The University of Pretoria's Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) has announced the appointment of Dr Rozett (Roze) Phillips as the School's Director of Value Creation. Dr Phillips is the former Group Executive: People and Culture for Absa Group Limited. The appointment is effective from 1 March 2021. 

She will work alongside the Dean, Dr Morris Mthombeni, and become part of the executive management team to realise the School's digitally-led and people-centred strategy. She will be in charge of executing a holistic strategy to acquire, retain and grow the portfolio of GIBS clients. Dr Phillips holds a Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery (MBChB), a Master’s in Business Administration (MBA), both from the University of Cape Town and a Postgraduate Diploma in Futures Studies from the University of Stellenbosch Business School.

GIBS Dean Dr Morris Mthombeni said, "We are looking forward to working with Roze as she brings a wealth of experience and strategic expertise to enable GIBS to grow in a digitally-led and transformative learning environment.”

Dr Phillips has built her reputation as an African futurist and advisor on the future of work, having worked extensively with leaders from leading companies. Prior to joining GIBS, she served on the Absa Group Executive Committee and Absa Board Social and Ethics and Remuneration committees spearheading the human capital and culture transformation agenda across the group. She was instrumental in leading the organisation's People and Culture team in its journey to digitally transform and transition all people management systems and processes from that of Barclays, its previous 'parent' company. 

Before joining Absa, she worked with Accenture as a Strategic Advisory Lead (focusing on human capital management, supply chain and financial management, and digital transformation) and a member of the Accenture Africa Regional Council and the Accenture South Africa Board of Directors. She was also the Africa Business Lead: Market Sectors that catered to large-scale domestic and global clients in consumer services. She was with this organisation for 18 years, including holding a position as the regional innovation chief, where she created the enablers for Accenture to lead innovation in the region. In 2019 Dr Phillips was appointed by the country’s Minister of Higher Education to serve on the Board of the Banking Sector Education and Training Authority (BANKSETA). 

“I have a personal purpose of unlocking Africa’s abundance and a fundamental belief that learning is the gift you give your future self. I am very excited to join GIBS as a formidable African institution that serves at the intersection of what I believe in and what I value. A perfect match,” she said.