Elize Giese
Chief Operating Officer

Elize Giese is the Chief Operating Officer of Hestia Capital Management and oversees the firm’s key business functions, operations, business development and marketing. Prior to joining Hestia Capital, Elize spent 16 years at First National Bank South Africa (FNB), the leading retail and commercial bank in South Africa. She most recently served as CEO of FNB Employee Benefits, which offers retirement fund and group risk solutions to corporate clients and their employees. During her tenure at FNB, Elize also served on the Board of Directors for FNB’s Stockbroking and Portfolio Management business and held several senior leadership roles including Regional Head of Private Wealth, Head of Investments and Head of Business Development.

Elize holds a Masters of Commerce in Business Management from the University of Johannesburg. An engineer by trade, she also holds a B.Eng. in Electronic Engineering from the University of Johannesburg and a B.Sc. in Information Technology from Rand Afrikaans University in Johannesburg. She was recently recognized as one of the “Top 10 Most Powerful Women in Banking” by The Women Achiever in 2022.

Elize is passionate about her family, her community and giving back to others. She has served as a board member on several non-profit organizations and actively mentors women in the workplace. She has also founded numerous initiatives supporting women’s development. Elize lives by the principle of ‘We rise by lifting others’.