Calculated Conversations: Financial Leadership and Confidence, with Vanessa Bukasa, CA(SA), VP at Absa Group

VP Vanessa Bukasa discusses balancing balance sheet integrity across 10 African subsidiaries, shifting from technical expert to strategic leader, and the surprising parallels between risk management and public speaking.

In today’s fast-paced financial world, strong leadership and clear communication are crucial. In this episode of Calculated Conversations, I spoke with Ms. Vanessa Bukasa CA(SA), Vice President at Absa Group and a Chartered Accountant with nearly a decade of experience in financial risk management. She leads balance sheet integrity across 10 African subsidiaries, ensuring operational excellence and compliance with international standards. Ms. Bukasa also empowers professionals as a public speaking and confidence coach, helping individuals communicate with impact and clarity. In our conversation, we discuss the intersection of financial leadership, effective governance, and the power of…

You oversee balance sheet control across 10 African countries. How do you navigate the different regulatory environments while maintaining financial governance standards?

While I am accountable for the integrity of the consolidated balance sheet across our 10 African subsidiaries, the real superheroes are the teams in-country. They are deeply embedded in their local regulatory landscapes and bring an incredible depth of expertise and precision to the table. Because we can place so much reliance on their brilliance and professionalism, my focus at Group level is ensuring alignment with overarching governance and control standards. I work closely with our regulatory reporting team in South Africa to make sure we are aligned at a Group level and consistently maintaining integrity in our financial oversight. It is a partnership that is built on trust…

Your career path has taken you from audit supervision at KPMG to vice presidency at Absa Group. What were the most valuable lessons you learned during this transition?

One of the biggest lessons was learning to shift from being a technical expert to being a strategic leader. At KPMG, my focus was on accuracy, compliance, and providing assurance. At Absa, especially in a leadership role, it is about creating value, empowering teams, and influencing outcomes across borders. I had to grow my voice, own the room, and see beyond numbers to what the numbers enable: strategic decisions, risk management, and sustainable growth. The ability to lead through people, rather than only through spreadsheets, has been one of my greatest growth points.