About Us

Phineas is a Corporate Governance expert with 28 years’ experience in the Printing and Packaging Industry and is the current General Manager of CPL Pvt Ltd a leading packaging company in Zimbabwe. He is a holder of MBA qualification form MSU Business School and also holds a CIMA certificate. Phineas is a fellow of the Southern African Institute of Accountants and holds a Diploma from the Institute of Packaging (SA).

Phineas is a Certified Forensic Accountant (Cr.FA) with the Association of Certified Forensic Practitioners. He is an active fellow of the Institute of Corporate Directors Zimbabwe and the Institute of Corporate Governance Zimbabwe. Phineas is an active golfer. He is currently pursuing Professional Directorship Certification with the Professional Directors Board in Canada.

Mirirai is a seasoned legal and corporate governance professional with over 23 years of extensive corporate law, compliance, and company secretarial experience; 17 of which were obtained in the Zimbabwean financial services sector at Stanbic Bank and BancABC which included working collaborations with legal professionals across jurisdictions such as Dubai, South Africa, Botswana, Zambia, Tanzania and Mozambique. She holds a Master’s degree in Business Leadership from the University of South Africa and a Bachelor of Laws Honours (LLBS) degree from the University of Zimbabwe. She was trained on Management Leadership Development by the University of Stellenbosch South Africa and a Risk Management Diploma (Financial Services) from KPMG Sweden (SIDA). Mirirai has won accolades in her career which recognise professionalism, excellence and leadership. She was featured in the prestigious Legal 500 General Counsel GC Teams Powerlist 2017 and 2018 and awarded silver in the Megafest 2017 Awards in the category Outstanding Advocate & Legal Leader. She is a non-executive director of Agribank (AFC Commercial Bank) where she is the Chairperson of the Risk, Compliance and ICT Committee. She is a member of The Law Society of Zimbabwe and The Professional Executive Women Entrepreneurs and Business Forum (PROWEB) where she chairs the Legal Committee. Currently, Mirirai is a legal strategic advisory consultant , architecting and implementing corporate governance structures for companies.

Cynthia is a lawyer by profession. She holds a Bachelor of Commerce (B.Comm/ LLB) from Rhodes University in South Africa (Part fulfilment), an Honours degree in Law (LLB (S) HONS) from the University of Zimbabwe, and a Master of Laws (LLM) from the University of Ulster in Northern Ireland in the United Kingdom and a Management of Business Administration (MBA) degree from the Eastern Southern Management Institute of Africa (ESAMI). Ms. Mugwira has over ten years of experience as a legal advisor to the Government of Zimbabwe, the corporate private and the Development Sectors. Cynthia worked under the United Nations and has vast experience in the corporate governance field which was acknowledged through her nomination in the Manager of the Year Junior category in 2010 by the IPMZ for her outstanding role in the setting up of the Quality Corporate Governance Centre (ZIMLEF). Cynthia was an initiator of the drafting of the National Corporate Governance Code for Zimbabwe. She has sat on several boards including her current seat as a PROWEB Trustee wherein she is the newly elected Second Vice President, a Member of the University of Zimbabwe Council where she sits in the Executive, Audit and Risk and the Disciplinary Appeals Committees. She is also a Member and Vice Chairperson of the Zimbabwe Association of Pension Funds and sits in the Executive and Legislation Committees. Cynthia is a Member of the Institute of Corporate Directors of Zimbabwe wherein she sits on the Legislative Committee. Cynthia is the 2017 Zimbabwe Mentee for the prestigious Fortune 500 United States State Department and Vital Voices Women's Global Mentorship Programme for young business executive women. Cynthia was the Group Legal Advisor and Board Secretarial Services Executive for the National Social Security Authority (NSSA) and the Principal Officer for the NSSA Staff Pension Fund before taking up her new post as the Director Legal Services for the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (ZIMRA). Cynthia is the Chairman of the ZIMRA Staff Pension Fund.

Is an experienced business executive with 30 years of experience gained in State Owned Enterprise, Parastatal, diversified Group, Freight & Logistics, Consultancy and Security industries. He has exceptional skills in Human Resources, Industrial Relations and Board Leadership. Eckford is a Certified Company Director and holds several qualifications in Human Resources, Business Leadership, Corporate Governance, Industrial Relations, a Master of Science in Strategic Management degree and is in 4th year of study for a Doctor in Business Administration (DBA) degree. He is past; Vice-Chairman of the NEC Air Transport Industry (2013-2018), Councillor of the Institute of Directors Zimbabwe (IoDZ) (2015-2018), Trustee Councillor of SDA for Langham Girls (2011-2013) and Trustee Chairman of SDA for Umvukwes Primary School (2006-2010). At present he sits on Boards of; Zimbabwe Prisons & Correctional Service, Institute of Human Resources in Zimbabwe and is Chief Executive Officer of an innovative and progressive Security Company with big account clients. Eckford has a passion for farming, and is happily married to Mildred. The couple is blessed with three daughters, Natasha, Joyline and Monalisa.

