The Grey years were very good to me. So, after military service in the air force, I started an academic career at the University of the Free State, followed by post-degree studies at the University of Pretoria, where I ended up with a PhD in International Relations.
Through Minister Pik Botha, I started a career in diplomacy and served as a diplomat in Washington DC, USA; as Deputy Chief of Mission in Canberra, Australia; and as South Africa’s Ambassador to Finland, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.
Thereafter I spent a number of years as South Africa’s Ambassador to Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador and Panama. For a few years, I was heading the Foreign Policy, Research and Analysis Unit in the Department of Foreign Affairs. In 2015, I retired at 65 from the public service. Lately I am involved in private foreign policy research.
I was also involved with the constitutional negotiating process and personal assistant and advisor to President Nelson Mandela.
I married Judy in 1975 ago and we have two children: a daughter working in Johannesburg and a son and two grandchildren (Gianna and Christian) in Boston, USA.