Irene Tariro Mafara’s career spans continents, complexity, and consequence. From fraud investigations in Kenya and Angola to system transformations in South Africa and governance advisory in Australia, her work has consistently sat where financial discipline and organisational risk intersect.
Born in Zimbabwe, Irene fought for every step of her education. She relocated countries to attend university, paused study when her family hit a financial crisis, worked in the UK to fund her return, and eventually graduated with an Honours Bachelor of Accounting from Rhodes University. Her career took her across Deloitte, Novartis, and Louis Dreyfus, spanning South Africa, Dubai, Switzerland, and Australia.
Irene, is the 2026 recipient of the UN Women Australia MBA Scholarship which recognises outstanding leadership, with a commitment to enhancing women’s rights and opportunities.
I am humbled to be a recipient of this prestigious scholarship. As a girl who had to fight for education, this opportunity represents both restoration and responsibility.
That sense of responsibility has shaped how she leads. Across each role, Irene has stepped into environments where clarity, control, and trust matter. Her work has expanded from technical finance into influencing how organisations operate, make decisions, and manage risk at scale.
When reflecting on this shift, Irene said, “after leading fraud investigations in Kenya and Angola, complex system transformations in South Africa, and advising on governance and controls in Australia, I realised my work had moved beyond finance into organisational leadership. I wanted the strategic frameworks, language, and peer learning to operate confidently at executive level.”
Now based in New South Wales, Irene - a Qualified Chartered Accountant - is Group Management Accountant at Pacific Group of Christian Schools, supporting a network of ten schools, including the Pacific Gulgangali Jarjums Christian School for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students. Her role spans reporting, budgeting, forecasting and analytics, alongside contributing to long-term planning and strategy. It is work that requires both precision and perspective.
The MBA adds another layer: the ability to move from functional expertise to enterprise leadership. For prospective candidates considering an MBA or scholarship pathway, her advice is honest and direct.
Readiness is not the absence of fear; it is courage with direction. If the opportunity speaks to you, step forward. Do not self-reject; do it afraid.
The University of Sydney Business School and UN Women Australia joined forces in 2014 and share a commitment to advancing gender equality at the most senior levels of the nation's public, corporate and not-for-profit sectors, and in a united goal to further women's education.
The UN Women Australia MBA Scholarship is awarded twice a year to an exceptional applicant who successfully completes a statement of motivation, a discussion forum with accompanying reflective essay, and a final interview.