He is the founder and CEO of Spidex Media Group and Chairman of Gilcorp Group an Investment and holdings company with interests in real estate, technology and media. Gilbert Eugene Peters is ranked as one of the top 30 entrepreneurs in Africa by Forbes Magazine and he has received multiple awards in business. He sits on various company boards and holds a Post grad Diploma in Strategic leadership and Corporate Governance from the Midlands State University.

Ernest`s corporate experience stretches over 20years in various executive positions in local and global blue chip organisations: Unilever, Total, Supreme Global, Reckitt Benckiser, Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) and Cairns Foods. Ernest's corporate career spans Southern Africa, East Africa, North and the Middle East. He holds Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply (CIPS) qualification from the UK, Executive MBA, and Master of Science in Procurement and Logistics & Executive Diploma in Business Leadership from the Zimbabwe Institute of Management. He is currently reading for a PHD in Business Leadership.

Peter is the Founder and currently the Chairman of The Foundation for the Development of Africa (FDA) (NPC) and is regarded as an expert on issues effecting sustainable development (including business) throughout Africa. As Project Quality Assurance Engineer, during the construction of a number of coal-driven power stations in South Africa (1970/80's), Peter was exposed to most trades and professions within the construction industry. This exposure was enhanced when Peter had to develop quality monitoring procedures used in the construction process. Furthermore Peter designed quality procedures to be used in monitoring the construction processes of subsidised, low-cost housing resulted in Peter being requested to assist with the relocation of the Ga-Pila community in the Limpopo Province. This massive relocation project, due to Anglo Platinum mining expansion, provided Peter with unparalleled expertise leading to successfully completing an intensive training session on Local Government Assessment at the CSIR – Pretoria in 1998. Peter now holds a title as an Accredited Assessor for the South African Business Excellence Foundation. This knowledge he now shares with others. In 1999 Peter established The Foundation for the Development of Africa (FDA) (NPC), a non-membership, private, (NPC) Not-for-profit Company actively involved with initiating and facilitating business and other processes conducive to sustainable development in Africa - with the emphasis on sustainability! Peter's broad expertise has made him a well-known personality in Africa. His numerous television, radio and print media interviews as well as the number of high level conferences and events he has addressed, testifies to the respect he commands in the field of Africa affairs.

Debra Brown is the founder, President and CEO of Governance Solutions Inc. Since founding GSI in 1991, Debra has developed it into a full service firm providing governance consulting, research, training and tools on both a customized organizational and public basis including on-line. Under Debra's leadership, GSI has developed and tested a comprehensive, principles-based governance system that has been adopted and adapted by award-winning, leading governance organizations including The Conference Board and BMO Financial Group (Bank of Montreal) in Canada's private sector, federal and provincial governments in the public sector, and numerous not-for-profit organizations and associations. It is also the foundation on which GSI created the program and curriculum for The Directors College, and The Professional Director Certification Program and other governance education and university accredited certification programs for the Health, Colleges and Universities, School Board and First Nations sectors. Currently, Debra serves on major international non-profit corporation boards, and has worked in corporate governance as far afield as Malaysia, Bahrain, Indonesia, Cuba and Guatemala. She is an acknowledged and sought-after thought leader in corporate governance, authoring over two dozen major research articles published in Canada and internationally, and editing Governance Matters, the Canadian Co-operative Association's governance periodical. Debra holds a Doctor in Ministry and a Master of Divinity from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary where she graduated magma cum laude.

Dr Ashraf Gamal El Din is the Chief Executive Officer of Hawkamah, the Institute for Corporate Governance, the DIFC. He is an Affiliate and Certified Governance Expert from the Chartered Governance Institute, UK. He is also a jury member of the Arabia CSR Award. Prior to joining Hawkamah, Dr. Ashraf was the Executive Chairman of Egypt Post. Before that, he was the Deputy Executive Director of the Egyptian Banking Institute, the training arm of the Central Bank of Egypt. He was also the founder and Project Manager of the Egyptian Corporate Responsibility Centre working on promoting the concepts and application of CSR in Egypt. Furthermore, he was the Executive Director of the Egyptian Institute of Directors (EIoD), the Institute of Corporate Governance in Egypt and the Arab Region Dr. Ashraf served as a board member and head of the Audit Committee in a number of listed, non-listed, State Owned and family owned companies. He also served a member of the General Assembly of the Holding Company for Transportation. Furthermore, Dr. Ashraf is a Professor of Management, Faculty of Commerce, Cairo University. He holds a PhD degree from Manchester University, UK, and a Master's degree in Public Administration from Carleton University, Canada. He further holds a Bachelor degree in Business Administration from Cairo University with highest honor.