Stellenbosch University’s (SU’s) Stellenbosch Business School has announced the appointment of its new senior director. He is Professor Chris van der Hoven and his appointment took effect on January 1. He has previously headed the executive development arm of the school, Stellenbosch Business School Executive Development, a post he took up in 2018.

“[SU] is delighted to welcome Professor Van der Hoven as the new Senior Director of Stellenbosch Business School,” affirmed SU Rector and Vice-Chancellor Professor Wim de Villiers. “His impressive track record in academic leadership and his understanding of global business, position him well to lead the Business School into a new era of innovation and impact. As we continue to advance our vision of shaping future leaders and driving transformative change across Africa and beyond, I am confident that under Professor Van der Hoven’s guidance, Stellenbosch Business School will further strengthen its reputation as a world-class institution. We wish him every success in this important role.”

During his career, Van der Hoven spent 12 years at the Cranfield School of Management in the UK, and was a Senior Fellow at Cambridge University for a number of years, also in the UK. While based at UK institutions, he held visiting positions at ten other leading universities. These included the Mannheim Business School, Nanjing University, and the Stockholm School of Economics.

“Stellenbosch Business School has an extraordinary legacy not least because of its highly engaged alumni base,” highlighted Van der Hoven. “Since my appointment I have been humbled that so many graduates have generously reached out with their endorsement and offers of support. My vision thus has to include building on this sentiment and base by further channelling this collective energy. We have a clear mandate to demonstrate the contribution of Stellenbosch Business School graduates in business and society. We also have a mandate to convene business voices more broadly in service of the needs of employment, security, healthcare, energy and education. These are efforts that will evidence the value of Stellenbosch Business School and its graduates in shaping a prosocial future, and importantly in demonstrating the incredible contribution business can make to growing economies.”

The Stellenbosch Business School is one of the fewer than 1% of business schools, worldwide, to hold the “triple crown” of accreditation – the EQUIS, AACSB, and AMBA. Under Van der Hoven, it will prioritise employability, for both students and the organisations that employ them. The Stellenbosch Business School is actually located in Tyger Valley, in northern Cape Town.