Stellenbosch University’s (SU) Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences (FMHS) welcomes back Stefan Engelbrecht next month as the new Senior Director: Business Management. It is yet another milestone in a long and fulfilling journey that he embarked on when he ventured into accounting somewhat hesitantly after school.

“I started off not really knowing what I wanted to do after school,” Engelbrecht recalls. “I eventually settled on accounting, completed my articles at an auditing firm and then joined SU about 14 years ago.”

He has been at the University, in one capacity or another, ever since. His first position was as Manager of the clinical training grant, but that lasted for just a month or two before he became Manager: Business Management.

This was a support role to the Senior Director: Business Management – the position he will now hold after his former mentor, Eben Mouton, retires at the end of March after more than 20 years of service.

Engelbrecht looks back fondly at his time working with Mouton, but also remembers the many challenges he faced initially: “I had a very steep learning curve as quite a number of processes and systems weren’t in place at the time. One of my core functions was to put these in place.  

“Over time my role expanded, and about five years in I was promoted to Deputy Director: Business Management. I remained in that role for the next six years. During that period, both my team and the complexity of the Faculty’s operations continued to grow.”

Although he enjoyed the diverse nature of his position, he was keen to expand his horizons even further. So, when an opportunity came along at the Stellenbosch Business School, he successfully applied for the position of Director: Operations.

Engelbrecht observes: “From a career progression perspective, I believe it was the right decision. On a personal level, it gave me a new perspective of the University – its systems and how it functions; what works, what doesn’t work.” 

Then, when the position of Senior Director: Business Management became available at the FMHS, he applied. “Fortunately, I was successful,” he says, “and now I’m back at the Faculty.” 

Engelbrecht’s hands-on experience provides him with a solid background for his new role: “Initially, I was closely involved in the day-to-day operational activities. I have a strong understanding of the student experience at a granular level and understand the daily challenges researchers and clinicians face. This gives me a solid foundation to move to a strategic level focusing on financial sustainability and creating a platform for the Faculty’s continued growth.”

Engelbrecht’s appointment comes at a key moment in the FMHS’ history: It is celebrating 70 years of excellence in health sciences’ training and research this year under the theme “Legacy through Impact”.

“So many good things happened in the last 70 years,” he says. “I’m excited about the possibilities at the Faculty. There are so many opportunities that we can explore both in the research and learning and teaching space.”

He adds: “Working in the medical field and being closely connected to healthcare facilities, allows us to make a tangible contribution to society. We have a direct impact on people’s lives.”

A key part of his new position is to provide staff with the financial and operational backbone to make it easier for them to perform this life-enhancing role. “That is very important to me,” he says. 

“My predecessor set an excellent foundation for us to build on. I find myself in the privileged position of now being able to build on that foundation for the next 20 years of my remaining term. When I retire, we should be in an even better position than we are now.”

Engelbrecht refers to the many significant changes he has witnessed first-hand at the FMHS over the years. “The first thing is the student numbers, which has increased substantially. 

“The number of PhD students tripled – it’s substantially more than it was in 2012. Along with student numbers, the number of staff members also grew substantially and research has expanded exponentially.

“The Faculty didn’t just grow in numbers, but in physical size as well, with multiple buildings that were added. There has been major growth over the last 10 years.”

Engelbrecht comments: “With all this growth comes more complexity. With more students, there is more of an administrative burden that needs to be managed. With more staff, there are staff issues that need to be managed. And with all the infrastructure, there’s the maintenance, the financing of the maintenance, the operations, etc.”

He will take his time before introducing any changes. “Initially, I will maintain the status quo and see how I can improve on systems and processes,” he says.

He is quick to point out, though, that digital transformation is an area of particular interest to him. He is keen to introduce technology that can improve the FMHS’ processes and operations and, in addition, can help ensure its financial sustainability.

“Under the umbrella of digital transformation, AI (artificial intelligence) would be one of the areas we need to look at,” says Engelbrecht. “AI is not the only game in town, but wherever we can use it to our advantage, we should, especially from an operational point of view.”

He is clearly looking forward to taking up his new position and meeting some colleagues for the first time. “There are a few executive heads I haven’t met before,” he says. “I would like to hear their views and ideas on how I can support them. This will be one of my first priorities.”

He is aware that he will face many new challenges. “I think one of the big challenges that we will have to address is funding,” he notes. “With government funding under pressure, we need to diversify our income and look at ways to expand our third to fifth stream funding.”

And while Engelbrecht is excited about the new MBChB curriculum being phased in – the sixth-year students will be away from Tygerberg for the first time next year – he points out that this will require careful planning: “Not just from a logistical perspective, but financially as well. Funding will always be the overarching challenge.”

He is not daunted by these challenges: “My function, and that of my entire team, is to support the vision of the Faculty and to make sure the researchers, clinicians and learning and teaching staff can focus on their work and not be bogged down by administrative and operational issues. That is where my office becomes key to setting up the platform on which the Faculty’s core business can function.”

Although Engelbrecht’s new position will take up most of his attention and energy, he still intends to spend as much time as possible with his family. “Outside of work, I cherish the moments with my wife, and our three boys – aged 4, 9 and 11. They keep us young,” he says. “I like to spend time with them whenever I get the chance and we go to the park every evening, even if it’s just for 15 minutes.”

He also makes time to keep healthy and stay fit. “I’m a bit of an amateur runner; my wife and I try to run together,” he says. “We live in Paarl and love going into the mountain. Unfortunately, the kids aren’t too excited about that...”

Even though it will place further demands on his time, Engelbrecht is eager to take up his new role: “I feel fortunate to return to a position where I can make a meaningful impact on people’s lives – something that has become increasingly important to me over time.”

He will be returning to a very supportive environment. “I think people are relieved I was appointed because there won’t be such a steep learning curve for me,” he says. “I know the Faculty and I know what is expected of me. 

“From a staff perspective, I really cherish everybody in our team. I see it as part of my role to keep us together and ensure we look after each other. While contributing to the Faculty’s financial sustainability and growth is important, I am equally committed to ensuring that my team feels a clear sense of purpose and belonging, and that we can grow and achieve meaningful outcomes together,” Engelbrecht concludes.