'About Inez Patel
About
Inez Patel
Experience Design Director
Absa Personal and Private Banking
Inez Patel is a purpose-driven design leader with over a decade of experience in UX, product strategy, and inclusive innovation across the financial services industry.
Currently serving as Experience Design Director at Absa Personal and Private Banking, Inez leads the design of the Absa Banking App—and oversees design for Absa Rewards, Savings & Investments, and Digital Value-Added Services.
Inez is also the co-founder and CEO of She Can Do and a Director of Girls Invent Tomorrow. Her contributions and impact on South Africa have earned her recognition as one of Wired4Women's 100 Influential Women in Tech in 2026, News24’s Top 30 Young Mandelas of 2025 and a Mail & Guardian 200 Young South Africans honouree.
Talk topic
Being revealed soon
Partnership, not Plug-and-Play: Turning Global Tech into Local Relevance
Nelri will share lessons from Absa’s Salesforce rollout—how global platforms arrive with built-in assumptions and how rushing to customise can backfire. Nelri explores how planning for culture, adoption, and learning enables strategic speed, showing that true local relevance comes from understanding the product first and adapting with intent.
