LASTON M. KAWIRA
Blantyre,BL
Summary
Dynamic professional with extensive experience at NBS Bank, excelling in customer service and compliance standards. Proven track record in increasing customer registrations by over 2,000 through innovative marketing strategies. Multilingual communicator skilled in research and project evaluation, demonstrating strong leadership and teamwork abilities to drive organizational success.
Overview
10
10
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
CASH IN TRANSIT OFFICER
NBS BANK
BLANTYRE, Malawi
04.2022 - Current
- Coordinated secure transportation and timely delivery of cash consignments between the Reserve Bank, branches, and clients, ensuring compliance with organizational protocols and regulatory guidelines.
- Monitored and verified cash inventories during inter-branch movements, upholding strict adherence to audit standards, and minimizing discrepancies through systematic reconciliation processes.
- Streamlined documentation procedures for all cash-in-transit transactions, strengthening audit trail reliability, and facilitating swift resolution of pending discrepancies.
- Provided excellent service and attention to customers when face-to-face or through phone conversations.
- Collaborated closely with team members to achieve project objectives and meet deadlines.
- Worked effectively in team environments to make the workplace more productive.
BANK TELLER
NBS BANK Plc
Ginnery Corner SC
06.2019 - 04.2022
- Providing customer service through timely and accurate processing of client financial transactions.
- Processed customer transactions efficiently using banking software.
- Promoted bank services to enhance customer satisfaction and loyalty.
- Collaborated with team members to improve service quality and efficiency.
- Trained new tellers on operational procedures and customer service standards.
- Provided exceptional customer service to customers by answering inquiries, resolving complaints and processing transactions in a timely manner.
- Identified customer financial needs, goals and objectives and offered appropriate financial products to suit needs.
- Fulfilled diverse duties to provide customer service, operate money counters, balance and replenish ATMs, maintain accounts, open new accounts and generate sale leads.
SALES AND MARKETING OFFICER
CATERING SOLUTIONS LIMITED, A SUBSIDIARY OF SUNBIRD TOURISM PLC.
BLANTYRE, Malawi
01.2019 - 06.2019
- Compiled comprehensive bidding documents, resulting in award of catering services at Malawi Parliament 2019-2020.
- Developed long-term relationships with clients through excellent customer service practices and maintained positive customer relationships, contributing to loyalty and satisfaction.
Coordinated several promotional events in Blantyre and Lilongwe to drive engagement. - Managing Social Media Accounts.
- Developed and implemented effective sales strategies to increase customer base and profitability.
- Maintained accurate records of all sales activities including contacts made, orders taken, revenue generated.
- Identified potential upsell opportunities during customer interactions and promoted additional products and services accordingly.
- Participated in trade shows, conventions, conferences, and other networking events to build relationships with potential clients.
- Conducted market research to identify new opportunities for product development and promotion.
- Ensured compliance with relevant laws and regulations related to sales and marketing operations.
- Monitored competitor products and services and maintained relationships with industry influencers and key strategic partners to identify improvement areas and grow customer base.
RESEARCH ASSISTANT
WORLD VISION MALAWI, NENO OFFICE
BLANTYRE, MALAWI
10.2018 - 11.2018
- Examining the level of inclusiveness in schools and CBCCs within the study area.
- Facilitating and collecting data through interviews, observations, and focus group discussions with head teachers, teachers, committee chair and members, parents, boys and girls, and children with disabilities.
- Ensuring data accuracy when capturing and entering data.
- Compiling reports.
- Analyzed qualitative data to identify trends in community needs and resources.
- Coordinated logistics for field visits, ensuring smooth operation of research activities.
RESEARCH ASSISTANT
TIKULE LIMODZI UNDER SIGHT SAVERS MALAWI , CHANCELLOR COLLEGE, AND THE BIRMINGHAM
04.2018 - 08.2018
- Facilitating focus group discussions with Parents, Caregivers, and children.
- Building good rapport with respondents especially children in CBCCs.
- Collecting data using MDAT, School Readiness Questionnaire, Washington Group Questionnaire, CBCC rating scale, Caregiver Questionnaire.
