By The Division of Communication and Advancement
Second-generation Rhodes University alumna and seasoned investment banker and philanthropist Justine Mannering has joined the Rhodes University USA Trust Board and will work with the Board to oversee the fundraising activities for the landmark RU120 campaign in North America.
A Victoria Girls’ High School graduate, Mannering obtained her Bachelor of Commerce and Post-Graduate Diploma in Accounting at Rhodes University. Her mother, Prof. Stephanie Burton, a former lecturer at the University, holds a Master's degree in Organic Chemistry and a PhD in Biochemistry from the same university. Her father, Dr. Ron Cosser, was also a long-time lecturer in chemistry at Rhodes University.
“We are pleased to announce that Justine has joined the Rhodes University Trust (USA) Board. She will work with the Board to support efforts in North America and will spearhead fundraising efforts around the RU120 campaign in North America,” said the long-serving chair of the US Trust, Donovan Neale-May.
Mannering has had an illustrious career in investment banking, most recently as a Managing Director at a leading US investment bank, Stifel’s Consumer & Retail Investment Banking Group. She brings a wealth of experience and global insights from her work across industries in the US, UK, and Asia.
Mannering has won several industry accolades in the US, including being named one of the M&A Advisers “40 under 40” in 2013 and “Women of Influence in the Middle Market” by Mergers and Acquisitions magazine in 2018 and 2022. She also received a Top USA Women Dealmakers award from Global M&A Network in 2023. She is a founding Board Member of Exponent LLC, a New York-based networking organisation established in 2017 focused on promoting women in finance in the middle market. Mannering is also a board member of Starfish Greathearts Foundation US Trust, the US trust of the South African-based non-profit which supports orphaned and vulnerable children in the country by partnering with community-based organisations.
In a comment about her role, Mannering said, “I am excited to be able to join the Rhodes University Trust (USA) Board and honoured to have been invited to do so. My time at Rhodes provided me with many advantages and opportunities over the years, as well as happy memories and great friendships. I am looking forward to actively contributing to support Rhodes in continuing to
advance and provide the level of excellence they are known for.”
“Justine is a capable and supportive Old Rhodian, a powerhouse of positive energy for good causes. It is always a significant advantage when Old Rhodians join in such meaningful ways to make Rhodes University continue to stand out in delivering excellence globally as it has done for 120 years,” Dr Luzuko Jacobs, the Director of the Division of Communication and Advancement at Rhodes
University, said.
We are incredibly excited by Mannering’s gracious acceptance of this role and look forward to a productive and dynamic partnership with her in North America. It is going to be an eventful and mutually rewarding journey to deepen the formidable legacy of Rhodes University, Dr Jacobs said.
Mannering lives in New York with her husband, Jason, who is also a Rhodes University alumnus, and her two teenage sons.