"Invest in yourself. From a technical point of view, be the best and never stop learning."
Gerdileen is a Director within SNG Grant Thornton’s Business Risk Services division. She leads with a passion for building strong internal audit and risk management frameworks, while integrating technology to deliver more effective and efficient solutions. Her work spans internal audit, risk management, corporate governance, IT audit, and cyber security, often in close collaboration with advisory teams across the firm.
Her career began in auditing, where she built her technical foundation and deep interest in strengthening governance and internal controls. A defining moment came when she was invited to represent South Africa on the Africa Executive Public Sector Forum. This opportunity positioned her alongside chief executives from across Africa, engaging in strategic development and the rollout of Grant Thornton’s Africa-wide strategy, a moment she describes as one of the most profound in her career.
Earlier in her journey, Gerdileen gained experience working across both the private and public sectors. These roles exposed her to diverse challenges, from tightening compliance environments to supporting organisations in building stronger internal audit functions. Each step helped her develop a holistic understanding of how risk management contributes not only to organisational resilience but also to long-term growth and transformation.
Gerdileen sees the future of Business Risk Services being reshaped by:
Applying tools and methodologies to enhance efficiency, reduce human error, and strengthen internal control environments.
shifting from manual processes to technology-enabled risk maturity assessments.
combining internal audit, risk management, IT audit, and cyber security to provide seamless value to clients.
She believes these changes will allow firms not only to deliver assurance, but also to directly support clients' strategies and long-term objectives.
For Gerdileen, Women Powering Progress means ensuring women’s voices are valued in every space, from the boardroom to client meetings. As she reflects:
"A lot of women sometimes feel they lose their voice in the workplace or in the boardroom. Women’s voice matters, what you say is important and brings critical value to the business and to society."
When asked what Turning Growth into Shared Progress means to her, Gerdileen says:
"Turning growth into shared progress to me means a world of transformation and inclusiveness. It is about including everybody, different races, genders and different levels in the organisation, and rolling that out as part of our growth strategy."
Gerdileen’s team delivers integrated solutions across:
Her approach is both people-focused and technology-enabled, ensuring clients receive solutions that are efficient, accurate, and aligned to their strategic objectives.
Gerdileen believes the future of Business Risk Services lies in fully embracing digital tools, strengthening African advisory capacity, and creating inclusive spaces for women and diverse voices to shape strategy. For her, progress means balancing technology and people, efficiency and empathy, growth and inclusion.
Let’s shape a future where growth uplifts everyone.
Partner with SNG Grant Thornton, Turning Growth into Shared Progress.
