Harriet says she aligns with Sasfin’s commitment to add value to customers and contribute to society.
Sasfin has announced the appointment of Harriet Heymans as its new financial director with immediate effect. Harriet will be taking over from Angela Pillay, who tendered her resignation in January to pursue other endeavours.
Harriet says that she is excited to join Sasfin because the company echoes her own values. “Sasfin adds value to customers and is passionate about contributing to society. The relationship model that the company focuses on is what many businesses need, because the bigger financial players do not offer this level of attention, agility and solutionist thinking to this segment of the market.”
Having served as CFO and in other leadership roles at the likes of Absa, Standard Bank, Imperial Financial Services and UBank before joining Sasfin, Harriet adds that “observing and engaging with what matters to customers is imperative as it offers extra dimensions to key decisions made”.
She explains that many local businesses and investors need a higher-touch level of service and accessibility, support, and education. “I am specifically excited about how finance can support our businesses to play a role in sustainably delivering those capabilities.”
Harriet’s first goal as the new FD is to make sure that the integration between finance and business is optimised to ensure that the bank delivers value to all its key stakeholders. “As we continue to streamline processes, we can help our clients grow their businesses and global wealth,” she says.
Also commenting on her appointment, Sasfin CEO Michael Sassoon says that Harriet is an “excellent match” to achieve the bank’s objectives. “Her large bank experience, exposure to asset finance, and supporting SMEs at UBank provide us with a diversity of experience that will advance the trajectory we are on. Most importantly, as a purpose-led organisation, we are always searching for those driven to support local businesses and improve our economy. It’s a critical ingredient that matters to us.”