Absa’s group chief human capital officer Jeanett Modise began her career by holding lives in her hands at the bedside of patients while working as a professional nurse and midwife, where she honed a people-centred, high-accountability approach and carried the responsibility of patient wellbeing. Today she holds organisations together, and applies those same strengths to executive leadership, guiding organisations with insight and grace.
A mother of two and 2025 CHRO of the Year, Jeanett doesn’t just lead human capital at Absa – she stewards it, drawing on the clinical rigour of her early career as a professional nurse and the strategic foresight of a seasoned enterprise leader.
“My senior leaders didn’t know I was studying BCom, business management part-time while working long hours as a professional nurse in the emergency unit of a public hospital, until I resigned to focus on my final exams. This was a deliberate decision to ensure that I complete my studies and start exploring relevant career opportunities. So, to put my foot in the door, I took an HR officer role, and that became the starting point of my career as a human resource professional,” she explains.
“The move drew some surprise, as many focused on my background as a professional nurse and midwife and viewed the new role as purely administrative. Some even questioned whether I was stepping backwards. But for me it was not about status, I understood at an early stage that career growth is not always linear. It was a strategic move to build the momentum I needed to accelerate my career and I have never looked back.”
For Jeanett, the shift was not a departure from her roots but an evolution of them. The capabilities she developed in nursing proved remarkably transferable, from working closely with people, to cultivating a deeply human-centred leadership approach grounded in genuine care. Transparency was equally essential.
As she notes, nursing teaches you to communicate with clarity and transparency. Even in challenging moments that were a regular occurrence in the emergency unit, the courage to make decisions quickly, to call a spade a spade and not a gardening tool was critical to save lives. That same principle underpins effective leadership in business for her: putting people at the centre while being authentic, transparent and decisive.
Taking calculated risks
Jeanett’s career has been punctuated by moments of immense bravery. “I’ve always been hungry for learning and contributing. Although I did not have all the answers, I took calculated risks about my career, always backed by a plan. If I had stayed in my comfort zone, I would never have progressed to have a fulfilling career,” she says.
Her first executive role was as a deputy director-general in the department of public service and administration where she was responsible for HR strategy, policy and frameworks as well as advising the then director general and minister on the people agenda. The weight of this responsibility landed when she realised the magnitude and reach of the role. As one of her mentors John Maxwell said, “everything rises and falls on leadership”.
“I realised that every decision I make as a leader in a role like that, every policy, every guideline and every framework, touched 2.1 million public servants then. It was initially daunting, but I gave it my all and reminded myself that there was a reason I was chosen for the role. I surrounded myself with the right people, built my personal board of advisors including mentors, coaches and a great team.”
Fear never weighed her down, instead she saw the role as an opportunity and privilege to make a difference. During this tenure, she worked closely with her team in developing the HR strategy and introduced new initiatives like performance management, leadership competencies, learning and development strategies and financial disclosure frameworks that remain staples of the public sector today. “From this role, I sharpened some key capabilities like collaboration, stakeholder management and leadership including how to lead through influence, working in a large matrix ecosystem” she says.
An avid property investor, Jeanett has bought, renovated and sold residential properties, and has completed a few turnkey developments from scratch. She loves the interiors, landscaping and creating spaces that feel intentional. That instinct to strip things back, rebuild and reimagine, mirrors how she approaches leadership. “Almost all my roles involved turnaround and transformation in addition to innovation and digital transformation while building and sustaining great places to work in partnership with the HR and C-suite teams I worked with.”
All about personal and leadership longevity
That same care and patience extend inwards. Behind the executive title is someone fiercely protective of her own wellbeing and sustainability. “It’s important to differentiate good work ethic from workaholism. There was a time when I had four to five hours of sleep, and over a prolonged period, one eventually ends up exhausted. Like most leaders I learnt under pressure, that I cannot pour from an empty cup,” she says.
“I am now a longevity enthusiast and an active member of the Longevity Lounge, deeply passionate about the eight pillars of longevity. Sleep has become a priority and this year, the shift is deliberate,” she adds.
Her focus on longevity mirrors how she approaches her work and business. Just as she carefully chooses where to invest her time, she helps leaders to navigate their careers, achieve their personal and professional goals.
Jeanett is a creative and adaptable lifelong learner with experience of elegantly navigating changes in business dynamics, careers and life transitions. She also appreciates the value of investing in her own learning and growth to stay relevant and be able to add value in people and organisations. Jeanett holds an M.Phil in management coaching (Stellenbosch Business School); an MBL, BCom in business management and MDP (Unisa); (SEP) senior executive programme (Harvard); as well as an advanced management programme (Insead). Jeanett is also a certified John Maxwell Leadership Coach.
She is passionate about digital transformation, data and technology, and is actively developing herself and using AI to create value in her personal life, business and society. “In addition, I am also prioritising work life integration, to appreciate, celebrate more and be in the moment.” she says.
