Gillian Darko is an accomplished executive director, Board member, and C-suite, spearheading strategic initiatives and operational transformations across diverse industries.
Currently the Chief of Staff and Director of Strategy at Yellow Card, she is leading strategy to ensure the vision and goals of the organisation are followed through. Yellow Card is the largest and only licensed stablecoin on/off ramp on the African continent. Operating across 20 countries, they provide individuals and businesses of all sizes across Africa with secure, liquid, and cost-effective access to USDT, USDC, and PYUSD through their local currency directly and through their payments API.
Founded in Atlanta by Chris Maurice (CEO) and Justin Poiroux (CTO), Yellow Card launched in Nigeria in June 2019 and since then, it has quickly become one of the fastest-growing fintechs in Africa, with a presence in 20 countries and over $3bn in transactions.
In 2023, Yellow Card was awarded the prestigious ‘Disrupter of the Year’ award at the Africa Financial Industry Summit (AFIS). The award acknowledges companies that have demonstrated resilience in challenging times and whose innovation represents a market disruption.
Recognised as an ‘Outstanding Woman in Tech Nominee for West Africa in 2021’, Gillian has curated a career spanning strategy and business transformation roles at ICE Futures Europe, PWC (consulting at Goldman Sachs, HSBC, RBS, Citigroup and UBS), JP Morgan Asset Management and JUMO.
Her leadership extends to driving large-scale projects across multiple jurisdictions within asset management, wealth management, capital markets and within the digital assets space.
As a catalyst for growth, Gillian is adept at leading high-performing teams and crafting innovative solutions. She is equipped with an LLB (Hons) UEA, LLM (Corporate Law) Southampton University, LPC (Equity Finance, Private Acquisitions) from BPP Law School, and a Fintech programme certification from Said Business School, Oxford University.
Her expertise lies in board governance, growth and new markets, strategy, operations, strategic partnerships, regulatory navigation, and a strong track record in driving innovation and change within the fintech landscape. She has experience sitting on executive boards in Tanzania, Uganda, Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, and Zambia. Additionally, her roles necessitate a nuanced understanding of cultural intricacies, ensuring strategic success in diverse ecosystems.
According to Gillian, in 2025, Africa’s payments market is expected to grow by 152%, and by 2050, one in four people on the planet will be African. She says that numerous emerging technologies are set to transform our lives, therefore, for Africa, it is crucial to focus on technology that will continue to leapfrog our financial industries and actively promote financial inclusion, and Yellow Card App is positioned to drive this move.
