My latest CV

1. Curriculum Vitae — Desmond Ras
Objective
I am a very ambitious, dedicated, loyal, career driven individual and take pride in my work.
I believe in constantly upskilling myself by learning from my colleagues and peers and also by furthering my
studies external and internal to my current environment.
I have experience in a magnitude of fields including the Sales, Safety and Security Industry, Information
Technology Industry and currently the Financial Banking Industry.
I have been an Entrepreneur since Grade 4 already and established my own IT business in Grade 10 (1999).
I am a quick learner, team player and I believe that I have obtained the necessary skills in my career thus far
to master and bridge any opportunity that arises and constantly learn every day as I go along.
I believe that I perform best as being a Specialist, but that I will be able to manage people and a team if the
opportunity arises as well.
I am always up for a challenge and always willing to take my career to the next level and work very hard to
achieve this and will be an asset to you and your organisation.
I am happily no longer married, willing to relocate if required and available within 1 calendar month for notice
(unless negotiated otherwise with my current employer).
Current Business Address—Lion Match Office Park, 892 Umgeni Road, Durban, 4001
Current Home Address — 9 Clairmont Court, 67 Clark Road, Glenwood, Durban, KZN, 4001
Current Postal Address — 9 Clairmont Court, 67 Clark Road, Glenwood, Durban, KZN, 4001
E-mail Address At Work – desmond.ras@absa.africa
Personal E-mail Address – desmond.ras30@gmail.com
Current Work Phone: +2780 022 7592 option 4 or +2731 324 2360
Current Work Fax: +2786 584 8498
Current Personal Mobile: +2784 517 4410

2. Curriculum Vitae — Desmond Ras
Education
Accepted for 2018 Intake (in progress) —NQF7—BComm General, Milpark Business School
Completed 06-2018 —NQF 6—Advanced Certificate in Banking Services, Milpark Business School
Completed 11-2015, First Level Regulatory Examination: Representatives, Moonstone Durban
Completed 12-2010, NQF5—National Certificate FAIS Services Advice, Milpark Business School (Correspondence)
Completed 12-2008, National Diploma Payroll Administration, Payroll Education PTY LTD (Correspondence & Classes)
Completed 12-2006, National Certificate Payroll Administration, Payroll Education PTY LTD (Correspondence & Classes)
Completed 12-2002, Various MS Office (Excel, Word, Powerpoint, Outlook, Publisher Courses, Various Institutions
Completed 12-2002, A+ & MCSE Courses (Personal Upskilling at own pace) - no formal examinations, Various Institutions
Completed 12-2001, National Senior (Matric) Certificate, Port Natal Skool (Fulltime Attendance)
Awards, Fellowships, Grants
11/2017 – Stewardship – Global Value Recognition Award – Absa Group
03/2012 – Silver Winner – The One Group Chief Executive Award – Absa Group
02/2012 – Bronze Finalist – The One Group Chief Executive Award – Absa Group
07/2011 – Ruby Club – Colour Award – Absa Trade Centre KZN
04/2011 – Collections Hero – Gold Award – Absa Trade Centres RSA
05/2010 – Super Hero of the Month – Absa Trade Centre RSA
08/2009 – Employee of the Month Absa Trade Centre KZN
08/2008 – Member of Winning Choir – Absa Simunye KZN Choir – ABSA Annual Internal Choir Festival
06/2008 – Bronze Prestige Award – Outstanding Performance Employee – AVAF BPC KZN
10/2001 – 100 % School Attendance (Grade 1 to Grade 12) – Port Natal Skool, Durban
08/2001 – Richardsbay Minerals / Mercury Highroads Award for Business – UKZN, Durban
06/2001 – Sanlam Future Business Leaders Award – Graham’s town, Eastern Cape
01/2001 – Prefect – Port Natal Skool, Durban
08/2000 – Honored Colours for Entrepreneurship – Port Natal Skool, Durban
06/2000 – Absa Top Entrepreneur Business Award – Sandton, Johannesburg
12/1996 – Head Media Prefect – Louis Leipoldt Laerskool, Centurion

