Latest News Archive

Please select Category, Year, and then Month to display items
Categories
UFS News Media Release Research
Years
2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024
Months
January February March April May June July August September October November December
Previous Archive
30 July 2020 | Story Leonie Bolleurs | Photo Supplied
Henning Neethling, the newly appointed CFO of Sky News Australia.
After a number of finance jobs in both big and small companies, UFS alumnus Henning Neethling was ready for a new challenge when the opportunity to join one of Australia’s most influential companies came knocking on his door. 

Neethling, who completed his bachelor’s and honours degrees in Accounting at the UFS between 2000 and 2004, together with a Certificate in the Theory of Accounting (CTA), was strongly attracted to the position at Sky News Australia when he was presented the opportunity.  

“The Department of Economic and Management Sciences, especially the amazing lecturers I had during my time there, as well as my fellow students, played a pivotal role in my education and prepared me for this job. As a kid you take things for granted, but the more my career progresses, the more I realise how much effort, investment, and influence these lecturers had on me as a student.”

Neethling also believes that the university inadvertently provides its graduates with an insight into real life; what it would be like to take responsibility for your career, drive your own results through hard work and determination, and to really get tested on how much you wanted something.

Strong relationships

Working at Sky News Australia, especially in the role of Chief Financial Officer (CFO), requires some distinguishing qualities. Neethling feels it is important to always build strong relationships at all levels – not only with staff reporting to you, but also with peers, stakeholders, related parties, suppliers, superiors, etc. 

“For me, relationships lay the foundation for getting things done – more often than not – better and faster due to the collaboration that flows from it,” he says. 

And the UFS also contributed to this skill. Neethling says he learned a great deal during his time at the university, “not only in the classroom, but also on the rugby field playing for Shimlas”. 

“It combined to make me a more rounded person. It is essential, specifically when you are in a leadership position, to have been part of a team and to really understand that dynamic. In the workplace, it is very clear that the more rounded individuals are often people who played team sports or were part of a team. This is where you learn that your actions impact others around you and that you should be ready to be held accountable for it.”

Another quality required of him as CFO is to have a flexible mindset. “Being able to adapt to an ever-changing landscape is key. The only constant is change, and no truer words can be spoken about the media landscape in this day and age. So, to survive – but more importantly – to thrive, you need to adjust to the circumstances and do it swiftly,” he says.

Dealing with COVID-19

If there ever was a time to adjust to circumstances, we can all agree that it is now, with the presence of the COVID-19 pandemic. He says to date, it has been one of the biggest challenges he had to deal with.

“In my first month in this role as CFO of Sky News, COVID-19 really took off on a global scale. It was a combination of numerous reforecast submissions, business interruptions, revaluation of risks, improvement of processes, and uncertainty. But it all came back to strong relationships with the team, the business, and all other stakeholders getting you through something like this.” 

He believes the UFS is on the right track with its mental-health awareness campaigns. “I think the most important lesson an institution such as the university can teach its students and graduates in dealing with the challenges brought by COVID-19, is how we treat people with mental-health issues and also how we manage ourselves when it comes to that.”

And how do one take care of yourself if you are in an ever-changing, fast-paced job as CFO? By starting the day with that first cup of coffee. “I cannot function without that coffee, trust me.” And by making time for loved ones – his six-month-old baby, Maia, and his wife, Madi.

News Archive

UV vestig hom afgelope eeu as leier op verskeie terreine
2004-05-11

Michelle O'Connor - Volksblad - 11 Mei 2004

Ondank terugslae nou 'n 'gesonde volwassene'

HOEWEL die Universiteit van die Vrystaat (UV) vanjaar sy eeufees vier en met 23 000 studente die grootste universiteit in die sentrale deel van die land is, was dié instelling se geboorte glad nie maklik nie. MICHELÉ O'CONNOR het met prof. Frederick Fourie, rektor, oor die nederige begin van dié instelling gesels.

DIE behoefte aan 'n eie universiteit in die Vrystaat het reeds in 1855, kort ná die stigting van Grey-kollege, kop uitgesteek.

Grey se manne het hulleself teen 1890 begin voorberei om die intermediêre B.A.-eksamens af te lê. Dié eksamen het hulle toegang gegee tot die tweede jaar van 'n B.A.-graad aan die destydse University of the Cape Good Hope, nou die Universiteit van Kaapstad.

