Our Employees

With a thirst for knowledge and a drive to find new and value adding solutions for the business, Charlotte Mbewu, recently promoted to Head: Finance and Management Reporting,is taking the change in her stride and enjoying the new challenge.

1. What did you study and where?
I am a qualified chartered accountant registered with SAICA. I completed a B Com (Accounting) at Rhodes University and B Com (Accounting) Honours at University of KwaZulu-Natal in Pietermaritzburg.

2. Why charted accountancy?
I have always been good with numbers, and so I wanted to study something in that line. I was also interested in being part of the business sector, and I realised that a CA qualification would offer me this opportunity and fast track my progression.

3. What challenges did you have to overcome?
Academically, CA is a very intense qualification. There is a lot of pressure, and it’s also time consuming. The qualification is structured, and there is only a certain route that you can follow in order to become a CA. On a personal level, I had to find a balance between my studies and everything else. I would go to sleep very late because of studying and have to get up very early the next morning because the lecture schedule was hectic. Sometimes my friends would go out, and I would have to stay behind and study. It wasn’t easy. I had setbacks here and there. The greatest challenge of all was to overcome the obstacles that I encountered along the way.

4. How long have you been at STANLIB?
I joined STANLIB just over two years ago as an accountant in the Finance Department. My time at STANLIB has been incredible. I’ve learnt a lot about the investment management industry, and being in the Finance Department, I’ve been exposed to the determinants of success for an organisation within this industry.

5. You were promoted recently. How do you feel about that?
The promotion shows progression within my career, and obviously provides me with more challenges and greater opportunities for growth.

6. How do you use your qualifications in your job?
Although the main focus of a CA qualification is accounting, the qualification does cover a bit of everything, from management to information systems to law. The accounting aspect of it comes in quite handy when doing statutory reporting and analysis of information. Management has assisted me in managing my staff.

7. What do you enjoy about your job?
Having to liaise with a lot of people within the business. I know that it might be difficult to believe this, but my days are never the same. I also enjoy learning about the investment management industry as understanding the industry allows me to understand the challenges our various business units are faced with. By understanding these challenges, I can provide information that will be beneficial to these business units, thereby adding value. I find my job challenging, which is great because it means I’m not stagnating.

8. What challenges do you face every day?
My work is deadline driven. The information that my team and I provide has to be accurate at all times.

9. What are your career aspirations?
I would like to add value to STANLIB and contribute towards the direction that we take as a company to reach our objectives. I see STANLIB becoming a leading investment management company within the emerging markets.

10. If you could, what would you change about STANLIB?
STANLIB currently does not have female representation within its top structures (Board of Directors and Exco). I would change that.

11. Do you believe in working hard or working smart?
In both. To be efficient and effective, you do need to work smart, and responsibility comes with working hard.

12. How would you define your character?
I’m a talkative, self-motivated person and enjoy being challenged.

13. What has kept you focused through your trying times?
Keeping sight of the end goal and knowing that there is a bigger picture has kept me focused, and I have a great support structure through my family, friends, colleagues and mentor.

14. What do you enjoy outside of work?
I love theatre and spending time with my family. I enjoy getting together with my friends and travelling, and I love reading; currently I’m reading The Challenge for Africa by Wangari Maathai. I also enjoy the various projects I’m involved in through my church. For example, I assist at a children’s care facility one Saturday each month.

15. What place would you like most to visit?
For holiday, Egypt; for business, China

16. What is your life philosophy?
“We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us” - Marianne Williamson