CHANGE MANAGEMENT
TAKING ON A
WHOLE NEW WORLD
In 2020 Abigail Mukhuba started a new job, in a new industry, and had to deal with the unprecedented new challenge that was Covid-19. And just when she started settling into her new world of work, her home life changed when Abigail gave birth to her first child this year. By Caylynne Fourie
A
fter 15 years working in the automotive and mining industries, Abigail Mukhuba joined Sanlam as its FD in October 2020. “It’s totally new territory for me – the industry and the company,” she says. “I am having to refresh some of my knowledge and at times learn from scratch again, and it’s stimulating.” She adds that part of the reason she joined the company was its ability to deliver return on group equity value consistently. “It’s challenging having to eat humble pie occasionally and admit when I do not know something and need help from
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CFO MAGAZINE • CFO.CO.ZA
a team member,” Abigail says. “But the teams I work with are awesome, they absolutely step up and assist in any way they can, and at times we both end up learning from each other.” She explains that, while the mining and financial services industries are very different, there are similarities in concepts. “In the back of my mind I apply some of the concepts I learnt from my previous mining environment to the insurance space,” she says, adding that there’s never a dull moment. For example, how capital allocation is crucial in the successful running of a balance sheet in both industries. Because of the long-term nature of the investments made, it is crucial that disciplined capital
