Before his election to this position, he was the chairperson of the NWU Alumni Society and an executive member of the NWU Convocation (both from August 2014) and a member of the NWU Council (from August 2017).

 

“It is a privilege to have been given the opportunity to care for the interests of the NWU. In my new role I plan to use my experience, knowledge and ambition to serve the university,” says Bert.

 

Life during and after varsity

 

Bert was born in Potchefstroom in 1959 and matriculated from Hoër Volkskool in Potchefstroom in 1976. He enrolled at the NWU, then known as the Potchefstroom University for Christian Higher Education (PU for CHE), and completed his BIuris in 1979 and his LLB in 1981.

 

“During my time at the university I served on the very first house committee of the Villagers residence, where I was the primarius for two years.” Bert was also on the Student Council.“At the PU for CHE, I was known for being vocal about the dress code. Male students had to wear a jacket and a tie on campus.  I was often found on campus wearing a pair of jeans, which was prohibited,” says Bert.

 

He was admitted as an attorney in 1986 after completing his articles at the firm Couzyn, Hertzog and Horak. He then tried his hand at lecturing at the then Technikon South Africa, which was later incorporated into Unisa. During his time as a lecturer, he published two student text books.

 

“I spent the majority of my career in the banking industry where I served as a legal advisor. I moved up the ranks and held various managerial positions within credit risk departments,” he says. Bert was head of risk management for Nedbank’s African affiliates from 2006 to 2012. He currently works as the legal counsel for litigation and disputes for the Nedbank Group.