Gillian has over 30 years' experience in the financial and investment field. She began working for stockbrokers and was a rated Mining Analyst in the Financial Mail Survey of investment analysts. She left stockbroking to join the marketing team of an asset management company, where her role included institutional investment marketing, PR, media relations and corporate reputation management.

She also has extensive experience in a variety of financial media, having worked for both the Financial Mail and FinWeek. She was a panellist on the weekly TV programme Diagonal Street, winning the Panellist of the Year Award twice. She contributed to the TV economics programmes "Egoli" and "Gauteng", aimed at Zulu and Sotho speaking viewers. She is a member of the Investment Analysts' Society of South Africa, the Economic Society of South Africa, the Institute of Directors and is Accredited in Public Relations by PRISA, the South African industry body.