In a world in constant flux, unpredictability has become the norm: socio-political shifts, the
increasing interconnectedness of multinational companies and ever-changing and expanding
body of laws and regulations means that compliance is becoming increasingly complex. As
such, governance, risk, and compliance (GRC) has become relevant now more than ever, and
artificial intelligence-driven technology is equipping organisations to make decisions in the face of uncertainty.
Months after acquiring big data software developer Pythagoria to intensify their data intelligence offering, legal-tech pioneer Afriwise has appointed GRC juggernaut Vishala Panday to champion product innovation and solutions around compliance to empower organisations operating in Africa to navigate complex legal and regulatory landscapes.
As the Head of Compliance Services, Panday’s expertise lies in the intersection of compliance,
technology, and organisational strategy. According to Panday, Afriwise is the next natural step in her career as it presents her with a significant opportunity to consolidate and utilise her diverse and multi-faceted experience to evolve GRC practices across African industries. “I was initially drawn to Afriwise’s client-centricity and commitment to cultivating the cutting edge of legal technology. Afriwise offers a powerful combination of proprietary legal and regulatory databases, AI, and expert analysis from top legal counsel and empowers African-operating businesses to make intuitive, meaningful decisions in real-time. I am excited to apply my depth of experience to develop tailor-made fit-for-purpose client solutions that add real and tangible value to business decision-making and risk mitigation.”
Panday believes that the value derived from structured data, artificial intelligence and
technology in the realm of regulatory compliance is intrinsic to business success. In order to
remain competitive, utilising technology to make quicker and better-informed decisions is a
business imperative. “Ethics and Compliance in business can err on the side of esoteric –
executive buy-in becomes less likely when the value is not explicit, tangible, or visible. My
approach to ethics and compliance is grounded in realism; GRC outcomes must be practical,
cost-effective, realistic to implement, and most of all, business-driven,” says Panday.
Many legal teams across the globe are becoming smaller and leaner, and conversely, the
regulatory landscape is ever-changing and growing. Most organisations do not have the luxury
of additional sets of hands to process reams of legal information in order to ultimately make
business decisions. Leveraging off of structured data and AI makes it possible for lean legal and compliance functions to evolve their roles into strategic business partners by delivering
practical, high-quality, and timely information to critical business stakeholders.
Prior to joining Afriwise, Panday enjoyed a decade-long tenure as Head of Ethics and Compliance at Barloworld Equipment, where she built an ethics and compliance function from scratch using a centre-led approach cutting across all of the African jurisdictions of operation. Within her first 12 months on the job, Panday rolled out an anti-corruption programme that included the management of the whistleblowing line, and investigations into ethical violations. This programme secured her the title of “Changemaker of the Year”, and she credits the ability to sink her teeth into a whole spectrum of ethical issues within a large corporate environment to her intuitive and practical approaches to compliance.
Panday’s non-traditional modus operandi is shaped by a culmination of understanding of
business best practice coupled with her foundational legal experience. “Early on in my career, I
learnt very quickly that assessing GRC through the lens of a traditional legal practitioner was
insufficient. Traditional legal practice means that the in-house counsel or legal advisor operates at arms-length of the core business environment, operating simply as a support functionary who generally advises reactively, rather than strategize with stakeholders proactively. In order to be effective in my role as a GRC functionary, I needed to become part of the business. To enhance her business and strategic acumen, Vishala went on to pursue a BCOM in Finance early on in her career, shortly after acquiring her LLB degree, and more recently, during 2022 completed an MPhil in International Business through the Gordon Institute of Business. It is this business acumen that provides me with a more practical approach to the application of ethics and compliance within corporate settings.
Steven De Backer, CEO and Founder of Afriwise says that Panday’s vision will pave the way
for even greater business success. “Vishala Panday is a highly regarded GRC professional and
it is a great privilege to have her on board to develop new and innovative products and help
evolve our compliance offering. Vishala is an individual of astute moral integrity with a wealth of knowledge; she will be a guiding force to not only transform how we do business but set a new standard for the industry at large. In many ways, she feels like Afriwise’s missing puzzle piece.”
CONTACT INFORMATION
Issued on behalf of Afriwise by:
Lauren Crooks
lauren@lockandkeyconsulting.co.za
+27 82 078 7199
ABOUT AFRIWISE
Leading provider of integrated legal and regulatory intelligence solutions in Africa
Afriwise is an award-winning legal intelligence platform, transforming and democratising access to legal and regulatory information across Africa and beyond. At Afriwise, we help organisations, whatever their size, advance their business in Africa and gain a competitive advantage by providing them with business, legal, and regulatory intelligence based on technology and human expertise.
Afriwise is the result of years of experience and trust building, through close
collaboration with firms across Africa, to give you easy and instant access to the expertise and
know-how you need about local markets on the continent. Our collaboration with over 150 law
firms on the continent is further testimony of our team’s deep links within Africa. By leveraging our unparalleled database, cutting-edge NLP technology, in-house expertise, and extensive network we help solve our clients’ most pressing legal and regulatory challenges.
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Website: www.afriwise.com