credit Regulator) as their first legal advisor, and financial services giant KPMG in the compliance division, she’s thrown her heart into her work with passion, warmth and a sense of humour.
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SECURITY FOCUS AFRICA JUNE 2022
The early days “I have such happy childhood memories: of playing with kids in the neighbourhood, reading lots of books, and spending our holidays on the KwaZulu-Natal South Coast or the family farm in a small town called Ladybrandt in the Eastern Free State. The farm didn’t have electricity and we did everything, from milking cows and collecting eggs, to driving on the tractor with my uncle.” After matriculating, she enrolled at university. Still undecided about a career, she chose to pursue a BCom Law degree so that she could keep her options open between law and accounting. While working for KPMG twelve years ago, she was approached by the thenCredit Ombudsman, Manie van
Schalkwyk, who was looking for someone with her expertise to assist with credit complaints. She accepted the job offer, going on to become Deputy Credit Ombudsman and then – ‘a great privilege’ – the first woman to hold the position of Banking Ombudsman in 2017, when her predecessor retired. Calling herself ‘unbelievably blessed’, Reana enjoys steering the ship and ‘seeing it all come together’. “If you’re heading up an organisation, you have a bird’s eye view over each aspect of the business, from the finances to HR to complaints resolution and marketing etc. When I took over, the culture of the organisation needed some work, and it took time to build the trust as well as the world-class team that we now have. I am
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