Dr Jan van der Meulen is appointed as chairperson of a rapidly growing Department. He wrote the doctoral examination in the Economic Sciences in 1951 at the Nederlandse Economische Hogeschool in Rotterdam (the Netherlands). In 1950 he was employed by the Nederland-Noord-Europa Instituut, an organisation which was responsible for trade relations between the Netherlands and the Northern European countries. In the years thereafter, van der Meulen was employed at several Dutch companies including KLM.

Van der Meulen furthered his studies in Rotterdam and Cologne (Germany) before accepting a position as senior lecturer and head of the Department in 1961²⁷. He completed his DCom degree in 1963 under the supervision of Prof CGW Schumann and Prof JL Sadie, and was promoted to Professor of Business Economics in 1964²⁸. Van der Meulen played an important role in establishing the USB (now called the Stellenbosch Business School). He also served as the first director of the USB from 1964 to 1972²⁹.

In 1970 Van der Meulen accepted a position at the University of the Western Cape (UWC) where he was elected head of the Department of Business Management in 1977. In 1980 he was appointed as dean of UWC’s Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences³⁰. He penned several publications in the field of business economics during his academic career.

Prof Arie Ewert Scheurkogel is elected as chairperson³¹. He was born in 1923 in Lydenburg, Transvaal (Mpumalanga). After matriculating from Lydenburg High School, he enrolled for a BCom degree at Stellenbosch University. Following his graduation in 1943, he started his career as a researcher at the newly established Bureau for Economic Research. During this time, he also completed his MCom degree at Stellenbosch University.

He then proceeded to work for the Reserve Bank, the Cukkinan Refractories (a mine in Tanzania) and the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR). He started his academic career at the University of the Orange Free State, becoming Professor and head of the Department of Business Economics³². He completed his DCom at Stellenbosch University in 1966. Scheurkogel was appointed as Professor of Business Economics in 1970³³.

Scheurkogel authored several academic publications which included the first fully-fledged business economics textbook. Outside the Department, he served in various commissions of inquiry, such as the one into export trade to South Africa in 1972, he was a member of the National Productivity Council, and for a long time he provided consultation services to companies in the private sector, notably those in the cement industry³⁴. Scheurkogel retired in 1983.

During his tenure, the Department instituted a stock exchange game that was played by hundreds of Business Management students in the years that followed. In the early 1980s, students’ transactions were entered onto punchcards and analysed on the University’s main frame computer. The life insurance company Sanlam sponsored prizes for the winners of this fictional investment game³⁵. As technology developed, students were able to capture their transactions online.

Prof Rias Johann van Wyk steered the Department whilst Prof Scheurkogel was on sabbatical. Van Wyk obtained a Master’s degree from the University of Pretoria (1962), followed by an MPA in Science, Technology and Public Policy from the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University (1966). In 1970, he graduated with a DCom (Economics) degree from Stellenbosch University. He served as the Head of the Department of Economics at the University of the Orange Free Strate from 1969 to 1972 before joining the Department in 1972. Van Wyk founded the Unit for the Study of Technological Innovation in 1983³⁶.

After leaving the Department three years later, Van Wyk was appointed Professor of Business Administration at the University of Cape Town Graduate School of Business. He joined the University of Minnesota in 2002 and received numerous honours and awards. These include a Fellowship issued by the Stellenbosch Institute for Advanced Study (STIAS) in 2012, becoming the first President of the Management of Technology Accreditation Board in 2009, and being issued the Distinguished Achievement Award in Management of Technology by the International Association for Management of Technology in 2005. In 2010, the Rias van Wyk Foresight Award was instituted by the Technology Leadership Institute at the University of Minnesota in recognition of his contribution to the field³⁷.

Prof Izak Jacobus Lambrechts replaces Scheurkogel as chairperson³⁸. Lambrechts joined the Department in 1969 following a career as investment researcher at Sanlam (1962-1965) and financial controller at the Stellenbosch Wine Trust (1965-1969). Upon completion of his MBA in 1970, he was promoted to senior lecturer the very next year. He attained the degree DCom (Business Economics) from Stellenbosch University in 1974 and was promoted to Professor a mere three years later³⁹.

