User:Yaddayaddaster

'''RICHARD WILLIAM CARTER Press Secretary to President F.W. de Klerk of South Africa, Diplomat and Communications Professional.'''

Richard William Carter is the Director of Global Communications for Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Limited, situated in Goodwood, West Sussex in the United Kingdom. He was born in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa on 2nd March 1953 and educated at Maritzburg College in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa. Carter is well known for his work in the fields of political and corporate communication and in the areas of corporate and public affairs.

He was awarded an American Field Service Scholarship for study and experience in the United States and spent the years 1971 and 1972 in Haddonfield, New Jersey, USA graduating from Haddonfield Memorial High School. Upon returning to South Africa he entered the University of Natal, graduating in 1977 with BA and LLB Degrees in Law.

After spending a year with a major Johannesburg law firm, Carter moved to Cape Town where he joined the Cape Chamber of Commerce and Industries. His primary responsibilities were the representation of major manufacturer and corporate interests to government and the press. Much of this function was undertaken in an atmosphere of some confrontation and crisis, which characterized the relationship between big business, government and labour during the difficult years of apartheid.

In 1982, Carter was invited to join the Diplomatic Corps and was posted to Washington DC where he served for six years. His brief was to maintain business-to-business and government-to-business contacts during the period of political reform in South Africa. This task entailed extensive interaction with the American media, interest groups, lobbies, board level corporate interaction and dealing with senior level US politicians and government representatives

In 1990, Carter was appointed Deputy Chief of Mission at South Africa House in London where he served until 1992.

In 1992, Richard was approached by then President F.W. de Klerk who requested that he assume the position of Presidential Press Secretary, a position that he held until the transitional elections in April 1994. During this historic period in South Africa’s history he worked with Nelson Mandela, Thabo Mbeki, Cyril Ramaphosa and many other leading figures of the time.

This was a position of profound responsibility entailing the representation the President’s point of view to the national and international press, South African and international business and investors, leaders of the many groups participating in the transitional negotiations for South Africa’s future constitution and, on occasions, foreign leaders, diplomats and dignitaries.

In 1994 Richard was recruited by Sun International, a major chain of Resort Hotels and Casinos as Group Public Affairs General Manager. In this capacity he was responsible for the group’s extensive corporate affairs portfolio as well as public relations and communications for over thirty hotels and resorts.

In late 1997 Richard was recruited by BMW South Africa as General Manager: Group Communications and Public Affairs. He served on the Management Board of the Group for 11 years until his appointment to Rolls-Royce Motor Cars where he now serves on the Board as Director of Global Communications.

Richard is married and has four boys and a daughter as well as an adopted son.