Gilead Teri

Tanzania recently merged the Tanzania Investment Centre (TIC) and the Export Processing Zones Authority (EPZA) to establish a new body, the Tanzania Investment and Special Economic Zones Authority (TISEZA). The Authority officially began operations on 1 July 2025.

Gilead Teri, the inaugural Director General of TISEZA, was formerly the Executive Director of TIC. He was appointed to lead the newly formed Authority, which is mandated to simplify investment procedures by eliminating bureaucratic hurdles and overseeing special economic zone activities across the country.

An economist and private sector development expert, Teri brings over a decade of experience, having previously held senior and advisory positions with the European Union, the World Bank (IBRD/IDA), the International Finance Corporation (IFC), and the Tanzania Private Sector Foundation (TPSF).

His most notable work includes leading the World Bank Group Tanzania’s Private Sector Development portfolio, which supports governments in implementing business-friendly reforms, attracting quality public and private investments, and growing the private sector’s role in reducing poverty and boosting shared prosperity.

Teri holds academic credentials from the University of Dodoma (Tanzania) and the University of Edinburgh (UK). He is currently a PhD candidate in a joint programme between the University of Toronto and the University of Manchester, where his research focuses on governance and financing of infrastructure investment in the Global South.