Capitec Bank

I was promoted by the Capitec Retail Executive Team to Head of Group Conversational Banking : I founded and lead Conversational Banking with a strong focus on taking client experience to the next level. My key responsibilities in this position include:

Crafting the strategic direction into a world-class product by leading a dedicated team throughout the entire product lifecycle, planning, and managing delivery with a single-minded focus on development.

Owning the business and product vision while leveraging previous experience in product ownership.

Managing products with multiple initiatives and competing priorities, effectively influencing diverse stakeholders across both business and technology sectors.

Operating at strategic, tactical, and technical levels, drawing on experience from various technical roles.

Communicating with technical and non-technical senior stakeholders across multiple business units.

Authoring documents related to product lifecycle, including business plans, product roadmaps, business cases, and requirements and functional specifications.

Utilizing data and metrics to test theories, confirm assumptions, and measure success.

Earning trust across different levels and multiple groups within a large organization.

Scoping and conducting usability studies and customer research to continuously improve the product.

Validating products through customer feedback and fostering client development.

Using influence and relationships to drive and achieve objectives.

Leading and managing multifunctional teams to deliver exceptional results.

Managing and working with remote and hybrid teams, adapting to various work environments.

Overseeing B2B management of key strategic partners, including Salesforce, LivePerson, Meta, and IMI.

Spearheading digital transformation initiatives related to client behavior and platform adoption.

Being accountable to the Capitec Executive Committee as a subject matter expert for Conversational AI products.

Head of Product - Group Conversational Banking (Fintech , AI & Digital Solutions)

Industry Experience: Banking, Conversational AI , Messaging Channels , Fintech 
 
After an incredible eight-year journey at Momentum Wealth International, I enthusiastically embraced a new opportunity at Capitec Bank as a Fintech Product Owner for Retail Banking, focusing on the critical capability of Conversational Banking. In this role, I strive to demonstrate passion, excellence, and leadership in the following key responsibilities:

Founded the Conversational banking strategy for Capitec, initially emphasizing client engagement and service to ensure Capitec Bank remains competitive.

Collaboratively designing various product and service solutions on Chat for both external clients and internal business units.

Creating and prioritizing user stories aligned with the broader business strategy, while effectively managing the backlog.

Managing B2B relationships with key strategic partners, including Salesforce, LivePerson, and WhatsApp.

Leading digital transformation initiatives related to client behavior and platform adoption, staying ahead of emerging trends.

Guiding high-performance teams comprised of enterprise architects, business analysts, solution architects, and platform architects to ensure end-to-end delivery of key business initiatives.

Serving as a Subject Matter Expert (SME) for client engagement capabilities across both Retail and Business Banking, and being accountable to Capitec's steering committees.

Senior Product Manager - Client Engagement  Fintech

Momentum

Industry Experience:  Global Financial Services, Investor Platforms. Fintech, Insurance, Investments, Health

After passionately serving Momentum Wealth International's IT needs for two and a half years, I was recently promoted by the Board of Directors, reflecting my commitment to excellence and leadership in global investment platform technology.

In addition to my existing product owner and analysis responsibilities, my role now encompasses co-creating and implementing business, digital, and operating model strategies for MWI's operations in the UK, SA, and HK. My responsibilities include:

Collaboratively designing innovative product, platform, and service solutions for both external clients and internal business units.

Spearheading the digitization of the Momentum Wealth International platform to cater to various client segments.

Leading multiple high-performance project teams to ensure end-to-end delivery of key business initiatives.

Keeping MWI at the forefront of market trends, fintech and platform developments, while strategically integrating these plans to maintain a competitive edge and create business value.

Managing B2B and B2C relationships with various listed financial corporations, retail, high net worth clients, and external business partners, such as CITI Bank, Morningstar, and All Funds Bank.

Gaining experience in Momentum Metropolitan Holdings' venture capital investments and actively participating in the incubation of fintech start-ups, with the aim of crafting a robust value proposition for Momentum's clients.

