Personal information
Biography
Kurt April is currently the Allan Gray Chair, an Endowed Professorship, specialising in Leadership, Diversity & Inclusion, and Director of the Allan Gray Centre for Values-Based Leadership at the GSB, University of Cape Town (South Africa, 1998-present), Orchestrator and Faculty Member of DukeCE (Duke University, USA, 2008-present), and Adjunct Faculty of Saïd Business School (University of Oxford, UK, 2000-present).
Previously, he was a Research Fellow of Ashridge-Hult (UK, 2004-2016), Visiting Professor at London Metropolitan University (UK, 2014-2017), Visiting Professor at Rotterdam School of Management (Erasmus University, Netherlands, 2001-2013), and Visiting Professor in the Faculty of Economics & Econometrics (University of Amsterdam UvA, Netherlands, 2004-2007).
Outside of academia, Kurt is the Managing Partner of LICM Consulting (South Africa, 2001-present), Managing Director: Leadership, Diversity & Inclusion Practice at Oxford Acuity (Singapore, 2019-present), Shareholder and Director of the Achievement Awards Group (South Africa, 2007-present), and Shareholder of bountiXP (Pty) Ltd (South Africa, 2019-present).
Previously, he was Chairman of the International Advisory Council (DIAC) to Novartis International AG (Switzerland, 2006-2019), an Owner-Director of Helderview BMW Somerset West (South Africa, 2010-2016), Global Agenda Council Member (Talent & Diversity) of the World Economic Forum (Switzerland, 2009-2013), Non-Executive Director of Power Group Holdings - Construction & Developments (South Africa, 2012-2018), Executive Director of Complex Adaptive Systems (South Africa, 2003-2006), and Non-Executive Director of the International School of Cape Town (Education Development Trust, UK, 2013-2019).
Kurt is an Editorial Board Member of the European Management Review (UK), Editorial Review Board Member of the Africa Journal of Management (USA), Editorial Board Member of Good Governance, Ethics & Leadership (UK), and Editorial Advisory Board Member of the Academy of Taiwan Business Management Review (Taiwan).
Previously, he was an Editorial Board Member of the British Journal of Management (UK), an Editorial Board Member of the Journal of Management Education (USA), an Editorial Board Member of Annual Review of High Performance Coaching & Consulting (UK), an Editorial Board Member of the International Journal of Information Systems & Social Change (USA), Advisory Board Member of the Knowledge Management Professional Society (USA), the Chief Editor of the Journal for Convergence (SA), and previously an Advisory Board Member to the Unit for Diversity, Inclusion & Community Engagement (DICE) at the University of Leicester (UK).
Kurt holds a doctoral degree in Economics & IT Strategy (Ph.D), Certificate in Japanese Production, Masters degree in Business Administration (MBA), Masters degree in Electronic Engineering (MSc(ElecEng)), Higher Diploma in Education (HDE), Bachelors degree in Electrical Engineering (BSc(ElecEng)), National Diploma in Electronic Engineering (NDip(EE)), National Diploma in Logic Systems (NDip(LS)) completed at the University of Cape Town (South Africa), University of Oxford (UK), Wingfield College (South Africa) and AOTS Nagoya (Japan). He has published over 196 academic articles/book chapters/conference papers/reports/op-eds, and written 11 books.