The University of Pretoria today announced that after a local and international search, Prof Morris Mthombeni has been appointed as Dean of the Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS). This is for a five year term commencing on the 1st of April 2022.
University of Pretoria’s Vice-Chancellor Prof Tawana Kupe indicated that he, “Would like to thank Prof Mthombeni for availing himself for this substantive position, his dedication and outstanding service to the University during his term as the interim Dean. Moreover, I wish him all the success in this new role.”
In turn Prof Mthombeni said “I am honoured to serve the GIBS and UP community. I have been truly inspired by the dedication of students, staff, clients, faculty, partners, and senior leadership of GIBS and UP who have collectively contributed to the success of the School despite the pandemics and geo-political challenges that continue to prevail.” Prof Mthombeni has been interim dean of GIBS since July 2020, guiding the School’s operations and strategies to advance the School’s mission. “I am committed to building on the School’s legacy of academic excellence through my tenure as we help develop and advance leaders who will lead healthier businesses in a hopefully post-Covid and post-conflict world that is a committed to a just transition.”
Prof Mthombeni joined GIBS in 2014 and was appointed as Executive Director of Faculty in 2017. He has a distinguished academic career, including a PhD from the University of Pretoria, an MBA from Manchester Business School, and an LLB, B. Proc, B. Juris from the University of South Africa (UNISA). He has a wealth of corporate experience with a cumulative in excess of 30 years in the financial services industry.
Prior to joining GIBS, Prof Mthombeni held several leadership positions at Liberty Life and Momentum culminating in a tenure as CEO at Momentum Investments as well as Executive Director at MMI Holdings Limited. Mthombeni has held several board positions, including in the public sector over his career. He serves as a non-executive director at Stangen and Investec Bank Limited and as an advisory board member in several international organisations in the higher education sector.
In addition to his leadership work, Prof Mthombeni is a passionate academic involved in teaching and, research assignments in the fields of strategy and corporate governance in South Africa, Botswana, Rwanda, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Nigeria, Swaziland, England, Germany, Russian, Holland, Poland, and the USA.