FirstRand Corporate Centre

the firstrand corporate centre houses many of the critical functions required by a large and complex financial services group. the corporate centre’s stakeholders are external, such as regulators, shareholders, global developmental institutions and government; and also internal, mainly the market-leading businesses that service the group’s customers. these critical functions cover risk, compliance, governance, internal audit, treasury, finance and tax amongst many others. they require deep specialist and technical skills and ultimately represent the custodianship of the firstrand group’s licence to operate. employees of the corporate centre develop a very unique perspective of the group because nowhere else can you own or be part of a mandate that operates across the portfolio. this allows for both big picture thinking and operational learning. it is also a great place to drive collaboration and a place to have a significant impact. the corporate centre has adopted a blended approach to working, with a focus on balancing remote working and connections with colleagues in the workplace. face-to-face interactions remain important to its way of working as these connections protect the business’s social capital, which is key to ensuring that firstrand’s unique culture stays alive and continues to thrive.