Dr Sizwe Gwala is currently employed as head of data governance for ABSA Group Compliance. He is tasked with setting up and presiding over the data governance function to drive a data-centric compliance team.He joined from Alexander Forbes where he headed up the group data governance function. Gwala was tasked with embedding data governance best practices enterprise-wide, focused on data stewardship; data quality management; and data cataloguing, in support of strategic goals and objectives.He was previously with Absa, initially as a specialist responsible for information risk management and fraud management components within the CIB payments space. He then joined the data team as lead data manager entrusted with leading data management initiatives projects for regulatory reporting requirements with high priority regulations being the RDARR/BCBS239, IFRS9 and POPIA, to name a few. Gwala also served within the South African State Security Agency, firstly as an information security advisorand then a senior information analyst to national governance departments in state-owned entities. He initially served within the SA borders and was later given custodianship over SA embassies in the Latin American Region (Argentina, Brazil, Peru, Uruguay, Venezuela). He holds five degrees, with the highest being a PhD focused on IT & cyber security governance. He also possesses professional certificates in the following: CoBIT 2019 Foundation, IT & Data Protection Certificate, Project Management Certificate, Security Manager’s Certificate and Cyber Intelligence Collection.