Gillian Slater

Gillian Slater founder and CEO of Zito Fasma is a seasoned financial professional with over 30 years of experience obtained in several multinational organizations, which are all recognised leaders in their own business sectors. Her finance working experience is international and spans three continents – Europe, USA and Africa. It is also distinctively diversified and includes several business sectors such as telecommunications, hospitality, logistics, construction, FMCG, banking, consulting and Oil and Gas. Aside from Finance, Gillian also has a strong audit and accounting background and has held Controller and Head of Finance and Accounting positions in several organizations globally. Among her previous positions held are Director, Financial Planning and Analysis for Marriott International (USA), Director Capital Planning and Analysis for US Foodservice (USA), Technology Controller, Financial Controller and Head of Finance Decision Support all for Vodafone Ghana and more recently, CFO of UT Holdings, CFO of UT Bank and Director of Finance and SCM for Tullow Oil Ghana.

Some of Gillian’s key accomplishments include the lead role in the due diligence process and valuation of the entire franchise business of a leading Asian hotel chain, leading to $1 billion acquisition of the chain by Marriott International. She led the development of a capital long range planning process for the second largest US Logistics organization; US Foodservice, thereby assisting them to formulate a new strategic direction for $1.6 billion planned capital expenditure. Gillian led and singlehandedly valued the largest telecom subcontract deal worth over $80M for Vodafone Ghana and was closely involved in the selection and negotiation processes of the deal. Gillian in the past couple of years has been critically involved in a number of successful rationalization, growth and turnaround strategies for some of the subsidiaries in the UT Group portfolio. Gillian joined UT Bank as part of the turnaround team which engineered the split of the distressed bank into a good bank, bad bank structure. She consulted briefly with PWC to assist them with the execution of the takeover of the bank. Gillian was responsible for turning around Tullow Ghana Finance. She hired several high calibre finance professionals to step up the team and spearheaded the audit finance enhancement project which was a total transformation project to bring Tullow Ghana Finance performance to a much higher standard and delivery. Gillian provided leadership and steer for the Supply Chain Management team where she also led change management and improved government working relationships. She controlled the execution of contracts management and procurement in excess of $2 billion alongside managing the focus on local content enhancement. As a voting member of the Contacts Review Board she provided financial insight and input on a portfolio in excess of $3.2 billion.

Gillian was also the Board Chairman for the University of Ghana Enterprise Limited for five years
and a member of the investment committee. Other Board positions held are with Skin Gourmet and Wilkins Power Engineering.
Gillian has demonstrated leadership and transformation expertise in financial planning and reporting, corporate restructuring and turnaround, cost control, change management, contracts and procurement and corporate governance.