- Collecting data via electronic devices.
DATA CLERK
CHARTER INSURANCE (NOW LIBERTY INSURANCE)
BLANTYRE OFFICE
10.2017 - 12.2017
- Data migration from MIS to GIS
- Organizing files, collecting/capturing data to be entered into computers
- Analyzing the Data for errors
- Reporting problems with Data
- Accurately cleaning and entering data into various computer programs
- Customer Database Management.
RESEARCH ASSISTANT
NBS BANK HEAD OFFICE
05.2017 - 06.2017
- Critical analysis of the Banks Service Centre’s in both Central and Southern Region of Malawi and its competitors.
- Data collection via face-to-face interviews, questionnaires, focus group discussions, observation.
- Data compilation
- Data interpretation
- Report writing.
SALES AND MARKETING OFFICER
NBS BANK
BLANTYRE SERVICE CENTRE
12.2015 - 02.2016
- Marketing and promoting bank services: SMS banking and SMS alert (EasyMobile promoter).
- Within a period of two months, I managed to register over 2,000 customers on EasyMobile.
- Developed and implemented effective sales strategies to increase customer base and profitability.
- Identified potential upsell opportunities during customer interactions and promoted additional products and services accordingly.
Education
Bachelor of Arts - Humanities
University of Malawi, Chancellor College
ZOMBA MALAWI03-2017
Skills
- Multilingual proficiency: English, Chewa, Tumbuka, Lambya
- Customer service
- Compliance standards
- Good communication skills (writing, listening, and oral),
- leadership skills, innovativeness, teamwork, fast learning, remaining calm under pressure, understanding values diversity, confidence, conducting civic education and awareness campaigns, and ability to train others
- Skills in research projects, project planning, monitoring, and evaluation (M&E), and production of official documents, ie Reports, proposals, and write-ups, conducting civic education and awareness campaigns
- Microsoft Word, Microsoft PowerPoint, Microsoft Excel, Internet, SPSS, and Stata
Certification
- Certificate in Gender-Responsive Monitoring and Evaluation UNICEF November 2018
- Certificate in Introduction to Ethics in Evidence Generation UNICEF 12 April 2018
- Certificate in Entrepreneurship and Career Success Chancellor College 2016
References
- Lusungu, Chisi, Sales and Marketing Executive, lusungu@cateringsolutions.mw, 0888842288, Catering Solutions Limited
- Lwitiko, Mwambetania, Cash Services Manager, monica.mmanga@nbs.mw, 0881344296, NBS Bank House
- Rev. Fr. B., Tamani, tamani@live.com, +265888833603, Chancellor College, Philosophy Department
Affiliations
- Reading novels and other academic literature,
- Watching movies and documentaries
- Listening to music and internet surfing
Accomplishments
- Class president for the political philosophy class of 2016 at Chancellor College
- Best sales and marketing officer at Catering Solutions (2019)
Languages
chewa
First Language
English
Proficient (C2)
C2
Tumbuka
Proficient (C2)
C2
References
References available upon request.
Timeline
CASH IN TRANSIT OFFICER
NBS BANK
04.2022 - Current
BANK TELLER
NBS BANK Plc
06.2019 - 04.2022
SALES AND MARKETING OFFICER
CATERING SOLUTIONS LIMITED, A SUBSIDIARY OF SUNBIRD TOURISM PLC.
01.2019 - 06.2019
RESEARCH ASSISTANT
WORLD VISION MALAWI, NENO OFFICE
10.2018 - 11.2018
RESEARCH ASSISTANT
TIKULE LIMODZI UNDER SIGHT SAVERS MALAWI , CHANCELLOR COLLEGE, AND THE BIRMINGHAM
04.2018 - 08.2018
DATA CLERK
CHARTER INSURANCE (NOW LIBERTY INSURANCE)
10.2017 - 12.2017
RESEARCH ASSISTANT
NBS BANK HEAD OFFICE
05.2017 - 06.2017
SALES AND MARKETING OFFICER
NBS BANK
12.2015 - 02.2016
Bachelor of Arts - Humanities
University of Malawi, Chancellor College