Foundation Board of Trustees

MHDSRIP

It is with great sadness that we share the news that Br Jude Pieterse passed away on the evening of 12 December 2022.

Br Jude was a man of immense courage and deep compassion who dedicated his life to the service of God and humanity. He leaves a remarkable legacy through the social justice work he did to help bring reform to our country, to transform our schools and through the many lives he impacted on a personal level. A man of conviction, yet humble and kind, a Marist of Champagnat in every respect.  Br Jude served as teacher, principal and Provincial in the former Marist Province of South Africa. He founded the Catholic Institute of Education and also served as secretary-general of the Southern African Catholic Bishops Conference. The work that Brother Jude undertook in these roles is captured in the historically significant work, The Open Schools Era (1976 – 1986). Over the years he served on a variety of committees, Boards and Trusts, and was a founder Trustee of the St David’s Marist Foundation, stepping down as a Trustee in July 2020. He ‘retired’ to the Eastern Cape to assist with the Marist Outreach programme there and then returned to the Brothers’ community at Sacred Heart College in the last few years. In an address given in 2012 at the St David’s Marist Foundation donor evening, Br Jude quoted from Proverbs 29, “Where there is no vision, the people perish,” challenging everyone present to continue working towards the vision of Marcellin Champagnat. Br Jude Pieterse dedicated his life to this vision and the challenge remains for each of us, now more than ever, to continue this work - to the Glory of God and in honour of a great Marist man, Br Jude Pieterse.

To honour Br Jude's legacy, the Foundation has established the Br Jude Pieterse Marist Alexandra Bursary Fund, in his memory.

Simon Denny is the CEO of Goldman Sachs in South Africa, based in Johannesburg. Prior to joining Goldman Sachs, Simon was managing director and co-head of Banking Africa at Barclays and spent over 10 years at Deutsche Bank, where he was the head of corporate finance for South Africa and a member of the executive committee. Simon matriculated from St David's in 1994, and holds BCom, BCom (Hons) and LLB degrees, and is a qualified chartered accountant. He has previously served as a Trustee of the Old Boys' Bursary Fund, and on the committee of the Old Boys' Association. In May 2022 Simon was elected as Chairman of the St David’s Marist Foundation after serving as Vice-Chair since 2017, and has served as a member of the Board of St David’s Marist Inanda since 2019. Simon is a passionate Old Boy, committed to giving back to his alma mater through service and philanthropic endeavours.

Tyson is currently employed at Standard Bank as Senior Vice President in the Structured Capital team within the Investment Bank Division. His focus is providing clients with equity financing solutions across the continent covering multiples sectors including TMT, Energy, Real Estate and Diversified Industrials. He joined the bank in 2013 on the Corporate and Investment Banking graduate programme. Tyson matriculated from St David’s Marist Inanda in 2007 and was the recipient of an academic bursary from the school in 2003. He obtained specific honours for Academics and General Honours in his final year. Tyson was also a College Prefect and Deputy Head of House. In Matric, Tyson was awarded a Gallagher Scholarship for his tertiary studies. The scholarship is awarded to five students in South Africa on an annual basis to attend the University of Cape Town. He holds a Bachelor of Business Science degree with honours in Finance from UCT and has completed the Senior Leadership Development Programme at UCT Graduate School of Business. Tyson is also a Trustee and the Chair of the Temba Bavuma Foundation, which seeks to empower children from previously disadvantaged backgrounds through sport and education. He also serves as a non-executive director for a number of unlisted companies.

Tony matriculated at Christian Brothers College in Springs. He is a B.Com LLB graduate from Wits University. He is a practising attorney and has spent his professional life at Norton Rose Fulbright (previously Deneys Reitz), where he became a partner in 1987. He retired from full-time practice at the beginning of the year, and has moved to Hogsback in the Eastern Cape, but continues to consult to the firm, mostly in the field of professional liability. Tony is married to Helen. They have five children: their two sons were educated at St David’s. Tony is a past Chairman of the Board of Governors and a founding Trustee of the Foundation.

Conor matriculated from St David's in 1991 and holds BA, LLB, HDip Company Law and LLM (Tax) qualifications from the University of the Witwatersrand. He is a practising attorney and a partner at Fasken, an international business law firm. He specialises in corporate tax, and mergers and acquisitions. Conor is married to Wendy and they have one son, who is at St David’s.

Darrell is an Old Boy of St David’s and was the 1986 Head Boy. Darrell previously served as Chairman of the Old Boys’ Committee for four years, and as Vice-Chair of the Committee. He studied law and currently serves as a trustee on numerous funds, acts as a director, is a shareholder in various companies and runs a electrical, control and instrumentation construction company specialising in large industrial plants and mines throughout Africa. Darrell has four children and a grandson – his two boys were both schooled at St David’s from Gr 0 to Gr 12.

Br Fortune is the current Marist Provincial of South Africa, and the Superior of the Rondebosch Marist Community, Cape Town. He is also the chairperson of the Marist Schools Council governing body group, the chair of the Child Safeguarding Commission in the Marist Province of Southern Africa (Malawi, Mozambique, Zambia, South Africa, Angola and Zimbabwe), and a technical team member of the Catholic Education Board of the Western Cape in South Africa. In addition, Br Fortune is the Marist Province Link of FMSI (Foundation for Marist International Solidarity) – a Marist NGO that focuses on child rights and safeguarding, a member of the Marist Custodians in South Africa (a group that looks at the Brothers’ Patrimony in South Africa) and a technical team member of the International Commission for Child Safeguarding and Sexual Abuse for the Institute of the Marist Brothers in Rome, Italy (which works as an advisory board to the General Council of the Marist Brothers).

