Zarina Bassa
Independent, non-executive
Date appointed:
19 June 2008
Business address:
Absa Towers East, 2nd floor, 170 Main Street, Johannesburg.
Qualifications:
BCom, CA(SA), US SA Leadership programme (Wharton School of Business) and International Strategic Management in Banking programme (Insead Graduate Business School).
Current position:
Vice Chairperson of Absa Retail Bank.
Directorships:
Absa Fund Managers Limited;
Absa Portfolio Managers (Proprietary) Limited;
Absa Investment Services (Proprietary) Limited;
Absa Asset Management (Proprietary) Limited;
Absa Brokers (Proprietary) Limited;
Absa Trust Limited;
National Business Initiative; and
University of Stellenbosch Business School Advisory board.
Previous work experience:
Zarina joined Absa Bank Limited in 2002 as managing executive of Absa Retail Banking Services and progressed to Managing Executive of Absa Private Bank and Executive Director for private banking at Absa Bank Limited. As a Chartered Accountant (SA) and former chair of the Auditing Standards Board, Zarina established herself at accounting and auditing firm Ernst & Young (1986-2002), where she was the first black female partner. Zarina also served on the board of the SA Institute of Chartered Accountants and was vice-president and chair of the Association for the Advancement of Black Accountants. Zarina is a former member of the JSE GAAP monitoring panel, the Accounting Standards Board and the Chartered Accountants’ Eden Trust. Zarina was previously the Finance Minister’s representative on the Public Accountants’ & Auditors’ Board, chairman of the Public Accountants’ & Auditors’ Board and a director at the Women’s Development Bank Investment Holdings. In addition, Zarina was named top woman in business at the Top Women in Business & Government awards in 2007.
