Stephen van Coller

Stephen van Coller

Westville Old Boy, Stephen van Coller recently returned to WBHS as the Guest of Honour at the annual Matric Speech Night and Bell Ringing Ceremony.

Stephen was granted a WBHS Old Boys’ Pro Meritis Award for his roles in the global corporate and investment world. Stephen has earned the highest reputation as a business giant and a major role player in the South African economy. He has recently accepted a position at MTN to head up their Strategy, Mergers and Acquisitions division. Prior to that, he was CEO of global investment banking for the Barclays Africa Group Ltd where he oversaw assets of over R250b. In the course of his career, he has worked closely with leading personalities from the political and business arena, and has represented his organisations and the country at the World Economic Forum.   Despite the lofty heights that he has achieved in his career, he has remained humble, approachable and sensitive to the needs of the School.

The citation reads as follows:

“The Old Boy Pro Meritis Award can best be defined as an award to a graduate of Westville Boys’ High School who has achieved a “degree of excellence” in his subsequent life.

Not necessarily in any one skill or because he has been blessed with particular talent, rather it is an award to a person who has achieved the highest degree of excellence to which we aspire in the School and who has by example of character, attitude, service, involvement, application, unselfishness, modesty and dedication over a period of time, reflected the personal attributes which we value in our School.

It is an award which, in its entirety, is the highest honour that the School can bestow on an Old Boy.  It is an award which is not bestowed very often and the ultimate decision will rest with the Headmaster.”