Jörg Fischer

At R22.4bn, Standard Bank pours more money into technology than any other financial institution. It also has the largest footprint on the continent, and 20 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa are now shaded dark blue in its financial results.

R12.7bn goes on software, cloud and technology-related costs, while it’s engineering bill is R6.3bn. Amortisation and depreciation is at R3.4bn. It has a 5 500-strong army of technologists keeping its systems purring away, and at the very top of the bank’s corporate IT function sits Jörg Fischer, the Group CIO. He’s had an unbroken run of 28 years at the bank, with a mix of financial (he was CFO of personal and business banking), operational, and technology leadership roles.