3. Curriculum Vitae — Desmond Ras
Positions Held
01/2018 to Current, Virtual Enterprise Banker
Absa Group (Absa Bank) Virtual Channels, Business Centre KZN
Roles and Responsibilities Currently
Virtual Business Banker for SME clients with turnovers up to R 10 Million or sometimes even more within Kwazulu Natal and
Mpumalanga Region serving clients telephonically, via e-mail and other technological means:
Production
 Cross selling of Non Interest Revenue Products such as Merchant Machines, E-commerce, Internet Banking
Products, Insurance Products, Cash Products, International Banking, Debit Order Systems etc.
 Selling of Liability Products such as Investments and new credit balances and guarantees
 Selling of Asset Products such as overdrafts, term loans, commercial asset finance, commercial property finance,
enterprise development funding etc.
 Acquisition of new cheque and savings accounts for businesses of all types.
 Making sure no accounts are unmanaged.
 Making sure existing clients are retained
 Making Inbound Sales Calls and Converting Incoming Calls into Sales and Leads
 Collaboration with other business units e.g. Retail, Private Bank, Wealth etc. to holistically solution the client beyond
a business perspective. It’s all about going the extra mile.
Risk Management – Compliance
 Maintaining a very high First Time Pass Rate in terms of onboarding of clients, maintaining of clients and products
sent for processing
 Compliance projects and Financial Intelligence Centre Listings to be managed within the expected timelines.
Risk Management – Credit Risk
 Security items to be sent off immediately after receiving and finalising originals and assistance with clearance of
historic outstanding or faulty security items.
 Reviews of credit facilities must be actioned timeously to prevent credit limits from expiring
 High Risk Reviews of Clients to be done in time to prevent clients from being unable to transact
 Large Deposit Listing – making sure that transactions are part of the day to day business of the client.
Customer
 Introduction and Socialisation calls daily
 Contribute to the increase of the Net Promoter Score (client satisfaction)
 Query resolution telephonically or received via e-mail to be dealt with swiftly and client to be kept up to date.
Queries can be from statements to more complex queries which requires investigation and keeping the client up to
date, getting the correct department to solution and following up if resolved with client.
 Customer Complaints to be dealt with within the correct Service Level Agreements
 Notes regarding all interaction with clients to be recorded on the system for continuity purposes.

4. Curriculum Vitae — Desmond Ras
Positions Held
01/2013 to 31/12/2017, Business Administrator
Barclays Africa Group (Absa Bank) Coverage Business Bank Regional Office, KZN
Roles and Responsibilities Currently
Compliance
 Occupational Health & Safety Management – Lead Occupational Health & Safety Representative for Frosterley Park as
well as my remote units in KZN. Formulating of Staff Incident Plans, coordinating teams in my other buildings remotely,
action any hazards noted to be resolved, coordinate IOD process, lead meetings with OHS team, awareness,
coordinating evacuation drills as well as all other requirements as per the OHS Act and the Barclays OHS Framework.
o Commercial Zululand (Lakeview Terrace Richards Bay)
o Commercial Newcastle (Whyte Street, Newcastle)
o Commercial Frosterley Park (Premium, Public Sector, North, Provincial & Regional Office, Investments,
Acquisitions)
o In the absence of my colleagues I assist with Commercial South (Arbourcrossing) & Commercial PMB
(Chatterton Road)
 Business Continuity Management—Planning, Updating, Implementation, Testing and Coordination
o Commercial Zululand (Pongola, Empangeni, Richards Bay)
o Commercial Newcastle (Vryheid, Ladysmith, Newcastle)
o Commercial Frosterley Park (Premium, Public Sector, North, Provincial Office, Regional Office, Investments,
Acquisitions)
o In the absence of my colleagues I also assist with Port Shepstone, Kokstad, Amanzimtoti, Pietermaritzburg
etc.
 Information Security Management – Awareness, Implementation, Spot checks, embedding infrastructure,
attempt leading by example
o Commercial Zululand (Pongola, Empangeni, Richards Bay)
o Commercial Newcastle (Vryheid, Ladysmith, Newcastle)
o Commercial Frosterley Park (Commercial Premium, Public Sector, North)
o In the absence of my colleagues I assist with Port Shepstone, Kokstad, Amanzimtoti, Pietermaritzburg
Provincial Office, Regional Office, Investments and Acquisitions)
Other Duties
 Coordination, Implementation, Training and Monthly Reporting on the following:
o Staff Internal and External Training, Personal Account Trading, Various Mandates for staff, Asset
Registers for all IT and non IT Equipment
Operations and Logistical:
 Facilities Management Coordinator - Holistically liaising with Corporate Real Estate Services (CRES),
External Vendors regarding all aspects of leasing buildings on behalf of Business Bank Coverage KZN
Business Units (Broll Property Management), coordinating repairs, maintenance, installations and projects
(Drake & Scull Facilities Management), all aspects of relocation of Business Bank Coverage KZN Business
Units to and from current building locations inclusive of IT, Telecoms, Infrastructure and
 Equipment. Testing, troubleshooting and repairs of signals prior to internal / external broadcasts with
Global Access (Absa TV / DSTV).
 Information Technology – Various Hardware, System, Application, Mobile and Telecoms Requisitions,
Support and Problem Solving.
 Coordinating and liaising with internal IT Department regionally and nationally as well as with external IT

