STEPS 2022 - 18 “The Royal Dutch Shell scholarship people came and told me about their scholarship and asked if I wanted to apply to go to Lancaster. I applied and it was incumbent on them to fight the government for me to come to the UK. I felt very fortunate that they did that.” Reuel arrived in Lancaster in 1978 for an experience that was to change the path of his life and career. It was a totally new learning environment from South Africa – ‘You were treated as a fully-fledged human being, not just a student.’ – and a different climate as well – ‘When the sun came out, everybody rejoiced!’. “It was an eye-opener for me,” says Reuel, who benefitted greatly from learning under Head of Marketing, Peter Spillard, who spent time with students as individuals in formal and informal settings. “The exposure broadens your horizons in more ways than one: the overseas exposure; the exposure to a different kind of education; being in a different country and imbibing a different culture.” Upon his return home, Reuel’s Lancaster experience put him in a strong position for career success, though the political situation in South Africa meant his race would still count against him. “You have to make sure that you don’t come across as brash because you have been studying in England,” he says. “You have to show confidence and that you are a person who can make a difference, without unduly ruffling feathers.” “I was the first South African – black or white – to have a Master’s degree in Marketing or Marketing Management. I came back better equipped, and Royal Dutch Shell insisted that I worked for them, which I did by way of saying thank you.” For 16 years, Reuel ran a management consultancy firm and then played major roles at many corporations. He is currently chairman of Assupol Holdings Ltd, Discovery Bank, and past chairman of the Public Investment Corporation Ltd, Nedbank Group Limited, GlaxoSmithKline and Eskom Holdings Ltd, among others. He has also recently been appointed Chancellor of the University of Kwa-Zulu Natal, following previous spells in the same role at the Universities of Limpopo and Medunsa. It is a career that took a significant turn during his 12 months in Lancaster – to where he returned with three generations of family for his daughter Munene’s graduation with an MA in Language and Linguistics in 2014 – a place he holds dear to his heart. With a final smile, he says: “I take great pride in having spent at least a little time at Lancaster, and I really used that exposure as a fulcrum for furthering my career.” To read the full interview visit www.lancaster.ac.uk/alumni Reuel at Lancaster University Reuel with Marketing Staff and Students at Lancaster
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy NTI5NzM=