“South Africans are wired for success – resilient, agile, creative, and driven by a world-class work ethic. Tap into that all-round brilliance and let it power your journey.”
Sharon Constançon doesn’t just play the away game. Nee jinne, she’s rewritten the rules entirely.
As CEO of both Valufin and Genius Boards, Sharon brings a uniquely South African blend of analytical precision and strategic insight to the UK business landscape – transforming two industries in the process: foreign exchange treasury and board-level corporate governance.
At Valufin, Sharon is introducing what’s long been the norm for South African internationally trading businesses into a UK market only now maturing in its approach to forex risk. “We’re helping businesses navigate an increasingly volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous (VUCA) currency landscape – ensuring they don’t lose money through ineffective forex management,” she says.
Meanwhile, at Genius Boards, Sharon engages with senior-level boards, like listed companies or regulated financial services, working with their Chair, Company Secretary, Directors, CEO and their leadership teams to help boards become their “best selves” – tackling everything from leadership behaviour and governance strategy to boardroom culture and modern agendas. With accreditations from the Chartered Governance Institute and ISO 37000, Genius Boards pushes governance from compliance into the realm of true human communication effectiveness.
Together, these ventures exemplify how South African-born excellence – executed with precision, purpose, and heart – can reshape global markets.
A Journey Rooted in Resolve
For Sharon, the journey from Johannesburg to the English countryside was born not from ambition but necessity. “I’ve always had a British passport, and having survived a hijacking in Bryanston, not far from home, over the months that followed, I decided it was time to move,” she recalls. “I was angry at feeling this was a necessary action. As we all know, moving from SA is a major upheaval – physically and emotionally – and it takes time to rebuild a life.”
What followed was a process of rediscovery. From the intensity of London to the serenity of the Buckinghamshire, Sharon found her rhythm – personally and professionally. Out of that merged a reimagined purpose: to create and lead solutions that blend South African innovation with global ambition.
Building Two Distinct, Global Organisations
Rather than only replicate her past forex consulting success, Sharon asked a bold question: What if I did something entirely different? Help boards understand culture and behaviour, and how they impact effective decision-making. The result was two powerful, complementary ventures: Valufin for the FD and Genius Boards for the Chair.
Valufin operates as a fractional foreign exchange treasury manager for importers and exporters, offering a complete outsourced forex risk management service. “Forex management in the UK at a business level is interestingly less mature than in South Africa,” she notes. “We use our expertise to help clients understand the value and risks of different forex products, accounting for forex and its influence on their business, blending with that, the market knowledge, together to support forex strategic and tactical decisions.”
Valufin also offers SaaS-enabled software that empowers corporate treasuries to manage their own enhanced forex operations – a vision Sharon held long before fintech was mainstream. “Too often, forex treasury plays second fiddle to local treasury management,” she adds, “which is illogical as more money can be wasted through ineffective forex management than on local interest rates.”
Genius Boards addresses boardroom dynamics. “Our goal is to support the development of the right culture so Directors can communicate, self-evaluate, and continuously improve,” says Sharon.
Whether through board effectiveness evaluations, masterclasses for aspiring NEDs, or strategic risk training, Genius Boards has built a reputation for excellence at the highest levels of leadership.
Wearing Many Hats and Waving the South African Flag
Despite running two demanding businesses, Sharon also dedicated nearly a decade to leading the South African Chamber of Commerce UK, serving as Director, then Chair, and ultimately Executive Chair. “It materialised into a fulltime pro bono role,” she says, “and we punched above our weight.”
Under her stewardship, the Chamber hosted 100+ events annually, expanded across England, Scotland, IOM, Jersey, and three South African provinces, and launched the International Association of South African Chambers (IASACC), now connecting 10 global South African chambers in collaboration.
In 2025, Sharon returned full-time to her businesses with renewed momentum. “I’m working on joint ventures to take Genius Boards global,” she says, “building on UK standards, CGI accreditation, and ISO certification.” As for Valufin? It’s set to expand its market reach well beyond the UK and SA, with a return to the original vision of offering forex treasury software to corporate forex treasuries worldwide.
Leading with Both Heart and Head
Sharon’s unique strength lies in her ability to fuse analytical precision with empathetic leadership. Her advice: “South Africans are wired for success – resilient, agile, creative, and driven by a world-class work ethic. Tap into that all-round brilliance and let it power your journey.”
A Chartered Director with global credentials – including a MBA and is a Chartered Governance Professional – she brings technical excellence and lived leadership experience to every boardroom.
She’s a Junior Warden of the Worshipful Company of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators, due to serve as Master in 2027/28 – coinciding with the City of London’s first South African-born Lord Mayor.
A Call to Fellow Saffas
Now, Sharon is rallying her community. “Fellow Saffas – I’d love to connect with those of you who are business owners, NEDs, and Chairs. Let’s explore how our boardroom dynamics expertise and training can support you,” she says. “And if you’re in finance or international treasury, let’s see how Valufin can transfer our expertise to your business to save money before transacting in the market with banks or brokers.”
Her message is simple: communication, expertise, empathy, collaboration, trusted introductions – it is together that we shall grow and succeed.
Playing – and Winning – the Away Game
Sharon’s advice to fellow South Africans abroad is both bold and empowering: “Understand your market and know that people will try and pigeonhole you – fortunately their filters struggle with South Africans. Define yourself. Be a leader in your field. Be educated on their terms. Be visible.”
It’s not just advice. It’s how she’s won the away game – again and again.
