NBS Bank’s Chief Operating Officer, Shadrick Chikusilo
* As it launches the second cohort of Stellenbosch Management Development Training Programme which is aimed at equipping its employees with managerial finance and career development skills
* The introduction of the programme, which covers a period of six months is great milestone as it is part of investment which seeks to build reliable leaders who can make the bank to continue growing
By Victor Singano Jnr. & Duncan Mlanjira
One of the leading commercial banks in Malawi, NBS Bank, has challenged its employees to seriously embrace the management skills and adopt the spirit that can help them to fully focus on transforming the institution and build themselves as exceptional leaders.
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Chief Operating Officer, Shadrick Chikusilo made the remarks in Blantyre during the official launch of the NBS Bank’s second cohort of Stellenbosch Management Development Training Programme, which is aimed at equipping its employees with managerial finance and career development skills.
Chikusilo highlighted that the introduction of the programme, which covers a period of six months, is great milestone as it is part of investment which seeks to build reliable leaders who can make the bank to continue growing.
“As a bank, we believe in having skilful members of staff at our institution hence took a deliberate step to invest in our people with schools that can shape them and help us to create a future proof, leadership pipeline for the growth of our business.
“The partnership we have with Stellenbosch, which is a top business schools, has brought a significant changes and values hence thought it wise to provide another opportunity to other employees in order for them to acquire the much needed knowledge by exposing them also to the global trends of management which at the end will take us where we want to go as a banking institution,” he said.
This second cohort of the management development training is expected to bring together 29 participants in which 26 of them have been selected from NBS Bank while others have been drawn from the bank’s subsidiaries, which include NICO General Insurance and NICO Asset Managers.
In her remarks, NBS Bank Chief Executive Officer (CEO),Temwani Simwaka, described the occasion as an important milestone in its leadership development journey and reflects its commitment to investing in one of its most valuable assets — people.
“As organisations navigate an increasingly dynamic and complex environment, the demands placed on leaders continue to evolve,” said Simwaka. “The challenges we face today are different from those we faced five years ago, and they will certainly not be the same five years from now.
“In such an environment, sustainable success requires more than technical expertise. It requires leaders who can think strategically, lead through uncertainty, inspire high-performing teams, and make decisions that create long-term value.”
“That is precisely why this programme matters,” said the CEO, who unveiled that the Bank is investing in leadership development as it firmly believes that NBS’ future will be determined not only by the strategies it develops, but by the leaders who execute them.
“Buildings do not lead organisations; technology does not lead organisations; processes do not lead organisations — people do. And exceptional organisations are built by exceptional leaders.
“The Management Development Programme is, therefore, not simply a training intervention — it is a deliberate investment in strengthening our leadership pipeline and preparing our managers to lead the next phase of growth for the Bank.
“We want leaders who are capable of navigating complexity, driving innovation, building strong teams, delivering exceptional customer experiences, and creating sustainable business results.
“Most importantly, we want leaders who understand that leadership is not about authority, it is about influence, accountability, service, and impact.”
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She urged the participants to use the opportunity to reflect on their leadership style, strengthen their strategic thinking, and develop the capabilities that will enable them to create greater impact within their teams and across the organisation.
“As a Bank, we remain committed to creating opportunities for growth and development at every level of the organisation. The launch of this programme demonstrates our belief that leadership development is not an expense — it is an investment.
“An investment in our people; an investment in our culture; an investment in our future. Through initiatives such as this, we are intentionally building a strong and sustainable leadership pipeline that will support the Bank’s long-term ambitions.
“The future will belong to organisations that continuously learn, adapt, and develop leaders who can turn challenges into opportunities. At NBS Bank, we are committed to building those leaders.”
She concluded by quoting a statement of renowned management thinker Harvey S. Firestone, who said; “The growth and development of people is the highest calling of leadership.”
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