Thato is a Senior Manager in the Advisory Services team and has more than 20 years of experience. She joined Grant Thornton in 2023.
She is an experienced financial services and investment professional with experience across financial and telecommunications sectors with functional roles in investment management, corporate finance advisory, stockbroking, investor, and stakeholder relations. She has valued, traded, invested, and advised on transactions in excess of US$400 million across a broad spectrum of sectors across Africa.
Experience
Thato’s professional career started with African Alliance International in the Unit Trust and Africa Funds divisions. Subsequently she worked for 3 subsidiaries of Imara Holdings Limited for 8 years, gaining experience in stockbroking, corporate finance, and management.
She later joined Botswana Telecommunications Corporation Limited post privatisation as Head of Investor Relations, and developed and implemented the company’s investor relations programme to fully enhance and maintain the company’s reputation with investors and prospective investors. She managed a shareholder base in excess of 45,000. Thato later became Head of Stakeholder Relations in the same company where she reported directly to the Managing Director and managed the company’s stakeholder relations function, which encompassed all key stakeholder engagement and management, corporate communications, corporate social investment (CSI).
Prior to joining Grant Thornton, Thato served as a Private Equity Investment Professional at Africa Lighthouse Capital.
Sector Experience
She has been involved in providing financial and commercial due diligence, valuations, financial modelling, M&A advisory (sell-side & buy-side), fair and reasonableness opinions, independent business reviews, equities trading and other transaction advisory services to clients from Banking, Insurance, Asset Management, Fast Moving Consumer Goods, Telecommunications, etc.
Professional qualifications and memberships
Thato holds a Bachelor of Arts in Actuarial Science from Butler University, USA, and Master of Philosophy in Development Finance and Senior Management Development Programme from the University of Stellenbosch Business School, South Africa.
Technological proficiency
Thato has experience operating various analysis trading tools such as Bloomberg (for trading, research, and market performance updates), Capital IQ (for research and building models), DealCloud (for deal, relationship, and pipeline management, reporting and analytics). Furthermore, she is proficient in using Microsoft office tools to bring quality to different assignments.
Presentations and publications
Thato has taken part at The Future of Mining Summit, she was participating in a panel discussion focusing on "Access to Finance for High-Capital Intensive sustainable mining projects "
Community involvement
Thato participates in Grant Thornton’s CSR initiatives such as recently supporting Government’s Digital Transformation Strategy within the education sector by sponsoring a state-of-the art imported tech panel – a first for public schools in Botswana. Over the years, Grant Thornton has supported various local communities paying special attention to the upliftment of education in Botswana.
Languages spoken
English, Setswana.