5. Curriculum Vitae — Desmond Ras
Service Providers i.e. Bytes (PC/Laptop), Bytes (Xerox/HP), Interconnect (Networks) and various others.
 Financial – All aspects of Income Statements, Budgets, Internal and External Recoveries, Payments to
internal and external vendors, Staff Expense Management (Petrol & Overtime Claims, Corporate Credit
Card Claims, Staff Claims, Staff Bursaries), Risk Reporting of Refunds to Clients in line with Basel II on
ORAC / Open pages), Monthly Account Reconciliations
 Projects – Business Bank Coverage KZN projects from development throughout to implementation stage,
Monitoring of issues related to project and facilitate escalation and resolving of same. Link with Absa
Group Marketing with regards to Payment
 Processes, arranging and setting up venues for functions, sponsorships, donations, staff events from
Beginning to end i.e. caterers, payment of vendors, etc. Arrange travel requirements through Barclays
Travel Desk and BCD Travelling for Business Bank Coverage Staff including Regional Management.
Positions Held
04/2009 to 01/2013, Clerk RPA Administration (Compliance & Operations Officer)
Barclays Africa Group (Absa Bank) Central Asset Management—Movable (Trade Centre KZN)
Roles and Responsibilities
Operations
 Liaison between my business unit and CRES, JCI & other vendors regarding operational issues as well as assisting
and upskilling all other Trade Centers Nationally with my National Manager
 National Group IT Liaison and Coordinator for all Trade Centers, Troubleshooting and Resolving of IT issues and
equipment.
 Acquiring of Information Technology assets & administering access requests and registers.
Financial
 Reporting & Analyzing, Reconciling & Administering of Operational Income and Expenditure, Asset Registers, Direct
Income and Expenditure on a regional level and assisting / upskilling on a national level.
 Administration of all aspects ordering of stationary and staff refreshments.
Compliance
 Business Continuity Management Coordinator, Occupational Health and Safety Representative, Information Security
Coordinator, Record Management Representative, Fire Warden for Trade Centre KZN. Assisting and upskilling all
other Trade Centers nationally with my National Manager and RBB Compliance team.
 Liaising and logging of customer compliments and complaints for branch & assisting with client relations.
Other
 Training Coordinator, Management Information Coordinator, Financial
 Assisting and multi-skilling / learning from my other colleagues by booking in Movable assets, FICA and CASA
screening on, before and after Auction days, advertising for branch online on the Internet and Intranet.
 Incentive scheme champion for branch and assisting nationally as well as perform duties as CSI treasurer nationally
for department. Project leader of National Group Sourcing Project & IT Backup Management Project for all Trade
Centers in RSA.

6. Curriculum Vitae — Desmond Ras
Other Positions Held
11/2007 to 03/2009 – Capture Clerk at ABSA Bank Limited (AVAF)
07/2007 to 10/2007 – Temp Data Capturer—at Vision People Management (Absa Vehicle & Asset Finance)
07/2004 to 06/2007 – Administrative Clerk — at Marko Investigations
01/1999 to 06/2004 — Business Owner (Entrepreneur)
References
Hertom Smit, Provincial Manager Business Bank Coverage KZN, 082 446 5238
Mavric Webbstock, Provincial Manager Business Bank Coverage KZN, 076 508 4606
Richard Hawkins, GTIS Absa Regional Manager, 082 454 0980
Helene Olivier, Customer Service Manager Business Bank Coverage KZN, 082 465 6480
Arthi Sookdewo, Area Manager KZN, Virtual Channels, 073 169 8697
Fields of Interest
Sales, Operations, IT, Project Management, Implementation
Languages
Current—Read, Write, Speak—Afrikaans and English
Interests and Activities
Swimming, Cycling, Hiking, Socialising, Travelling, Gymming, Running
Hobbies
Braaing, Karaoke, Singing in Barclays Choir, Renovating My Flat, Movies
Volunteer Experience
Participate in CSI projects at work as well as involved in Kairos Project at my local church
Elected Chairman of the Body Corporate for my block of flats as of October 2017 until 2019
Computer Skills
Upskilled in various external software e.g. MS Office etc
Upskilled in 95% of internal Absa / Barclays internal software from AVAF, Collections and Business Bank.
Licenses and Certificates
Current Valid South African Passport
Current Code 08 License with no restrictions