Following the untimely passing of Derek Jacobs, we are pleased to announce that Mr Geoffrey de Jager has taken over as Chairman of the Rhodes University UK Trust.
De Jager was born and educated in South Africa. He graduated from Rhodes in 1973 with a BComm and from Natal University in 1975 with an LLB. He now lives in Oxford with his wife Caroline and they have four children.
He began his working life as a lawyer before going into banking where he was one of the founding directors of Rand Merchant Bank Limited where he remained as executive director until he immigrated to the UK in 1987.
De Jager founded Anglo Suisse Investments Limited and has served on numerous boards including Rand Merchant Bank Limited, Lenco Holdings Limited and Malbak Limited.
He has been a Trustee of the Rhodes University UK Trust for several years and is also an exceptionally generous benefactor. His other philanthropic interests include serving as Trustee of Oxford Philomusica as well as of The Living Well Programme. In addition he is a Patron of the Sparrow Schools Foundation and an Honorary Fellow of Trinity College, Oxford.