Elaine Mabiletsa

Elaine Mabiletsa - Manager - Currency Derivatives at the JSE

“I would like to be remembered for being a teacher and an enabler of growth. I call myself a professional student as I believe that the greatest gift you can give yourself in life is the openness to develop yourself and the willingness to be wrong.”

Q1: When did you join The Grind? How did you get to know about the Foundation?

A1: I officially joined The Grind in 2020 through my husband, Thebe Mabiletsa, who is one of the founding members.

Q2: Tell us about your career journey and where you are today.

A2: : I started my career in the IT sector in 2007, focused on business development at Gijima. My roles ranged from Product Specialist to Business Analyst and ultimately a Business Consultant. During that time, I became a Microsoft Certified Professional, which led to my being a part-time lecturer at Damelin for the Microsoft EPM software. In 2011, I joined Absa CIB (then Absa Capital) as a Support analyst for the FX Trading team. A year later I moved into back office as a Product controller and a year post that, joined Front Office as an FX Risk Trader. In 2015, I joined the JSE Capital Markets Currency Derivatives team where I am now manager of the Currency Derivatives market.

Q3: What personal sacrifices have you had to make in your career?

A3: Being in my former and current roles, there’s a significant amount of travelling that one must do. Often this clashed with important family events and gatherings, and I had to make a choice between career progression and physical support/presence.

Q4: Looking back on the past 2 years, what has been the impact of Covid-19 on you and your family, as well as the way you work? 

A4:  My family has gotten closer, as we were in a bubble and could only be with each other. It taught us a lot about patience and tolerance, but also showed us that support from and for each other is enough to help us get through anything. We’ve all learnt independent learning and working.

Working in a remote and confined space has been both a blessing and a curse. It’s given me the space to focus on what I need to without distractions, but also removed that human element that gives energy while working. I’ve become a lot more reliant on technology – Google for answers, tv/social media for distractions, and the news for daily headlines! I miss being able to walk across the road for a coffee when a break is needed but enjoy being able to go sit outside with my husband instead for our break times.

Q5: How do you see the industry in which you work change post-Covid?

A5: I think there will be a significantly higher reliance on technology in the future. Crises give rise to opportunity. What covid has taught us is that we don’t need to have as many bums on seats to get work done. The financial industry has been slow to adapting to change – especially the big banks and the exchange – too many moving parts.

However, with the demographic change in higher levels in industry, comes a mindset shift. I anticipate accelerated digital transformation, innovation and changes to ‘ways of doing things’ through actual implementations of customer-first strategies. This will also be driven by the blurring of borders with technology as an enabler. There will be ease of access to multiple financial offerings at the tips of your fingers. The right technology = lower costs, wider client base.

Q6: What would you like to be remembered for - what type of legacy would you like to leave?

A6: I would like to be remembered for being a teacher and an enabler of growth. I call myself a professional student as I believe that the greatest gift you can give yourself in life is the openness to develop yourself and the willingness to be wrong. Imparting the lessons I’ve learnt both theoretically and practically is important to me as it not only spares someone else the time to figure out those teachings, but also allows me to reflect. And that helps us understand what truly matters in life.

Q7: As we wrap up the year and reflect on where we are, are you happy with what you achieved this year?

A7: Yes! I am happy with what I’ve achieved this year. I believe I’ve grown a lot more through the independent way of working and not having easy access to people around me. I took on the opportunities of virtual learning and programs, through which I’ve learnt a lot more and honed skills I wouldn’t have otherwise. Next year I am looking forward to applying what I learned this year to make an impact in my organisation and personal space. I look forward to more in person engagements and hopefully contributing more beyond my defined career environment.

Q8: Which fictional character do you resonate with, and why?

A8: I would say Lucy from The Chronicles of Narnia. She has an adventurous spirit, has faith in humanity, is sensitive and her loyalty does not waver. I think her childishness is also a characteristic that I should add to the list when explaining why I resonate with her!

Grind Feed: Elaine Mabiletsa