Prior to founding WEDI, Sharron was the Chief Executive Officer of Tanaka Investments Pty Ltd., a South African-based investment fund affiliated with the Tanaka Group which has over $US5 billion invested globally.
Prior to joining Tanaka, Sharron was a Corporate Finance Manager at Mettle Merchant Bank (Johannesburg). During her tenure as a merchant banker in South Africa, Sharron lead a team of corporate financiers who raised in excess of $US200 million in matching funds for OPIC’s first South African Infrastructure Development Fund. In addition, she has successfully managed investments into both privately held and publicly traded companies, as well as assisting companies to grow and eventually list on both local and international stock exchanges.
In addition, to being a former corporate financier, Sharron is also a former Wall Street attorney having begun her legal career at Cleary, Gottlieb, Steen & Hamilton, one of Wall Street’s most reputable and successful law firms. Whilst practicing as an attorney inNew York, her responsibilities included the legal structuring of financial investment for some of Fortune 500’s leading businesses across theU.S.,EuropeandLatin America. During her time as a Wall St. attorney, she founded the non-profit organisation ISES, that subsequently grew into one of the leading international privately-funded grass roots research organisation committed to women’s enterprise development. She has developed and implemented numerous programmes, seminars and lectures on enterprise development initiatives both in the U.S. and in West Africa where she specialises in developing innovative financing and operational solutions for growth enterprises.
Prior to joining Cleary, Gottlieb, Sharron was Vice President of Capital Markets for Capital One Corporation. She was one of the first Black women at Capital One to serve in that position. Sharron left banking to study law. Upon completion of studies leading to a doctorate degree in Juris Prudence (Public Law & Finance) (May 1995), she was invited to serve as a researcher for Albie Sachs at the South African Constitutional Court. After completing her term as a legal researcher, Sharron returned to banking as a Corporate Finance Manager for Mettle Merchant Bank. In 1998, she led a team of attorneys and corporate financiers who were responsible for commentary to the Reserve Bank that led to changes in South Africa’s capital repatriation laws. She played a leading role in the negotiations of the Westcor electrification project involving state utilities from the DRC, Angola, Namibia, Botswana and South Africa and also served in an advisory role to the Nigerian Central Bank during the Intercontinental bank merger.
Sharron earned a B.S. in Economics from the College of William & Mary, a Masters in Finance from the University of Toulon and a Doctorate in Juris Prudence from Columbia University School of Law.
Ms. McPherson sits on the board of a number of public and private institutions and is a proud member of Delta Sigma Theta public service sorority.
