we’re proud to spotlight CHARLES RUSSON (STD6 CLASS OF 1980), who was appointed Interim Group CEO of Absa Bank in october 2024.
Charles has been with Absa since 2006, serving in a range of senior roles including Chief Financial Officer of Absa Capital, Chief Operating Officer of Corporate and Investment Banking, and more recently the CEO of Absa’s Corporate and Investment Bank since 2018. With previous international experience at Deutsche Bank (London and Frankfurt), Merrill Lynch, and KPMG (where he was seconded for a year to the Natal Rugby Union in 1992), Charles has developed a deep expertise in finance, operations, and strategic leadership. His career has been defined by a strong commitment to growth, transformation, and excellence in African banking. Now, as Interim Group CEO, Charles is leading the organisation through an important period of transition.
But before all of that, Charles was a day scholar at Highbury and even learnt to swim in the freezing school pool at age nine. In his final year, he captained the 1st XI cricket team, received colours, was awarded the Cricket Bowling Award two years in a row and was vice captain of the Natal Junior Schools team in Grade 7.
The 1980 school magazine describes him as “a thinker on the cricket field”, someone who “used his bowlers intelligently” and led the side with skill and strategy. He also captained the 2nd XV rugby team.
Reflecting on his time at Highbury Charles shares:
As I reflect back on my time at Highbury it is with very fond memories of the six years I spent there, at that stage Highbury went from Standard 1 to 6 with more than half the school being termly boarders. I remember begging my parents to allow me to board but given we lived less than 2 kms from the school they would have nothing of it, so I used to cycle to school to be there before the boarders went to breakfast and was forced to leave to be home by the time the street lights came on. Academics was not too high on our agenda at that stage but sport was another matter where the school used to punch well above its weight against the much bigger government schools, and I certainly never remember losing to Cordwalles (our big rival). The war cries coming back into school in the bus if you had won were something special.
The 1st teams from my Standard Four year stand out, where I think from memory they never lost a game in Cricket, Rugby or Hockey and produced three or four boys who went on to play SA schools in their respective sports. I remember being asked to play inter-house cricket for Escombe’s House and was eternally grateful that Chris Copland was in our house. He later went on to open the bowling for SA Schools – very relieved not to have to face him. Our team in 1980 did pretty well and I am sure the stats would tell that Craig Grinyer played a major part even in Std 5 – he went on to play SA schools Cricket and Hockey in std 9 and matric (no small feat). We had a large group from my year who went on to Michaelhouse and who I still remain in contact with. It was obviously very disappointing that our 40 year reunion had to be cancelled in 2020 because of Covid and were unable to catch up with the whole class.
Like any boarding school, what makes the school are always the stories and I saw in your most recent newsletter that Mr Peter Dauncey (our Deputy Headmaster) was at your Cape Town reunion. I’m sure he failed to mention how the boys were always chasing after his daughters as I am sure was the same for Mr Peter Liddle (Science master, head of PhysEd and 1st team rugby coach) – but everyone new the consequences. I could tell lots more stories like the 8th dorm burning down, fetching touring teams from Pietermaritzburg train station, but enough for now. Needless to say we had a great time at the school and it certainly played a major part in forming the person I am today for which I will always be eternally grateful.
Charles is helping to reignite the Highbury Old Boys community by championing the launch of a Highbury Old Boys Johannesburg Branch. The inaugural reunion event is planned for early 2026. Please click the button below to submit your interest.