Heather Irvine matriculated at Marian College Linmeyer (now Marist Brothers Linmeyer) and is an admitted attorney and a partner in the Competition Practice of Bowmans in Johannesburg. She holds a BA degree (cum laude) from the University of the Witwatersrand, as well as an Honors degree in English Literature (first class) and an LLB (magna cum laude) from the University of Cape Town. She has been recognized by top legal publications such as Who’s Who Legal and Chambers Global and was named by Global Competition Review as one of the Top 40 Under 40 antitrust lawyers in the world in 2019. Heather was appointed as the Chair of the Young Lawyers Committee of the International Bar Association in 2010, and is currently serving as an officer of its Antitrust Committee. She also currently serves as a member of the Hurlingham-Craighall-Glenadrienne residents association. Heather is passionate about community projects that benefit poor members of the local community and at the same time, protect and enhance the natural environment. She actively supports several animal charities and provides pro bono legal assistance to various animal projects. Heather is the proud mother of Matthew (age 7), who is currently in Grade 2 at St David’s. In her spare time, Heather enjoys trips to the bush and is a keen birder. She also loves to read, garden, and cook.

Batana is a St David’s Old Boy (Class of 1996) - he began his schooling at St David’s in Grade 0 and he matriculated in 1996.  

Batana followed in his family’s footsteps and forged a career in film and television. Vundla’s grandfather, Ephraim Batana Tshabala, owned a cinema in Soweto, the historical Eyethu Cinema, which is where Batana fell in love with cinema and theatre. The highlight of his career was being nominated for a South African Film and Television Award for Kiep Kiep and Sporro — a social satire animation which he wrote and produced. He was the co-originator and co-producer of Inxeba (The Wound) which won the 2018 Best South African Film Award (SAFTA) as well as countless other international accolades, including being chosen to be South Africa’s entry for the 2018 Oscars. Batana has recently been made a director of a non profit organization ‘Eyethu Republik’ a film, education and content-makers hub based in Mofolo, Soweto.

James is an investment banker in Absa’s corporate finance team. His focus is on equity capital markets - helping clients across Africa in placing and positioning shares to investors across the globe. A qualified CA(SA), he completed his accounting articles at Absa during which time he began his current role. James spent 13 years attending St David’s Marist Inanda, matriculating in 2011, and was awarded an academic scholarship to the high school in 2007. He then went on to complete a Bachelor of Business Science in Finance with Accounting at the University of Cape Town whereafter he attained his Postgraduate Diploma in Accounting - a prerequisite for the CA(SA) designation.

Mark is the Chairman of the St David’s Marist Inanda Board of Governors, and has served the Board for several years. He holds a DCom qualification, is passionate about education, and supervises Masters and Doctoral students. Mark is the chairman of several Boards, remuneration and audit committees, and is a professor at the University of Johannesburg, adjunct professor at the University of Cape Town, research associate professor at the Gordon Institute of Business Science and professor extraordinaire at North West University. He is married and has four children; one son passed through St David's in 2014, and another joined the Mini Marists in 2017.

Mike joined St David’s as Headmaster of the High School in January 2014, and took on the additional role of Executive Headmaster in 2015. Educated at Christian Brothers’ College, Kimberley and the University of Cape Town, Mike has since been headmaster at St Patrick’s CBC Kimberley, Clifton College, Durban and the Dominican Convent School in Johannesburg inner-city. Mike believes strongly in the role of independent education to transform South African society and is committed to innovative structures to achieve this, with the work of the Foundation being critical to do this in the St. David’s context. Mike is married and has four children from ages 23 to 10, with whom he enjoys time away in the bush and reading.

Having matriculated at St Andrew’s College in Grahamstown, Nick completed his studies at Rhodes University in 1993, majoring in History, Politics and Economics. He entered the teaching profession in 1997 and he has taught at St Peter’s Prep School, St Andrew’s College and St David’s Marist Inanda. Having spent the majority of his teaching career in the College space, he changed direction and was appointed as Headmaster of the Prep School. He is passionate about educating young people, focusing particularly on the whole educational journey and especially on building self-confidence and relationships.

Lara completed her Honours degree in Social Work in 1993 and worked as a counsellor before starting her own businesses in 1999 – a marketing consultancy, and an education and training consultancy specialising in working primarily with schools but also with corporate clients. Lara was appointed as Foundation and Marketing Manager after working with St David’s as a marketing consultant and held this position until 2014 when it evolved into Advancement Manager.  Lara is currently the Head of Advancement and a member of the St David's Executive Committee.  She is married with two children.

Fiona trained in Durban and at the Royal Ballet School in London, UK, dancing professionally with PACT Ballet for seven years, before working for a private bank. In 2000 she was one of the six founder members of The South African Ballet Theatre, where she also danced as senior soloist, before taking the reins as managing director. In 2011 she was selected as one of the first 10 South African volunteers on the Vodacom Change the World Programme (part of an international Vodafone initiative), working as fundraiser and marketer for the Sandton SPCA. In 2012 she joined CAF Southern Africa (a non-profit working to facilitate giving, philanthropy, social investment and volunteering) as business development manager, and presented on behalf of CAFSA at the international WINGS Philanthropy Conference in Istanbul, Turkey, in March 2014. She joined the St David's Marist Foundation in October 2014 and in January 2022 she was promoted to Foundation Director.