Emerging Old Rhodian Award:
David Abbey is widely recognised in the banking and financial services industry for his high intellectual and execution capability, sound business acumen and commercial shrewdness.
A recipient of various accolades and highest honours throughout his schooling career, he graduated from Rhodes in 2007 with a Bachelor of Commerce. He is a qualified Chartered Accountant, who qualified concurrently as a Certified Information Systems Auditor (a global qualification recognised as the highest qualification for Information Technology and Information Systems professionals).
He is a Senior Banker and Transactor in the Acquisition and Leveraged Finance Division at Rand Merchant Bank, Corporate and Investment Bank. Instrumental in the formation of various industry-wide initiatives, he received the coveted Rand Merchant Bank Special Service Distinction Award.
He joined RMB from PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) where he worked as an Audit manager and also as a Senior Associate at PwC Boston. He achieved the highest ratings at the PwC Advisory and Banking Practices serving as Vice-Chairperson of the PwC Investment Banking specialist group before being headhunted by Rand Merchant Bank.
There he helped establish the Finance Target Operating Model and after just seven months he became the youngest strategist and Executive Assistant to the Chief Financial Officer.
Furthermore, David was selected to take part in FirstRand’s Executive Leadership programme in which he graduated with top honours and received a special distinction at his graduation from his peers and lecturers as the most likely to become CEO of the FirstRand Group.
In keeping with his passion for education, David ran the Banking and Capital Markets Financial Instruments Programme, where he guest lectured on Investment Banking, Financial Instruments, Industry and technical developments to four of the top universities in the country, Rhodes being the first.
He joined the Association of Black Accountants in Southern Africa in 2009, he is a member of the Education Committee and is a member of the Johannesburg branch board of the organisation as well as chair of the database and communications committee. He is the public relations officer of an online motoring publication, DriveRSA and is also a motoring journalist.
David Abbey is highly deserving of an Emerging Old Rhodian Award as he explicitly demonstrates how to be a true leader and living up to the slogan “Where Leaders Learn.”