Lambrechts served as member of the Eskom Electricity Council from 1985 to 2002⁴⁰. In 1991 he presented the first course on determining electricity rates in the country. This popular course was attended by Eskom staff and employees of local authorities (mainly treasurers and electrical engineers), consulting engineers and university lecturers⁴¹. Lambrechts published several articles and edited a seminal book on financial management.

Under his leadership several new modules were introduced including distribution management, property investment and financing, futuristics, and production and operations management. The number of students graduating with a postgraduate qualification increased during his tenure⁴². After an academic career spanning more than three decades, Lambrechts retired in 2003⁴³.

Prof Marius Leibold takes over the reins as Departmental chairperson⁴⁴. He obtained the degrees BCom (1969), HonsBCom (1974), MCom (1976) and DCom (Business Economics) (1981) from Stellenbosch University. He started his career as financial controller at W.R. Grace (Africa) (1970-1972) and Denel (1972-1974). He joined the Department in 1974 and was promoted to senior lecturer in 1980⁴⁵. From 1983 to 1984 he was an Associate Professor at the UWC where he also held the position of Director of the Institute for Entrepreneurship and Small Business⁴⁶.

Leibold returned to Stellenbosch University in 1984. In 1995, he was promoted to Professor of Strategic International Management. He also served as a member of the Institute for Applied Management Sciences (1984-1990), as Director of the Center for International Business (1995-1999), and as board member of the Bureau for Economic Research (2000-2006). Throughout his academic career he was invited as visiting Professor to universities in Europe and the United States include Harvard Business School. Leibold retired in 2006 after a very productive academic career of 32 years⁴⁷.

Prof Pieter George (PG) du Plessis steps into the top decision-making position in the Department. He was born in 1947 in Nylstroom (now Modimolle in Limpopo). During his student years at the University of Pretoria, where he obtained a BCom (Accounting) degree, he played rugby for Northern Transvaal. In 1972 he ran onto the field at Ellis Park as lock for the Springbok rugby team against England. He then moved to the Cape, and from 1973 to 1978 was a member of the Western Province rugby team.

Du Plessis joined the Department in 1975 and obtained his doctorate in Business Economics two years later under the supervision of Prof Scheurkogel. He was later promoted to Professor and served as the President of the South African Institute for Management Scientists (SAIMS) for two terms⁵⁰. In 1997 he was appointed as Chief Director: Student Affairs at Stellenbosch University⁵¹. In 2003, he entered the private sector as founder and co-owner of the International Academy for Leadership through Adventure.

In line with international developments, the Department changed its name from Business Economics to Business Management⁵².

Prof Frederick Jacobus (Erik) Mostert assumes the role of chairperson⁵³. Mostert matriculated from Robertson High school and obtained the degrees BCom (1972), HonsBCom (1974), MCom (1976) and DCom (Business Economics) (1983) at Stellenbosch University. He joined the Department in 1974⁵⁴ and was promoted to senior lecturer in 1980⁵⁵.

In 1989 he is promoted to Professor in the newly established Chair in Short-term Insurance, a position made possible through a donation from Santam, a leading short-term insurer in the country. For many years Santam presented the best performing undergraduate short-term insurance student with a cash prize. This module covered topics related to, amongst others, fire and property insurance, marine insurance, aviation insurance, personal accident insurance, interruption insurance, and reinsurance.

During his career, Mostert not only lectured short-term insurance, but also published several research articles in this specialist subject area. He retired in 2016 after 42 years of uninterrupted service to the University and Department.

Prof Johann Urbanus (Johann) de Villiers is appointed as chairperson⁵⁷. De Villiers attained the degrees BEng (Chemical Engineering) (1976) andMBA (1980) from Stellenbosch University and worked at, amongst others, the Industrial Development Corporation and Financial Services Board (not the Financial Sector Conduct Authority). He completed his PhD at the University of the Witwatersrand before accepting a position in the Department in 1997. In 2000, de Villiers received the Rector’s Award for Research Excellence.

