Gloria Zvaravanhu
Gloria Zvaravanhu is the Chief Executive Officer of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Zimbabwe (ICAZ). Before joining ICAZ, Gloria was the General Manager for Corporate Services at Nicoz Diamond Insurance Limited. She is an alumni of the Fortune 500 Global women mentoring program where she is being mentored by one of the top 50 business leaders in USA.
Background
Zvaravanhu, who got married at 22, credits most of her success to her husband Tongesayi Zvaravanhu, whom she says pushed her to realise her full potential. The eversmiling Zvaravanhu said her personal mantra was the Nike payoff line —“Just do it” — which she says helped her avoid procrastination. She has a son named Tayeukwa.[1]
Zvaravanhu was the president of ICAZ for the 2017/18 presidential year taking over from Econet group finance director, Roy Chimanikire. Although she became the second female president in the history of the institute after Emilia Chisango, who is the Econet Wireless Zimbabwe chief finance officer, Zvaravanhu made history by becoming the first female president of the institute not working for an accountancy firm.[2]
The former St David’s Girls High Bonda student, did her articles at KPMG Zimbabwe Chartered Accountants. She worked at First Mutual Holdings, first as the group finance manager before being assigned to finance executive for First Mutual Life.
Education
Gloria is a Chartered Accountant who holds a Bachelor of Accountancy from Rhodes University and a Masters in Business Leadership from UNISA. She is currently studying for a Masters of Law (LLM) in International Business Law with University of Cumbria UK. She did her Articles with KPMG Chartered Accountants.[3]
Career
She is the Chairman of the Chengetedzayi Depository Company Board, Vice chairman of Industrial Development Corporation Board and serves as a Board and audit committee member of several other Boards in Zimbabwe. At continental level she serves on the Pan African Federation of Accountants Board where she represents Southern Africa and also serves on the Africa Integrated Reporting Council.
Gloria Zvaravanhu joined the IFAC Professional Accountants in Business Committee in January 2020, nominated by the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Zimbabwe (ICAZ). A Chartered Accountant by profession, she is a past President of ICAZ and was the second female president in ICAZ’s 100-year history. With 17 years of experience in financial management, thirteen of which at Executive Management level.
Gloria has vast experience in the insurance sector, where she served in both life and non-life insurance companies at executive level between the period 2005-2018. She served as a General Manager at Nicoz Diamond Insurance Limited, a Finance Executive at First Mutual Life and has served on Insurance company Boards in Mozambique and Zambia. Before joining the insurance sector in 2005, she was a Manager at KPMG Zimbabwe Chartered Accountants in both audit and Corporate Finance departments.
She is an alumnus of the prestigious Fortune 500 Global women mentoring program where she was mentored by one of the top ‘50 Most Powerful Women in Business’ in the United States.
Awards
Gloria has won several business accolades in Zimbabwe that include Female Manager of the year (2013), Corporate Governance Professional of the year (2017), Young Professional leader of the year (2018).
