Athol Williams Appointed Oxford University’s Business Poet Laureate, a Global First

Last year, the University of Oxford promoted him to the position of Academic Director and this year, they are giving him an additional title. Known for being a gifted poet, Athol Williams once again makes history by being appointed as Oxford’s Saïd Business School’s first ever Poet Laureate.

Not only is it the first for the university but it is also a global first. This is the first time that a business school has appointed someone to compose and advocate for poetry related to the institution and its activities. 

Athol is currently the Academic Director in charge of the Advanced Management and Leadership Programme. The programme caters to the top executives around the world and aims to advance their leadership capabilities on a global scale. He is also a Senior Fellow in Management Practice which requires him to conduct research and teach strategy, leadership and ethics to postgraduate students on degrees such as the Oxford MBA.

With his additional title, Athol has been tasked with integrating poetry into the classroom curriculum. This is to foster, within world leaders, a greater capacity for compassion and human connection, something that he believes will be essential in business decision making.

In addition to his roles at Oxford, Mitchells Plain’s Athol is mostly known for being one of the most educated people in the world. He has an MBA from MIT Sloan School of Management, a Masters in Finance from the London Business School, a Masters in Public Administration from Harvard University, a Masters in Political Theory from The London School of Economics and Political Science and a Masters and PhD in Political Philosophy (with focus on Business Ethics and Corporate Responsibility) from the University of Oxford. In 2025, Athol received the Teaching Excellence Award from the Oxford Business School. 

Athol has published 20 books, including 7 books of poetry and received numerous literary awards including two Sol Plaatje European Union Poetry Awards, the only poet to receive this award twice. He has received international and domestic awards for his public service to South Africa, including the Mayor’s Medal for  Extraordinary Bravery from the City of Cape Town and the Social Justice Champion of the Year from the Centre for Social Justice, led by Thuli Madonsela at Stellenbosch University.  In 2025 a mural was painted in Mitchells Plain to honour Athol Williams.