Reaching and exceeding desired outcomes

Thandi Kaukungwa was born in Lüderitz and moved to Oranjemund at the age of six. She attended primary school at Oranjemund Private School and completed high school at Delta Secondary School in Windhoek. Thereafter, she graduated from the University of Namibia (Unam) in 2012 after obtaining an honours degree in economics.

Kaukungwa started her career at First National Bank (FNB) in 2011 and joined Alexforbes in 2016. She was previously employed by Capricorn Asset Management for two years, before returning to Alexforbes in 2020.

Her new scope of work entails supporting new business initiatives and managing corporate client relationships. “I assess investment products and assist institutional investors with performance feedback, investment strategies and updates. I also provide investment-related solutions to retirement funds,” she said.

Being motivated by what she saw as an opportunity for her to play a more integral role in the growth of the company through strategic solutions, she applied for the position and would like to grow in investment consulting to build solid business relationships.

Kaukungwa’s day-to-day workload includes monitoring portfolio solutions and identifying new business leads, drafting proposals, assisting with investment report backs and managing client relationships. Additionally, she is responsible for daily general research related to investments and keeping abreast with market movements. “I expected this, I was ready!” she said.

Sharing some accomplishments and challenges encountered in her career journey, Kaukungwa said the biggest challenge has been navigating her way through the financial space and climbing out of her comfort zone in order to carve a niche for herself in this industry. Another challenging aspect of her job is generating new business in the midst of an ever-changing, unpredictable market environment.

“These challenges turned out to be my accomplishments because everything I have learnt over the years has helped me build a strong foundation and I’ve been able to prove to myself and others that diligence and perseverance are a recipe for success.”

In her new role, she would like to bring a unique dynamic and a fresh perspective that will add value in building and sustaining stronger client relationships. “I consider success to be not only reaching, but exceeding these desired outcomes,” she added.

Newly appointed to her role, she would like to bring a unique dynamic and a fresh perspective that will add value in building and sustaining stronger client relationships.

Furthermore, Kaukungwa aims to grow her expertise and be in a position that allows her to use her voice to make a difference. She advises the youth to have a plan and not get discouraged when things don’t go accordingly at first, but to focus on the end goal.