Navitha Budhoo

A dynamic banking leader with over 25 years of experience across personal, private, business, and corporate banking. 
Recognised for designing and delivering innovative, client-centric solutions and strategies that drive measurable growth, transform sales performance, and strengthen customer loyalty. With extensive experience designing and implementing bespoke client value propositions, developing digital acquisition capabilities, and optimizing sales processes to enhance client engagement, while managing internal and external stakeholder relationships to drive sustainable business growth.
At Standard Bank, I led the national Employee Value Banking strategy and pioneered PERX — a first-of-its-kind digital financial wellness and client acquisition platform. This innovation increased market penetration and reshaped how we engage with clients, strengthened our competitive position, and demonstrated the power of combining strategy, technology, and operational excellence. I'm focused on creating sustainable impact through innovative solutions, efficient processes, and a people-first approach. 
Passionate about developing talent and empowering teams. From coaching provincial heads to enabling frontline sales with digital tools and training programs. Award-winning leader and keynote speaker on financial wellness, resilience and women in leadership.
Currently pursuing a Global MBA, to deepen my international perspective and ability to influence strategy at scale. I thrive at the intersection of leadership, innovation, and transformation — committed to building future-ready financial services that make a meaningful difference for clients, employees, and communities.

Work Experience

Head Employee Value Banking (PPBSA, Standard Bank of South Africa, Johannesburg) Oct 2022 – July 2025.  

Leadership:  Lead central EVB team in our role to enable the front-line EVB teams nationally.  Up-skill and cross skill central team through both formal, informal training and coaching. Developed KPI's & scorecard for central team, undertake performance reviews and discussions. Support central team in achieving defined goals and objectives. Support & coach Provincial EVB heads. 

Strategy Development & Execution:  Designing, implement and lead national EVB strategy aligned to group objectives. Integrating propositions across Personal, Private, Business, and Corporate Banking to grow retail market share. Translating strategic goals into actionable plans ensuring effective implementation across the national teams.  

Sales Enablement: Equip sales teams with the resources, content, tools, and training to enhance team performance and achieve sales targets. Develop and scale marketing collateral, market insights, digital solutions (e.g. pioneered in our space interactive one pagers with video's and chat-bot so we could continue to engage with our clients through COVID. Pioneered a digitised EVB learning journey for the EVB team to enable teams to deliver on our strategic and business objectives.  Ideation and development of PERX to digitise delivery of our approach and proposition to increase our penetration at companies and increasing market share.

Business Operations:  Analysing, problem-solving and collaborating to implement acquisition capabilities, drive integration of EVB into core business operations, optimizing business and sales processes to improve efficiency.  Oversee risk, compliance, governance and business continuity, ensuring portfolio quality and regulatory adherence.

Customer Success: ensure customers achieve desired outcomes through our products and services fostering growth, loyalty, entrenchment and retention. Grew value creation through (EVB) by designing and implementing Financial Fitness programs and, tailored client value propositions across Personal & Private Banking (PPBSA). Including PERX, a market-first digital acquisition solution centered on financial well-being.  Developed and incubated acquisition capabilities  focusing on enhancing client engagement strategies.  Worked directly with clients (both the company and staff) to ensure they are successful in achieving their goals by maximizing value of our offerings and services.  

Partner Enablement: Build, manage, support and empower stakeholders (Business Banking, Corporate and Investment Banking, Liberty, SBFC, etc.) to drive revenue and market reach. Effectively sell, support and integrate our offerings into their way of work, aiming to boost our retail market share. Lead EVB strategic priorities to strengthen relationships and increase penetration within targeted entities.

Revenue growth and market expansion: identifying new business opportunities, building strategic relationships with clients and partners, and executing sales strategies. 

Change Management & Communication: Help teams navigate and adapt to change, ensuring smooth transitions and minimizing disruption whilst supporting change with stakeholders, i.e. Finance and Reporting teams to build dashboards for tracking and measurement. Oversee EVB communication strategies via Roadshows, National conference, monthly Summits, webinars, and online learning to build a cohesive national team.

Reporting:  Develop and present relevant reports, dashboards, business outcomes and feedback to executive committees and leadership forums, strengthening strategic decision-making.

Snr Manager, Employee Value Banking (BCB, Standard Bank of South Africa, Johannesburg) Mar 2021 – Oct 2022

Customer Success: Propel growth and value creation by enhancing the Employee Value Banking (EVB) client value proposition for the Personal & Private Banking (PPB) segments.

Partner Enablement:  Led sector-specific engagement strategies for public sector and business clients to drive  sector-specific client acquisition. Managed internal stakeholder relationships.

Leadership: Coach EVB provincial heads & central EV team.

