Natalie Ripley is currently the Director of Information and Technology Services at Rhodes University. She has worked at the university since 1995 and is well versed in the workings of a University and the IT requirements in Higher Education. She holds a Bachelor of Science from University of Durban with majors in Mathematics and Statistics. She started at the University as a software developer and has worked her way up to the position of Director appointed in 2014.

Her IT technical skills lie in software development, project management and management information. She has a detailed understanding of the HEMIS submissions and data requirements of a Student system and Finance system within the University context.

She defines a good leader and Director as someone who allows the operational and managers below her to guide her IT decision-making and works hard to engage with the University to position IT at a strategic level.

In her personal time she enjoys the outdoors and is a group fitness instructor at the Rhodes gym.