JSE CEO Leila Fourie is one of South Africa’s captains of industry with a wealth of local and international experience in the financial sector. For 25 years, she has been a key player in the financial services sectors, including banking, capital markets, and payments. Before taking the reigns at the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE), she served as an executive at numerous prominent institutions. In this Smart Money with Alishia Seckam interview, Fourie discusses how her career path led to her becoming the CEO of the JSE. Fourie explains why she decided to take on her current role, which required her to return to her native country. She then discusses the lessons she learned leading the JSE through the pandemic, including returning to basic values and empowering the people around you. Fourie also unpacks the JSE’s focus on innovation, a key reason behind several of its most significant recent acquisitions. She discusses the rise in de-listings, which she noted as a global phenomenon, and covers several local unbundlings that have either happened or are expected to happen soon. Fourie concludes the interview by discussing the local socioeconomic environment, acknowledging challenges while highlighting the resilience of the South African market.