The University of Oxford has made history by appointing a poet from Mitchells Plain to a groundbreaking new position, marking the first time any business school globally has created the role of Poet Laureate.
Dr Athol Williams, a distinguished published poet and Senior Fellow of Management Practice at Saïd Business School, has taken up the honorary position, which will see him compose and advocate for poetry related to the institution and its activities.
From Mitchells Plain to Oxford
Williams’s appointment represents a remarkable journey from growing up in a township to the prestigious halls of Oxford University. The accomplished academic, who is married to Taryn Lock, holds a 2023 Oxford PhD in Business Ethics and Corporate Responsibility, with his doctoral thesis earning distinction.
ALSO READ: Oxford appoints Mitchells Plain academic to top management post
He made history as the first person from the area to earn five master’s degrees from five of the world’s top universities, including an MBA from MIT Sloan School of Management, a Master’s in Finance from London Business School, a Master’s in Public Administration from Harvard University, and a Master’s in Corporate Responsibility and Social Justice from the London School of Economics. He also holds a science degree from the University of the Witwatersrand.
Williams has served as a Research Associate Lecturer at Oxford since 2022 and was appointed Academic Director for Oxford University’s Advanced Management and Leadership Programme, which trains senior executives.
Community advocate and whistleblower
Beyond academia, Williams is a dedicated literacy advocate who founded and chairs the NGO Read to Rise, which focuses on literacy in disadvantaged communities, particularly in Mitchells Plain. The organisation has distributed new books to over 350 000 children from under-resourced South African communities.
In 2022, he received the Blueprint Special Recognition Award for “integrity and bravery in the public interest” related to his role as a whistleblower who exposed corruption at consulting firm Bain & Company. He continues to speak out on whistleblower protection and anti-corruption issues.
Poetry as leadership tool
The appointment comes amid growing recognition of poetry’s value in business leadership development. Poetry has been described as the “secret weapon of CEOs”, with corporate leaders including Steve Jobs famously passionate about the art form, often keeping copies of works such as Shelley’s “Ozymandias” on their desks.
However, Dr Williams has ambitious plans that extend beyond traditional laureate duties. He believes poetry can play a critical role in teaching and developing current and future leaders, particularly as artificial intelligence and technology continue to reshape the business landscape.
“Compassion, judgement, connection are going to become more critical for leaders,” Dr Williams said, highlighting how the human thinking demanded by poetry could become increasingly valuable in leadership development.
The appointment represents Oxford Saïd’s recognition that the critical thinking skills fostered through poetry are essential for developing the leaders of tomorrow, marking a significant shift in how business education approaches human development alongside technological advancement.
