David Charles (Dave) Brink was born in 1939 at Springs in the Transvaal. He received his schooling at the Potchefstroom Boys' High School and graduated at the University of the Witwatersrand in 1961 with an MSc degree in Mining Engineering. He was further educated at the London School of Economics in 1965.

 

His outstanding career in business started in 1962 when he joined the Anglo American Corporation. David Charles Brink is one of the outstanding captains of industry who are responsible in the RSA for vast wealth-generating activities. His broad overall business involvement is evident in his present position which includes the following: Chief Executive of Sankorp; Chairman of Amalgamated Banks of South Africa {ABSA); Chairman of Murray & Roberts Holdings; Director of Sanlam; Chairman of Mercedes Information Technologies and Director of Gencor and Dene!.

 

To highlight only one area of involvement: as chairman of Amalgamated Banks of South Africa Ltd (ABSA) he directs the future destiny of a hybrid of South African Banks and former building societies and a number of diversified entities in the financial services field. Listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange, it is the largest banking and financial services entity of its kind in Africa, with assets in excess of R85 billion. ABSA has some 85 000 shareholders, including two predominant investors, Sanlam and Universa (of which the major shareholders are the Mines Pension Fund, and the Rembrandt and Sage groups), each holding approximately 25% of the issued share capital. Through its various divisions, subsidiaries and associated companies, ABSA is involved in the full spectrum of domestic and international banking and financial services to both the retail and corporate markets, as well as in long-term and short-term insurance and property services.

 

Many other examples may be cited to illustrate the qualities of Dave Brink. After the 1986 recession Dave Brink, as chief operating officer of the Murray and Roberts industrial holdings giant, in four short years turned disaster into healthy dividends. And there was then no sleight of hand or luck involved, only progress based on knowledge and a firm belief in management accountability.

 

Other outstanding achievements of Dave Brink can be summarized as follows:

 

In 1991 he was nominated as one of the top five businessmen of the year; in 1992 he received the Marketing Person of the Year award as nominated by the Institute of International Marketing Management.

 

His memberships and other activities include:

 

President, Business South Africa; South African Institute of Mining and Metallurgy; Mine Managers' Association (associate member); Councillor of the SA Foundation and Consultative Business Movement; Governor of the Urban Foundation; Joint Vice-Chairman of the South African Foreign Trade Organisation; Member of the Board of Trustees of the SA Nature Foundation­  Past President of the Steel and Engineering Industries Federation of South Africa and past Chairman of the Corporate Forum.

 

Considering his noteworthy achievements, brought about by dedication and applying sound management principles David Charles Brink is a worthy recipient of the degree of Doctor Commercii honoris causa.