Bernard de Klerk

Tasked with the discovery and upliftment of the Snowy Hydro legacy application landscape, the
project aimed to fundamentally transform how software is built, delivered, and maintained. This challenge was
particularly significant, it was also required not only addressing technological limitations but also driving
organisational change to enhance in order to deliver on value requirements operational efficiency, improve
customer satisfaction, and optimise revenue generation.

Role and achievements: In his capacity as a Solutions Architect, Bernard is tasked with analysing business requirements and translating them into actionable solutions that meet business needs. He produces various design proposals in line with strategic objectives and facilitates their translation into functional and technical agile delivery backlogs. Bernard guides and supports the development lifecycle for end-to-end delivery, ensuring successful implementation of solutions. His significant achievements include uplifting elements of the SHL energy market trading platform and forecast modelling for the Snowy Scheme. Notably, Bernard led the implementation of serverless/managed technologies, alongside the transformation of both application and infrastructure with automated delivery pipelines, enhancing both organisational and technical efficiency.

Leading a team in the architecture, development, and implementation of a ground-breaking blockchain ecosystem for Standard Bank and its African subsidiaries, Bernard's main challenge was to revolutionise banking operations by integrating blockchain technology. This initiative aimed to enhance security, transparency, and efficiency in cross border transactions, addressing critical issues in the banking industry and positioning Standard Bank as an industry leader in innovation and customer service.

Role and achievements: In his role as the project lead, Bernard was pioneering the design and architecture of the solution, ensuring alignment with business objectives and national regulatory requirements. He played a pivotal role in the development of essential components as well as the establishment of cloud infrastructure and continuous delivery mechanisms for optimising the product lifecycle. He effectively managed the development team and fostered collaboration with business stakeholders and regulators, ensuring integration and compliance in alignment with organisational goals.

Leading the development and implementation of a Financial control framework for Standard Bank
and its African subsidiaries across 17 countries presented a significant challenge in streamlining and
consolidating disparate data sources from various front, middle office, trading, and accounting systems. This
initiative aimed to provide dynamic business intelligence insights for evolving business reporting and decision-
making, thereby enhancing operational efficiency and facilitating informed strategic decisions across the
organization.

Role and achievements: In his role as Software Architect and Development Team Lead, he drove the creation
and maintenance of the infrastructure, including the establishment of automated delivery and maintenance
pipelines. Bernard played a pivotal role in product design and development, overseeing data processing and
warehousing to ensure seamless integration of all financial processes. Additionally, he led the establishment
and development of business intelligence and reporting capabilities, providing the bank with a unified tool for
all its financial capabilities. These efforts contributed to the successful implementation of the Financial control
framework, enabling Standard Bank to effectively manage daily Profit & Loss (PnL), reconciliation, and financial
workflow control processes, ultimately enhancing operational efficiency, transparency and decision-making
capabilities across Corporate & Investment Banking businesses.

• As a member of an international team, Bernard contributed to the implementation of a message bridge connecting internal and external communication channels for Standard Bank
• This involved transforming SWIFT messages into internal distributable messages that could be consumed by the bank's internal systems.

Initially part of an international team tasked with developing a balance sheet, reconciliation, and
substantiation tool for Finance business units within Corporate and Investment Banking, the project evolved
over multiple years into a transformative financial control framework. The challenge lay in creating a
comprehensive solution that not only streamlined financial processes but also fostered innovation and
adaptability to meet evolving business needs.

Role and achievements: As one of the core developers, his role was instrumental in establishing the product
infrastructure and product and application development. Bernard was responsible for designing and
implementing data warehousing solutions and integrating business reporting functionalities into the tool.
Additionally, he played a key role in automating delivery pipelines, enhancing efficiency, and reducing
maintenance overhead. These contributions significantly contributed to the successful transformation of the
project into a robust financial control framework, empowering Finance business units to make informed
decisions and drive operational excellence.

• Responsible for the architecture and development of a test simulation engine at MTN ,Africa's largest mobile communications company.

• Bernard was part of a team focused on developing and enhancing, internet banking platform, making Nedbank a key player amongst South Africa's top four banks
• Additionally, he was part of a team entrusted with crafting a sophisticated trading platform for Standard Chartered in the UK
• His responsibilities also encompassed the development and implementation of diverse web applications and databases for a Media publishing house
• This included designing and developing public-facing high-load internet applications.

• His role primarily involved SQL development and system testing
• The technical nature of this role led him down the path of system test automation
• Furthermore, he analysed system, technical, and business specifications to ensure alignment with project objectives.