Julia Phinithi

Senior Manager with 22 years of working experience in providing strategic and operational directions across the credit management value chain, stakeholder management and business development. My extensive experience includes 15 years’ experience at leadership levels of which 7 years are in a strategic leadership role in both public and private sectors within EMEA markets. 

My formal career started within the banking industry where I have spent 7 years in various roles in customer services, sales and marketing, and credit management and quickly progressed to junior leadership roles. 

Post the banking industry, I have spent 15 years leading teams and business unit strategies within diverse industries working closely with Executive Management teams across EMEA. I have gained expertise in developing and executing the following business strategies, policies, and standard operating processes: credit risk mitigation strategy, business development strategy, cash flow management strategy, stakeholder management strategy and providing strategic and operational direction that supports the organization's financial goals. I have expertise in building high-performing teams gained from working for multinational organizations based in Southern Africa. I led a consolidated credit risk management and customer service administration into a single customer-focused function to re-engineer the two functions into a Centre of Excellence to create an exceptional customer experience from the initial sales order, billing, and product delivery aligned with the company strategy. 

In addition to the above, I have also been involved in transitioning the Credit Department into a completely functioning and profitable business unit within the banking sector, retail, and manufacturing sector. 

I have completed a BCom (Degree) in Economics from the University of Pretoria, an MBA from GIBS, an MPhil Corporate Strategy from GIBS and other skills enhancement programmes in Risk Management; Finance; Project Management and Credit Management (Legal Aspects of Credit Management & Effective Credit Collections). I am an Executive Development Programme candidate at WBS.

I have honed the skills acquired from my MBA and MPhil CS studies to effectively contribute to the business' audit and risk committee by providing dynamic, risk-profile and forward-looking views on credit impairments to enable the company to have a broad understanding of the current and forward-looking impairment profile. As the Senior Manager in Credit, it is critical to have a broader understanding of the legal aspects of credit. The skills acquired from the Legal Aspect of Credit Management programme have enabled me to gain an in-depth understanding of legislation that governs credit management and has enabled me to develop credit management policies, credit management standard operating procedures, credit management application forms, risk management and compliance programmes, and training module called credit management for non-credit management professionals. 

I have not only been involved in strategic planning, execution, and performance reporting, but I have also implemented business improvement programs through structural redesign, capability development and IT solution delivery. I can translate complicated business goals, visions, processes, and standard operating procedures into frameworks that are simple to execute. 

• 02/2020 till current: Head of Strategy and Business Integration. Part-Time consulting position at Sechabasedi Consulting, Audit and Risk Consulting Firm in Randburg. 
• 09/2021 till 08/2023: Head of Credit Risk Strategy Management. Permanent position at PG Bison, Board Manufacture in Boksburg. 
• 12/2017 till 08/2021: Head of Credit Risk and Collections. Permanent position at Bridgestone SA, Tyre Manufacture in Midrand. 
• 09/2016 till 09/2017: Divisional Credit Manager. Permanent position at Spar, FMCG Sector in Nelspruit.
• 08/2014 till 08/2016: Credit Manager. Permanent position at South African Breweries, FMCG Sector in Randburg.
• 06/2011 till 07/2014: Senior Analyst Revenue Losses and Recovery. Permanent position at ESKOM, Energy Sector in Johannesburg.
• 12/2008 till 05/2011: Credit and Revenue Management Supervisor. Permanent position at ESKOM, Energy Sector in Johannesburg.
• 09/2007 – 11/2008: Secured Home Loans Portfolio Team leader. Permanent position at UBANK, Banking Sector in Johannesburg.
• 06/2003 – 08/2007: Credit Controller. Permanent position at CAPITEC BANK, Banking Sector in Kempton Park, South Africa (Gauteng). 
• 02/2001- 02/2003 Teller. Contract position at ABSA BANK, in the Banking Sector in Pretoria. 

Formal Qualifications:   

• Executive Leadership Programme candidate, 2023, Wits Business School.
• Masters in Philosophy, Corporate Strategy, 2021/2, Gordon Institute of Business Science.
• Masters in Business Administration, 2020, Gordon Institute of Business Science.
• Postgraduate Diploma in Business Administration, 2019, Gordon Institute of Business Science.                                                                      
• Degree in Bachelor of Commerce, 2000, The University of Pretoria.
• Matriculation, 1994, Harry Oppenheimer Agricultural High School.

Skills Advancement Qualifications:         

• Professional Director Programme, Directors Association, 2023.
• Foundation of Risk Management, 2023, Wits Business School.
• Effective Credit Control and Legal Aspects of Credit Management, 2017, Ken Mills and Associates.
• Line Manager Induction, 2015, SAB World of Learning.
• Advanced Programme in Project Management, 2014, CE at the University of Pretoria.
• Programme in Supervisory Development, 2013, Eskom Leadership Academy.
• Certificate in Finance (Cum Laude), 2012, Gordon Institute of Business Science.
• Programme in Project Management, 2012, CE at the University of Pretoria.                      Programme in Management Development, 2008, Gordon Institute of Business Science.