In this series, we celebrate the employees that make Grindrod Bank a success. Through the stories of our people you will come to know us, a company that values diversity, encourages inclusivity, and above all inspires individuals and teams to succeed. This is Herman’s story.

 

Our Head of Internal Audit, Herman Muller, shares what a typical day at work entails and what inspires him to always be his best at the workplace:

 

“A typical day in my life consists of a lot of interaction with people, through meetings. They could either be internal with my team or board committee meetings. My top priority each year is to successfully complete the annual internal audit plan.

 

The people I work with inspire me to always be at my best. These are the people that look up to me for advice and, I also seek their advice. But my biggest inspiration is to ensure that we deliver value to the bank through our audits and that we contribute to Grindrod Bank’s overall success.”

 

Herman shares who inspires him in the industry:

 

“There are too many people to mention. Over my career of more than 20 years, I came across several inspirational people and cherish the advice I received from each of them.”

 

Herman’s thoughts about gender equality in the workplace and flexible work policies such as parental leave and remote working:

 

“We are all equal, male and female. We can work together and acknowledge our differences. Both parties bring a different dimension to problem-solving and business issues, all of which are useful to run a business successfully.

 

I am all for flexible work policies. Covid-19 has made me realise that we can work from anywhere at any time and still be as productive, if not more.”

 

Having employees that are happy and loyal to an organisation is essential to an organisation’s success. Herman’s message on how to keep employees happy and loyal:

 

“A simple ‘thank you’ goes a long way. Having an open, honest, and transparent communication works well and ensures there is no misalignment between staff and management. It is also wise to listen to your staff – you might learn something from them!”

 

Walt Disney once said, “If you can dream it, you can do it.” Herman has had a great career and shares some of his highlights:

 

“What stands out for me will have to be my tenure as Associate Director at PwC. I got involved in several strategic projects for the firm in Africa and learnt a lot from it. I also learnt immensely from my time, as Head of Audit Retail and Business Banking for Nedbank.”

 

Maintaining a work-life balance and dealing with stress is a challenge most people are trying to conquer. Herman shares what he likes to do to de-stress and maintain a work-life balance:

“In my position, I need to be available most of the time. But I have learnt to create boundaries and be strict with my time. I force myself to not look at emails after hours.

 

I love spending time with my family and ensure that on weekends we arrange fun activities and go on vacation at least once a year. I also love gardening and maintaining a healthy lifestyle. I am a gym/ fitness fanatic. I used to compete in the muscle men’s physique bodybuilding category, but I stopped competing two years ago.

 

If I had not found myself working in the Auditing industry, I would have either been a medical doctor, architect or professional athlete.”