Prof Leon Marx Brümmer (24 April 1940 – 9 February 2025) made an outstanding contribution to the University of Pretoria and the broader financial management community. After obtaining his BCom degree from the Potchefstroom University for Christian Higher Education (now North-West University) in 1961, Prof Brümmer worked in various roles as an accountant and financial manager in the private sector between 1961 and 1970. He pursued further studies at the University of Pretoria, obtaining an MCom (Accounting) degree in 1965, an MBA in 1968, and a DBA in 1975. His doctoral thesis was titled “A critical analysis of investment and the factors influencing investment in the South African basic chemical industry, 1973”.

 

Prof Brümmer was a member of several professional organisations, including the South African Association of Business Leadership, the South African Investment Analyst Association, the South African Academy of Science and Arts, and the Southern Africa Institute of Management Scientists.

 

Prof Brümmer’s affiliation with the University of Pretoria began in 1971 when he joined the Graduate School of Management, where he taught Corporate Finance and Investment Management. From 1984 to 1988, he served as Director of the Graduate School of Management and later, from 1991 to 2000, as Director of the Bureau of Financial Analysis (BFA). His role at the BFA was instrumental in developing the unit into a key resource for financial data. Originally part of the former Institute of Business Administration at the University of Pretoria, the BFA grew into a self-supporting entity by 1992, providing financial data and comparative studies to clients in industry.

 

Recognising the potential of its financial database, the BFA transitioned into a commercial entity in partnership with McGregor Information Services, eventually forming McGregor BFA (now IRESS), one of the largest disseminators of financial data in South Africa. Prof Brümmer joined McGregor BFA in 2000 in a full-time capacity after his retirement from the University, but continued to work part-time at the Department of Financial Management, focusing on research and mentoring.

 

Prof Brümmer also served as a trustee of the University of Pretoria Pension Fund and was a member of its Investment Committee. Additionally, he acted as a trustee for several private pension funds, contributing his financial expertise to managing and overseeing their investment portfolios.

 

Throughout his career, Prof Brümmer supervised 27 doctoral students and numerous master's and MBA dissertations, significantly contributing to corporate finance and investment management research. He authored or co-authored five textbooks in these fields and published extensively in leading management journals and conference proceedings. As a management consultant, he gained extensive experience in both the private and public sectors. Even in his part-time role at the University, he dedicated one day a week to supporting academic staff with their studies and article writing and supervising master's and doctoral candidates.

 

Prof Brümmer’s legacy at the University of Pretoria and in the South African financial sector is one of exceptional academic contributions, mentorship, and pioneering role in developing financial data systems.