Opposites impact

Mel Jacobs and Rosa Henriques have been working side by side at ABN AMRO for more than a decade. RightBrains sat down with them to unpack why it’s an exciting time to be a female leader in the banking industry.

Mel Jacobs, CIO: Private Bank and Corporate Institutional Banking at ABN AMRO is enthusiastic about living in a time where many forecasts and projections about the future of banking is actually coming to fruition. She has witnessedsome monumental shifts in terms of digitisation within banking during the course of her career, and can attest to the fact that we are now living in an era where technology has become the driving force behind the entire industry. To consumers, the modern bank is digital and mobile, which means that they no longer have to visit physical branches and speak to people in order to conduct their personal banking. To Mel, a digitised industry signifies much more. “Today, technology hold the promise of navigating financial systems to benefit the planet and society as a whole, and it yields power to impact the world positively.” Rosa Henriques, Chief Information Officer COO & Functions at ABN AMRO, also feels comfortable in an increasingly digitised banking industry that is posing industry-wide opportunities and challenges. As someone who has always been data-driven, she finds it exhilarating to be asking the right questions and developing the right solutions to be at the helm of this digital transformation. It’s a tough and fast-moving world to navigate, but one with high rewards. She articulates: “I’m excited to be in a designation within an industry where I can help make a difference to people within my organisation and for consumers who rely on us - and during a time where that contribution can be supported by my peers regardless of my gender.”  

Making the mindshift  

Mel is conscious of the fact that female tech leaders are in a unique position to help build up other women within their organisations, and beyond. When she was younger, she was struck by how women who had ‘arrived’ professionally seemed to be perfect in every way, which led to some self-limiting beliefs. Today she values authenticity and applauds women who share their vulnerabilities, because she believes that younger women can benefit from the assurance that everything will be OK when they bring themselves, exactly as they are. “I believe that every woman has it in her to reach great heights, and hope that all women make a point of verbally encouraging others and helping them gain confidence so that they believe it for themselves.” Over the course of her career, Rosa has had some conflicting thoughts about what it means to be a woman in traditionally male-dominated industries. Initially, she was of the opinion that there were no differences between genders, but with time she has learned that each person brings certain strengths to the table. Personally, she now feels that there does exist some broad differences between how genders think and perceive the world, which can help maximise productivity once it is acknowledged and leveraged. Rosa came to this realisation later on in her career, through the support of female peers like Mel – and she is proud to have made that mindshift.

A dynamic duo 

 Rosa and Mel have been navigating many of the industry-wide changes together during their time at ABN AMRO, and they speak very highly of their ongoing collaboration as two female IT leaders in a large bank. Mel says: “I’m constantly inspired by Rosa’s intelligence, and how she applies her mind in the process of problem-solving. And despite her data-driven approach and intellect, she is without ego and incredibly humble. It’s powerful to have colleagues that you can trust completely, and I’m proud to say that I have that in Rosa.” When reflecting about why she is happy to be working with Mel specifically, Rosa laughs. “Mel and I are polar opposites, but we complement each other. My first instinct is to look at the data and the numbers. Mel taps more into her emotions and her gut feeling in the decision-making process,” she explains. “Mel is widely praised for her ability to build strong and diverse teams, and I really admire the output and results she delivers accordingly.” Rosa also notes that Mel was an early adopter of the idea that you can serve others and society in your corporate position and help others progress their careers. “I have learned a lot – and there still is much more to learn from her.”

This article was originally published in the RightBrains DIGIDIVA Magazine. Check out this year's issue for more inspiration!