By: The Division of Communications & Advancement
The Rhodes University UK trust underwent a major strategic shakeup last month following the appointment of Caroline Rowland, an alumna, global communications and marketing guru, and businesswoman, as its chair.
The trustees unanimously appointed Ms Rowland in June last year to succeed Mr Geoffrey de Jager, who retired after nearly 30 years as chairman and trustee.
In a letter to the University, Mr de Jager pledged his support for Ms Rowland. “I wholeheartedly endorse her as my replacement on the University's Board of Governors. I look forward to seeing the important difference that she and other Trustees will undoubtedly make to the Rhodes University Trust UK and the University," he said.
Ms Rowland's first order of business was to reconstitute the Trust. She requested all trustees to resign and dissolved its structure. A public call for applications to the board was issued, followed by a selection and interview process.
“Both the volume and quality of applications to serve on the Trust were overwhelmingly high, proving that Rhodes really is the university where leaders learn. Andrew la Trobe and I had the honour of interviewing a very strong shortlist. We were able to bring together leaders who share a passion for education and development in South Africa, as well as bringing exceptional professional qualifications and experience to the Trustee Board,” Ms Rowland said.
The Trust’s structure was reconfigured, and the new and returning trustees were assigned to the new portfolios.
Communications is led by one of the two new trustees, Serena Chaudhry Pandey, a global media specialist, former senior Reuters and BBC correspondent and domain specialist in Artificial Intelligence and technology. The second new trustee, Mr Robert Edwards, a chartered accountant and co-creator of the ground-breaking Inyathi Imali, a three-part isiXhosa podcast series on financial literacy, takes on the finance and governance portfolio.
Professor Chris Butler, a professional fellow at Trinity College and professor of Primary Care at the Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences at Oxford, takes on the education portfolio. Veteran trustee Mr Andrew La Trobe, a non-executive director of several companies with over 20 years of global banking and investment experience, leads fundraising and charity partnerships. Mr La Trobe also serves in several charities that support education in Makhanda.
Liaison with the university will be led by Prof Steve Olivier, Vice Chancellor of Robert Gordon University in Aberdeen. Prof Olivier is a thought leader in change leadership, applied ethics, and sports.
Rhodes University is proud of its remarkable alumni, their love for humanity and their commitment to their alma mater. What Ms Rowland and the Trustees at our UK Trust are doing reflects an abiding institutional culture and ethos of Old Rhodians, said Director of Communications and Advancement Dr Luzuko Jacobs.
Caroline Rowland herself wears many hats. The prolific public speaker is also a top-tier international producer, director, strategic business advisor, entrepreneur, and founder of New Moon Television and Egoli Media. Her awards include Woman in Business of the Year by the South Africa Business Club and the Distinguished Old Rhodian Award. In 2019, she was included in the Federation Internationale Cinema Television Sportifs (FICTS) Hall of Fame.
Ms Rowland is regarded as one of the influential people in the Bid for the London 2012 Olympics by the Observer. She has since been involved in several other major winning bids, including Sochi’s 2014 Olympic Winter Games, Pyeongchang 2018 Olympic Winter Games, and Qatar’s 2022 FIFA World Cup.
“Our 120th anniversary is not just about celebrating a proud record of excellence in education, research, and community engagement. It is also a moment for deep reflection, fundamental renewal and reconnection involving the entire university community,” Dr Jacobs said.
With Ms Rowland and the newly appointed trustees at the helm, all of whom share an admirable record of professional excellence, dedication, and philanthropic commitment, the promise of our Institutional Development Plan for even more significant scholarly impact and the quest to deepen Rhodes University’s legacy in society has gained considerable impetus in the United Kingdom, Dr Jacobs said.