De Villiers played a pivotal role in the establishment of the Investment Management focal area in the Department. It became the fourth focal area alongside Financial Management, Marketing Management and Strategic Management (now called Entrepreneurship and Innovation Management). Modules presented in the Investment Management focal area prepare graduates for employment in the investment industry and covers the majority of the internationally recognised Certified Financial Analyst (CFA) qualification’s Level 1 curriculum. The Level 2 and 3 curricula are included in the BComHons (Business Management: Financial Analysis) degree. Stellenbosch University is part of the CFA Institute University Affiliation Program and incorporates the CFA Program Candidate Body of Knowledge within the program.

After serving two terms as dean of the Faculty (2004 - 2013), de Villiers successfully completed the full-time postgraduate diploma in Sustainable Development presented by the University’s Sustainability Institute⁵⁸. He returns to the Department in 2015 and remained a committed lecturer and postgraduate supervisor until his retirement in 2022⁵⁹.

Prof Nicolaas Stephanus (Nic) Terblanche takes over the reins of the Department⁶¹. He obtained the degrees BEkon (Business Economics) (1975), M (Town and Regional Planning) (1978), and DPhil (Town and Regional Planning) (1989) at Stellenbosch University⁶². He joins the Department in 1990 and ascends to the rank of Professor in Marketing Management within a few years. Terblanche is an exceptional researcher who published numerous articles during (and even after) his academic career. He is the first South African researcher to publish an article in the Harvard Business Review.

In 2007 he was awarded the Rector’s Award for Research Excellence for the second time in his career. In the same year, he received a B2 rating from the National Research Foundation (NRF) in recognition of the quality and impact of his research. In 2008, the prestigious lifelong honorary membership award of the South African Institute for Management Scientists (SAIMS) was bestowed on Terblanche⁶¹ followed by yet another Rector’s Award for Research Excellence in 2010. Terblanche drove the implementation of two news postgraduate diplomas in the Department, one in Marketing and one in Financial Planning. Both diplomas have received international acclaim in the years since. After a 26-year association with the Department, he retires at the end of 2016.

Prof Hendrik Christoffel (Christo) Boshoff is appointed as chairperson⁶⁴. He studied at the University of Port Elizabeth (now Nelson Mandela University) before embarking on a teaching career in the same town. He started his academic career in 1985 at the Port Elizabeth campus of Vista University. Boshoff completed his PhD at the University of Pretoria within 18 months. He moves to Otago University (New Zealand) for a few years before returning to South Africa. Boshoff joins the Department in 2006.

He has written several textbooks on marketing and services marketing and has done pioneering neurophysiological research with an emphasis on Marketing. He was the editor of Management Dynamics for almost 20 years. Boshoff received a B3 rating from the National Research Foundation (NRF) three times in a row as well as three Rector’s Awards for Research Excellence. In 2017 he was also awarded the prestigious Chancellor’s Award for his significant contribution as researcher⁶⁵.

Prof Laetitia van Dyk was the first woman to take charge of the Department since its establishment. Prior to assuming this position, she was chairperson of the Centre for Leadership Studies at the Stellenbosch Business School, the Institute of Bankers in South Africa, and the Bankmed Board of Trustees. She previously served as Human Resources director: UK Banking at Barclays PLC in London, and before that was group executive director of the Absa Group. Van Dyk served as a member of several corporate boards including KWV. She was also elected as chairperson of the Absa Klein Karoo Nasionale Kunstefees (KKNK) board in 2011⁶⁶. She is highly regarded as an expert in the field of sustainable leadership and the promotion of women in leadership.

Prof Gert Human is elected as the 13th chairperson of the Department. He obtained his PhD from UCT/Manchester Business School. His research interests focus on strategy in complex business-to-business networks and strategic transformations. His work appears in leading international and local journals. Human serves on multiple editorial boards and is an active member of the Strategic Management Society, the Industrial Marketing and Purchasing Group, and the South African Institute of Management Sciences (SAIMS).

Twenty-seven full-time academics and five administrative staff ensure the smooth running of the Department which now has more than 8 000 registered students. In step with the Faculty’s mission, colleagues strive to develop ethical, engaged, and innovative graduates who are devoted to responsible economic and societal progress. They are furthermore committed to excellence, inclusivity, engaged learning, impactful research, and meaningful partnerships.

As in the previous 10 decades, lecturers are passionate about generating new knowledge about business management and sharing this knowledge with their students and the wider community. Curricula are regularly updated to account for rapid changes in the macro environment.