Gill Marcus,
The new governor of the South African Reserve Bank

After her first briefing in 2010 at the Monetary Policy Committee meeting, newspapers hailed Gill Marcus for the 'new' frankness she brought to the job. It is no surprise to anyone who knows Marcus, born in 1948 to parents who opposed apartheid and went into exile, Gill has a no-nonsense style that can be intimidating to those who don't know the kindness she displays to those she knows and respects. She definitely does not tolerate fools or those who fail to perform.

Marcus was the SARB's deputy governor from 1999 to 2004. Marcus held the position of Absa Group and Bank chairwoman since 2007. Very close to her late parents, Nathan and Molly, Gill went into exile with them and that experience had a profound impact on her.

She rose to become a key figure in the ANC's information department under Thabo Mbeki and was a tireless and loyal worker. Concerned about poverty and women's rights, she believes South Africans needed to keep a dialogue going. "We have come this far...because we found ways of talking to each other... Even in times of uncertainty, dialogue remains a constant."

After the end of apartheid, Marcus served as a member of parliament in the national assembly. She was also a sought after lecturer at the Gordon Institute of Business Science. She was deputy minister of finance from 1996 to 1999.

We admire her integrity, her forthrightness, her passion for social justice and a society that respects the rights of women more.