Aiming for the top!

Meet Tupochere Jean Mbilizi, who at 29 seems to have figured out what she wants in life. As systems development and projects manager of Malawi Savings Bank, she hopes for nothing but the best in life. In this interview with Paida Mpaso, she shares her dreams and aspirations.

What does your name mean?

Tupochere is Yao for “we have received”. Jean is my late grandmother’s name and holds a high level of significance for me as I hear she was an amazing woman. Whenever I mention that my name is Jean to people who know my family, they immediately think of my late grandmother.  

Where did you grow up? I

have spent my life in three different places. In the 80s, we lived in Canada, right up until the end of 1989. Two of my sisters were born there. We then came back to Malawi and spent the 90s here in Lilongwe mostly and then moved to Blantyre in 2000. In 2001, I moved to Cape Town. I came back to Malawi last year.  

You are the systems development and projects manager at Malawi Savings Bank, how did you rise to that position?

The position came a lot sooner than I envisioned, but it is everything that I have been working towards for the past two years. I was working as an IT business analyst at the time that I saw the job advertised in the paper. The job description seemed very challenging as it combined two areas of IT – systems development and projects. I applied… I was shortlisted and called for two rounds of interviews. When I was officially offered the job, I thought it was crazy and so unexpected.

What challenges have you had to overcome to get to where you are today?

Attaining my degree took longer than I had initially expected. I had started off in a field which was wrong for me and I was not happy pursuing it. So, I changed and that kicked me back a year. I also had to take another year off school for personal reasons. So essentially, I lost two years off my educational plan. I was completely deterred from my path and had no idea how I was going to recover. When I got the chance to go back to school, I made the best of it. I graduated with credit in both my degrees in 2006 for my undergraduate and again in 2007 for my postgraduate. My greatest educational achievement came as being part of a five-member team for my honours project in 2007, which was top IS Honours project in SA in that year. It went on to represent SA in Paris at the Microsoft Imagine Cup where it won another award and a few months later, the project was being presented by some of my team members to Microsoft management at their head office in Silicon Valley in the US.

Why did you choose IT as a career?

When I was applying for my tertiary studies, IT appealed to me as a SECOND choice because it was a relatively young field, it seemed challenging and very practical too. When my first option didn’t work out, I figured that IT must’ve chosen me too.  

What does your job entail?

Systems development is a highly innovative and controlled area. This is where new systems, applications or functionalities are created and maintained. My job is to ensure that from conception, delivery to support, we are running a highly effective process and giving customers and users of these systems what they require. Essentially, it is about meeting their requirements. And in order to deliver on these requirements, I implement procedures and systems development methodologies which ensure efficiency of the entire process or processes. As it is highly innovative, I also need to recognise where there are gaps in the current systems and come up with ways to improve or change. MSB ICT has a large project portfolio which I also play a role in coordinating.  

How many people are you in charge of in your department?

My systems development team consists of three guys. Projects encompasses the whole ICT department.

What has your most challenging job/project been thus far?

After my first year of work as a software developer, I decided that I wanted to move into business analysis. So, I took the initiative and asked my former employer to give me that responsibility. The company never had a BA before, so I had to document each and every requirement, system, application, design, you name it over a period of 10 years. I had to work backwards. It was an enormous amount of analysing and documenting and at the same time proving myself to management.

Have you always been ambitious? Yes, I have. My aim is to be at the very top in my field. Banking is the industry that I wanted to be in long before I graduated. I didn’t know how I’d get there, but I knew that I would work hard to.  

What qualities do you need for your job?

I look at my job as having three different elements. There is systems development which requires a solid background and foundation in software development. You also need to be analytical to analyse and provide alternative solutions to the current situation or to recommend new systems. People management means being a good listener and communicator. For the project management element, it is important to always monitor, follow up, communicate and document each and every step that is taken.  

What are your future plans?

Currently, I am making a home for myself in Malawi and at MSB because it is exactly the kind of place that I have always wanted to work in. I identify with all of their core values. And I intend to stay on as long as possible. I intend to go back to school for a double master’s, an MS-MBA. In the near future, I’d like to pursue avenues of mentoring younger girls in the field of IT. I think it’s important that more females become a part of IT at all levels. My aim is to see the IT playing field being evened out between males and females. This desire along with the fact that MSB is an excellent institution which promotes women empowerment and is dedicated to their corporate social responsibility, it’s a winning  combination I believe. In my position at MSB, I’d like to raise the ICT vision to improve service delivery through technology advancement. MSB has a very talented ICT team who are innovative and always looking for ways to improve ICT processes. I want to play a key role in making MSB’s ICT department the first to implement innovative technologies and raising the bank’s profile as a leading service provider. I am in a relationship right now and marriage is definitely something I hope to have one day, as well as children. Those are important to me.  

What role have your parents/guardians played in your life?

My parents have always provided me with different views on life which have been so important in keeping me grounded. They are first to support and guide me when I need it and even when I don’t. They are my voice of reason and as much as they are my parents, I consider them to be my friends and role models. My dad brings out the more masculine side of me. It isn’t easy to be female in a leadership position without having tough skin and without having some level of aggression and drive. Both he and my stepmum taught me that and the need to continue pursuing a career, making financially sound and investment decisions, further education, planning ahead. My mum, on the other hand, brings out my femininity and spirituality. I credit my relationship with God to what I have seen and learnt from my mother. She gives the greatest advice ever.

Where else have you worked before joining MSB?

Prior to MSB, I worked at MALSWITCH for a year in the Lilongwe Branch as an IT business analyst. That was from June 2010 to June 2011. Before MALSWITCH, I was employed as a software developer then business analyst/project manager at eCentric Switch in Cape Town, South Africa from January 2008 to May 2010  

What values would you want your children to inherit from you?

I’d want my future children to know the difference between right and wrong. I want them to be generous and give without expecting anything in return, but not allow themselves to be taken advantage of. I’d want them to establish a relationship with God from as early as possible. As my parents have taught me ambition, I would do the same. Education is so important. I come from a very close-knit family and the importance of family is something they’d experience from day one.  

How do you relax?

Usually with some food and good movies on a weekend. Or being somewhere that is very chilled and quiet with great scenery. Beautiful scenery is always relaxing. Most of my girlfriends live in Lilongwe, so seeing them whenever I can is always really good.  

What’s your motto?

Learn from yesterday, live for today and hope for tomorrow.      

Positioning Tupo ·

• She is the first born in a family of four girls and two boys
• She went to Bishop Mackenzie for primary education.
• She did her O levels and A levels at Kamuzu Academy.
• Attained an undergraduate and Honour’s degree in Bachelor of Commerce in Information Systems from the University of Cape Town