Enterprise leadership
Jeanett has never seen herself only as an HR professional but rather as an enterprise leader, with people at the centre. She is a senior executive with extensive experience of driving HR strategy, talent management, business and digital transformation as well as operational execution across diverse markets in local and global organisations, within the financial, technology, and mining sectors.
Some of her former HR executive roles include HR director for SAP Africa; VP HR AngloGold Ashanti; executive head HR, procurement & corporate services at the industrial development corporation SA; executive general manager HR at Mutual & Federal; head of HR Hewlett Packard SA; general manager HR. Prior to joining Absa she was the group HR director for Sanlam where she joined as the executive head for people and transformation for Santam and subsequently the chief HR officer for Sanlam Investments Group before moving to the group HR director role.
Jeanett has worked with C-suite executives and boards for more than three decades. She is currently director on the Gartner Global CHRO leadership board which plays a leading role in the strategic guidance, evolution of the CHRO role and the HR profession globally. She also served as executive director and member of the social ethics and sustainability committee on the board of JSE-listed Sanlam Limited and Sanlam Life. Jeanett also served as non-executive director (NED) and chair of board HR & remuneration committee in mining, manufacturing and insurance companies.
Heartbeat of transformation
Jeanett is an innovative problem-solver, strategic decision-maker, and strong communicator. She is results-driven, with a proven ability to efficiently prioritise and lead multiple strategic initiatives in fast-changing business environments. A strong team builder and collaborator with the ability to lead organisational culture, change and transformation in dynamic, customer-focused, growth businesses where the attraction, retention, and development of top talent is one of the key business drivers. Jeanett has led multidisciplinary teams including procurement, facilities management, corporate services, business continuity, culture, transformation, as well as the Covid-19 pandemic management at enterprise level across 35 countries and 40,000 people.
“People are at the heart of what I do because through my various roles I have been focused on creating value in businesses for people and through people,” she says.
This was the same when she joined Absa in 2023 as she didn’t just support the business, but repositioned HR as a value creator. Just as she would never rush a home build, Jeanett knows culture and transformation take time, however the organisation can build the foundation with elements like purpose, values, brand and inclusion much faster taking the stakeholders along.
“When I step into a corporate role, I invest time to listen, ask more questions and engage stakeholders to truly understand the organisation. I focus on areas like business strategy, people, the organisational dynamics, how decisions are made, the culture, practices, ways of work and key challenges,” she adds.
“Thereafter I reflect and validate with relevant stakeholders. This helps a great deal to build joint accountability and buy-in ahead of execution.” Jeanett has partnered with Absa leaders in driving the broad business, HR, digital and culture transformation through people, with culture as competitive advantage and employee experience at the centre.
Even with remarkable progress across Absa, Jeanett knows the journey is ongoing. She highlights that while transformation has taken strong root, advancing women in senior leadership roles and creating opportunities for people with disabilities remain areas for continued focus, although there have been many good strides made.
Leaving a legacy
In her volunteer work, Jeanett has previously served as board director for Save the Children South Africa, a global NGO that focuses on the rights of children. She has served on the advisory board of Chief HR Officer South Africa and on the Pan African Capacity Building advisory board through which the IDC, DBSA & French Development Agency partnered to support Municipalities with skills and capacity building.
Jeanett is clear that the marketplace is her ministry and it presents an opportunity for her to be a force for good, in her own way. “This has always given me hope and courage to go the extra mile, because I walk by faith. When I face challenges, I’m able to see the silver lining out of adversity. Difficult times don’t last; they are just phases and learning opportunities. The important thing is what I learn and take from them to build a better future,” she says.
This grace is what she pours back into others. She has always been passionate about developing, mentoring and coaching emerging leaders to help set them up for success. As a business coach and consultant, Jeanett also helps senior leaders build personal and financial freedom, without compromising their wellbeing. She helps them to have clarity of purpose, vision and to define success in their own terms, supported by clear plans.
“I’m passionate about the work I do and making a difference. I have been blessed to work in dynamic business environments with diverse teams. I have also been blessed to have mentors and coaches who invested in my own growth.”
Whether it’s coaching a leader on Saturday morning or mentoring a young professional, Jeanett’s focus remains on building the next generation and building the future. Jeanett has presented as a speaker/panellist at conferences/events on various topics around HR, leadership, diversity and business transformation. She has been mentoring and coaching senior and emerging leaders for more than 10 years as part of her executive roles and as a volunteer outside her organisations.
Fresh off her triple sweep at the 2025 CHRO Awards, Jeanett didn’t just take home the 2025 CHRO of the Year title. In partnership with the Absa human capital team, she’s also the force behind talent management and learning & development initiatives that claimed top honours.
“When times are hard, that’s when true leadership shows by being able to stand for what is right and doing the right thing for the right reason, in the right way – despite the imperfection. It’s about leaving a legacy. I decided early in my career that if I have an opportunity to work with people or an organisation, I want to leave a positive impact,” she notes.
“These three awards made me stop and reflect on the blessings in my personal and professional life. I have always had a sense that I was meant for more and these CHRO awards were a reminder that I’m not done yet.”
