Australia

As part of the inauguration of the Wits Australian Board of Directors office we had a whistle stop adrenalin infused visit with over 15 engagements across four Australian cities. Our remarkable Chancellor Dr Judy Dlamini and the Chair of the Wits Foundation Board of Governors, Arnie Basserabie joined us.

Engagements included a luncheon with the Zylstra family who have generously sponsored the Brian and Dorothy Zylstra Wits Institute for Sport and Health; three very well attended boardroom lunches ably chaired by prominent Wits Australian alumni Dr Rod Baxter (Perth), Peter Polson (Melbourne) and Stephen Koseff (former CEO of Investec – Sydney), cocktail networking evenings generously hosted at the houses of Dani and Leanne Peer (Melbourne) and Avi and Ariella Spyrides (Sydney), alumni reunions and Women in Leadership discourses presented by our Chancellor at the Melbourne Business School, University of Wollongong’s Sydney Business School and at Corrs Chambers Westgarth. Chancellor of the University of New South Wales (UNSW), and prominent businessman and philanthropist, David Gonski AC hosted us at UNSW. His father, Dr Alex Gonski qualified at Wits as a neurosurgeon.

All in all, the delegation met more than 350 alumni and friends of Wits during the eight-day visit. The Australian Kudu Giving Circle was launched with an appeal to Witsies to remember their alma mater.