Influencing and mentoring staff to foster a high-performance "digital-first" culture within the team.

Reporting to MWI's Board of Directors (UK & SA) as a thought leader, driving innovation and progress across the organization.

Senior Product , Platform & Digital Solutions Owner

Industry Experience:  Global Financial Services, Investor Platforms. Fintech, Insurance, Investments, Health

My IT journey brought me to Momentum, a company that gave me a unique opportunity to grow professionally. I joined the team during a transitional period, as the division shifted from traditional work methodologies to the Scaled Agile approach. This challenge not only refined my existing skills but also expanded my business analysis "tool box" with a range of new "tools."

Key responsibilities during my time at Momentum included:

Developing short, medium, and long-term product and platform roadmaps and business cases to align with organizational goals.

Leading various scrum teams, providing vision and direction to team members and stakeholders throughout projects.

Understanding and validating diverse business problem statements to ensure solutions met specific needs.

Creating and prioritizing user stories in line with the broader business strategy, performing backlog management to keep projects on track.

Driving business requirement and solution design workshops with key stakeholders to determine the optimal solutions for addressing problem statements.

Managing key strategic projects, setting KPIs for each project, and maintaining B2B and B2C relationships, managing expectations with both internal and external clients.

Mentoring junior business analysts and product owners, as well as leading all Agile ceremonies (SAFE Agile), to foster a culture of growth and excellence within the team.

Senior Business Analyst & Product Owner

Gijima Holdings

Industry Experience : Manufacturing & Wildlife
Clients: Hulamin Limited and Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife

My journey as an IT professional began at Gijima Holdings, where I was given the opportunity to work on-site with a prestigious JSE-listed manufacturing client, Hulamin Limited. Starting as an intern, my dedication and enthusiasm allowed me to quickly progress to the role of a business analyst. Throughout my time with Hulamin, I gained invaluable experience in project management, business analysis, application support, solution design, and process integration and optimization.

Eager to hone my business analysis skills, I actively pursued opportunities to conduct JAD sessions, document analysis, requirements analysis, task and workflow analysis, system testing, and UAT. Moreover, I played a vital role in the client-centricity program, which emphasized delivering top-quality work tailored to client needs and facilitated a seamless interface between their business requirements and information technology. To provide exceptional service, I employed Agile, SDLC, Waterfall, and SCRUM methodologies.

As a Junior Product Owner, I managed the backlog, collaborated with two feature teams, and provided support to various teams during the release cycle. My passion for IT goes beyond my professional life, and I continuously seek to develop and enhance my skills. My experience extends to the Wildlife industry, where I had the pleasure of working with Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife.

IT Consulting - Business Analyst & Jnr Product Owner 

Carlos is a seasoned professional with over a decade of experience in multiple technology industries.He currently holds the position of Head of Product for Group Conversational Banking at Capitec Bank (Product Founder) a product which he founded at Capitec and is responsible for leading a dedicated team to translate strategic direction into a best-in-world product, managing the entire product life cycle, and working with multiple stakeholders. Throughout his career, Carlos has demonstrated a strong understanding of business and product strategy, product management, and working at strategic and technical levels. He has experience in communicating with senior executive stakeholders, using data and metrics to test theories and measure success, and leading and managing multi-functional (including remote)  teams. He is also experienced in client development, validating products through customer feedback, and managing key strategic partners. Carlos has a proven track record in Banking, Manufacturing, Financial Services (International Investor Platforms) and the fintech industry. He is recognized as a leader in Conversational Banking.

Taplio

Carlos Cortez M.'s Linkedin Analytics

Want to drive more opportunities from LinkedIn?

Taplio

.css-1jgreyo{background-image:linear-gradient(284deg, rgba(39,43,72,1) 0%, rgba(33,47,183,1) 100%);color:transparent;-webkit-background-clip:text;background-clip:text;}Carlos Cortez M.'s Linkedin Analytics

Want to drive more opportunities from LinkedIn?

Carlos Cortez M.'s Linkedin Analytics