Bill Venter
William Peter Venter is a South African businessman, entrepreneur and industrialist.
Venter founded Allied Electronics Corporation in 1965. Acquisitions under his leadership included Bytes Technology Group in 1998.
Awards
- 2006 Top 100 Lifetime Achiever
- 1991 Order for Meritorious Service for significant contribution to South Africa’s electronics industry
- 1989 Leadership in Practice Award
- 1984 Top Executive in South Africa
- 1978 Top Five Businessmen
Degrees
- 2004 Master of Philosophy Rand Afrikaans University Business Management cum laude
- 2001 Master of Business Administration University of Wales
Honorary degrees
- Doctor of Engineering University of the Witwatersrand
- Technical Doctorate Technikon Witwatersrand
- Doctor of Commerce University of the Free State
- Doctor of Commerce University of Pretoria
- Doctor of Commerce University of Port Elizabeth
- Doctor of Science University of Natal, Durban
Personal life
He has four sons and a daughter. Two of his two sons, Robert and Craig, were from his first marriage to Jean Georgina Poole. In 1994, Edith, Venter's second wife and mother of two of his sons, was awarded a record R12-million divorce settlement. She was married for the third time in 1995 to Johannesburg businessman Garth Carstens.- Robert Eben "Robbie" Venter, born 7 May 1960, is chairman of Aberdare Cables and Director of Bytes Technology Group Ltd., Allied Technologies Ltd, and Group chief executive of Allied Electronics Corp Ltd.
- Craig Gordon Venter was born 4 July 1962. He studied at University of California Los Angeles and obtained a BSc, a BA and an MBA and MSc from University of Southern California.