The Board of Governors at Hilton College is delighted to have appointed Mr George Harris as the School's new Head from 1 January 2017.
Alistair Franklin, Chairman of Governors, said:
"We are extremely pleased to have appointed Mr Harris as the next Head of Hilton College. We are fortunate to have selected him from a group of outstanding candidates from around the world who were attracted to the opportunity of leading Hilton, several of whom would have made an excellent Head. In Mr Harris, we believe we have found a visionary leader who can build purposefully on Hilton's many strengths and secure its position as one of the best schools in the world.
The appointment of Mr Harris is the culmination of a four-month process during which the list of fifty applicants was reduced to the final three.
Throughout the process the Board has been assisted by Perrett Laver, one of the world's leading executive search consultancies, to identify and appoint a charismatic leader and educationalist who is highly qualified for the post. The candidates were considered against the comprehensive criteria formulated in a specially prepared Candidate Brief. The process was overseen by a sub-committee of the Board which included Mr David Wylde, a highly respected former Headmaster, as advisor."
This will be Mr Harris's second Headship. He will be joining Hilton from the Royal Bafokeng Institute, where he is currently the Chief Executive.
Prior to that he served as Headmaster of Lebone II College of the Royal Bafokeng from 2006 to 2013. At Lebone he grew pupil numbers while enhancing the College's commitment to excellence in educational innovation. As Chief Executive, Mr Harris had led education work in ten Pre-Schools, forty Public and two Independent Schools, four Post-School (TVET) divisions and in teacher training and development for undergraduate trainee teachers.
Mr Harris holds a BA in English and Economics from the University of Pretoria and a BA (Honours) in African Literature from the University of Witwatersrand. Following early teaching experience at Tshwane Christian School, he joined St Stithians Boys' College in 1999 as a Senior Boarding Housemaster and Teacher of English prior to his appointment to Lebone.
Mr Harris has extensive strategic and managerial experience and expert knowledge as an educational pioneer and innovator. He has wide-ranging educational interests and has a global outlook and perspective on education.
He is an authentic and experienced leader with a striking awareness of both the national and international educational landscape. He has a compelling vision for Hilton. He sees it as a place where both excellent academic results are attained and the modern man is shaped.
Mr Harris is married with two children. His wife Vicki-Ann is an architect.
The Harris family is very enthusiastic about moving to Hilton and becoming part of our community.
On his appointment, Mr Harris said:
"I am especially excited to be given the opportunity to lead one of South Africa's pre-eminent boys' boarding schools. The task of educating young boys such that they mature into men of principle, passion and promise to make their mark in our complex world is a worthwhile challenge I am keen to embrace. I look forward to working alongside the Hilton community in building on the firm foundations of Hilton, to the benefit of those boys fortunate to attend this institution."
http://www.hiltoncollege.com/news/1-general/1891-appointment-of-headmaster.html