"Presidente F.W. Reitz en M.T. Steyn het destyds albei die stigting van 'n universiteit hier bepleit. Die grootste rede was sodat die seuns van die Vrystaat nie weggestuur word nie.

"Dié twee se droom is op 28 Januarie 1904 bewaarheid toe ses studente hulle onder dr. Johannes Bril, as hoof/rektor van Grey-kollege, vir die graad B.A. ingeskryf het. Dié graad is aanvanklik deur die Kaapse universiteit toegeken.

"Net die klassieke tale soos Latyns en Grieks, die moderne tale, Nederlands, Duits en Engels, filosofie, geskiedenis, wiskunde, fisika, chemie, plant- en dierkunde is aanvanklik aangebied.

"Die UV se geboue het gegroei van 'n klein tweevertrek-geboutjie wat nou naby Huis Abraham Fischer staan, en verblyf in die Grey-kollege se seunskoshuis," sê Fourie.

Volgens hom is die universiteit se eerste raad en senaat tussen 1904 en 1920 saamgestel. Die eerste dosente is aangestel en die eerste geboue opgerig. "Dié tyd was egter baie moeilik.

"Die instelling het teen 1920 net 100 studente gehad en was geldelik in die knyp. Daar was geen vaste rektor nie en geen vooruitgang nie. Vrystaatse kinders is steeds na ander universiteite gestuur.

"Ds. J.D. Kestell, rektor van 1920 tot 1927, het egter dié instelling finaal gevestig.

"Hy het self studente van oor die hele Vrystaat gewerf en geld by onder meer kerke en banke ingesamel. Kestell het selfs Engelse ouers oortuig om hul kinders na die Greyuniversiteitskollege (GUK) te stuur en teen 1927 het dié instelling met 400 studente gespog.

"In die tydperk tussen 1927 en 1950 het die GUK weer verskeie terugslae beleef.

"In dié tyd was dit onder meer die Groot Depressie en die Tweede Wêreldoorlog. Die armblanke-vraagstuk het regstreeks op studente en dosente ingewerk en die politieke onderstrominge van dié tyd het die instelling ontwrig.

"Die GUK het egter oorleef en die Universiteitskollege van die Oranje-Vrystaat (UKOVS) is in 1935 gebore," sê Fourie.

Hy sê in dié tyd is verskeie fakulteite gevestig en teen 1950 het die UKOVS met 1 000 studente gespog.

Teen 1950 het dit 'n onafhanklike universiteit geword en die naam is verander na die Universiteit van die OranjeVrystaat (UOVS).

Dié tydperk is gekenmerk deur Afrikaner- en blanke selfvertroue en heerskappy. Studentegetalle het tot 7 000 in 1975 gegroei en heelwat vooruitgang het in dié tyd plaasgevind.

"Tussen 1976 en 1989 sukkel dieuniversiteit weer met onder meer ekonomiese krisisse, die land se politieke onstabiliteit en word die UOVS geï soleer.

"Een ligpunt in dié tyd is die toelating van die eerste swart studente, die nuwe Sasol-biblioteek en die fakulteit teologie wat die lig sien.

"Tussen 1990 en vanjaar het die UOVS verskeie op- en afdraandes beleef. Die universiteit doen nie net die eerste stappe van transformasie nie, maar begin ook aan 'n beleid van multikulturaliteit werk.

"Die UOVS se naam verander in 1996 na die Universiteit van die Vrystaat/University of the Free State en in 2001 word die Sotho-vertaling bygevoeg.

"Geldelike druk en probleme neem drasties toe en personeel word gerasionaliseer.

"Teen 2000 begin die UV met 'n draaistrategie en studentegetalle neem tot meer as 23 000 toe," sê Fourie.

Hy sê die UV het die afgelope eeu nie net verskeie terugslae oorleef nie, maar homself ook op verskeie gebiede as 'n leier gevestig.

Die universiteit behaal sy eie geldelike mikpunte, neem 'n nuwe taalbeleid van veeltaligheid aan en herbelê in personeel.

Die instelling inkorporeer die kampusse van die Vista- en Qwaqwa-universiteit en groei internasionaal.

Die UV vestig ook fondamente van 'n institusionele kultuur van verdraagsaamheid, geregtigheid en diversiteit.

"Die baba het in die afgelope eeu 'n gesonde volwassene geword."

We use cookies to make interactions with our websites and services easy and meaningful. To better understand how they are used, read more about the UFS cookie policy. By continuing to use this site you are giving us your consent to do this.

Accept