Sales Enablement & Business Operations: Introduced digital account origination with cross-sell capability, improving efficiency and client experience. Developed Proposition documents and Presentations for client engagements and RFPs.

Revenue growth and market expansion: identifying new business opportunities, building strategic relationships with clients and partners, and executing sales strategies. 

Change Management & Communication: Wrote and published quarterly EVB Newsletter. Maintained EVB central repository of information. 

Reporting:  Develop and present relevant reports, dashboards, business outcomes and feedback to leadership forums.

 
EVB Manager, Strategy and Enablement, Ecosystems Enablement (BCB, Standard Bank of South Africa, Johannesburg), April 2017 – March 2021

Sales & Partner Enablement: Partner and collaborate with various internal stakeholders to ensure enablement of strategies to support business growth and employee enablement to fulfill on business objectives.

Customer Success:  Designed value propositions for unique client needs, enhancing EVB's role in Business, Commercial, Corporate, and Public Sector markets.  Developed 4-Quadrant EVB Engagement Model to structure meaningful client conversations  (both across business entities and for individual clients) backed by solution frameworks.

Sales Enablement: Created training programs to upskill and enable the national EVB team, along with hosting conferences and webinars.  Developed in collaboration with marketing and other internal stakeholders a marketing playbook with accompanying marketing material for EVB teams. Developed EVB Employer Video to ensure consistent message across client engagements.

Communication:  Wrote and published quarterly EVB Newsletter. Developed and maintained central repository of information which houses all material relevant to EVB teams (e.g. marketing material, competitor insights, comms, newsletters, etc.)

Acting Head, EVB and Eco-systems, Business Enablement, The standard bank of South Africa, Johannesburg, South Africa, February 2018 – February 2019

In addition to duties fulfilled as EVB Manager, Strategy and Enablement, Ecosystems Enablement,

Strategy Development & Execution:  Directed the EVB and Ecosystem strategy for business, public sector, and corporate banking, creating a tailored client proposition at the provincial level.

Sales & Partner Enablement: Collaborated on a marketing strategy for EVB. Presented EVB and Ecosystem initiatives at Business Banking conferences. Building strategic relationships with clients and partners and executing sales strategies. 

Leadership:  Led central EVB team in our role to enable the front-line EVB teams across the various provinces

Reporting:  Reported and presented our business outcomes and feedback at various leadership forums.

 
Manager Inclusive Banking: The Standard Bank of South Africa, Johannesburg.  July 2016 – April 2017
Strategy and business enablement of delivery channels with a focus on branches to drive business growth across the inclusive markets.
 
Deal Maker, EVB:  The Standard Bank of South Africa, Johannesburg, January 2016 – July 2016
Responsible for generating and sustaining revenue by originating, structuring, and closing deals within the bank's product suite. Focus on medium to high complex and medium value transactions, contributing to the bank's profitability, market share, and competitive positioning. Build and maintain relationships with key stakeholders and clients.
 
Client Analyst, CIB:  The Standard Bank of South Africa, Johannesburg, June 2014 – December 2015
Analyse client data, prepare reports, and support the CIB Client service team in understanding client needs and financial health, often focusing on debt and equity capital raising, and providing financial solutions. Drive RFP process in collaboration with other relevant stakeholders as part of Client Service Team.
 
Account Executive, Business and Commercial Banking:   The Standard Bank of South Africa, Hillcrest, Pretoria, December 2013 – June 2014
Managing and growing client relationships, identifying opportunities for business expansion, and achieving revenue targets, acting as the primary point of contact for clients.
 
Business Manager, CIB: Centurion, South Africa, October 2011 – December 2013 
responsible for acquiring new clients, building relationships, managing portfolios, and ensuring compliance while driving business growth and profitability within the corporate and investment banking sector

Education
European Business School – Barcelona (ENEB):  Global MBA Registered 2025 – 2027: A specialized postgraduate degree focused on international business and management. Global MBA provides a deeper understanding of global markets, cross-cultural management, and international business strategies. It's designed to prepare individuals for leadership roles in multinational corporations, international organizations, and businesses with global operations.  
Henley Business School:  LEAD Program, 2022 -2023:  Snr Management Leadership program focused on operational, strategic, and tactical thinking, coaching and leadership tools and techniques. 
Columbia Business School, Emeritus, New York, 2020:  Digital strategies for business, executive education:  Executive education, Digital strategies for business:  leading the next generation business. 
Gordon Institute of business science (GIBS), Johannesburg, 2015:  Specialised business program:  Client analyst program. 
Academy of financial Markets (AFM), Johannesburg, 2008, Certification in Financial Markets and Instruments.
University of South Africa (Unisa), Pretoria, 2007:  Bachelors Degree in Psychology and communications.