“Simply be yourself and your life will count for plenty” — Matthew 23:11–12

Cara-Jean Petersen

Category

Education
 

Organisation / Company

Feenix Trust

 

Position

Chief executive officer

 

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Profile

Driving transformation in education access, Cara-Jean Petersen, 35, is reshaping how tertiary funding supports young South Africans. As chief executive of The Feenix Trust, the public benefit organisation was able to bounce back from a 45% staff turnover, secure a R117-million contract in student funding and already doubled donations from the previous year, marking a historic shift in education philanthropy. Cara-Jean introduced Feenix Masterclasses — a staff development programme focused on practical skills in project management, B-BBEE and personal mastery. Her approach to leadership is future-focused, cultivating internal capacity while mentoring young professionals who have since advanced into senior roles. With a background in global education advocacy, Cara-Jean has worked with the World Health Organisation, led youth development research, and coordinated Cape Town’s first Youth Indaba. Recognised by the University of Cape Town’s Graduate School of Business for her role in expanding access to education, she also speaks internationally on social impact and educational justice. At every level, she brings vision, empathy and rigour — building systems that not only fund futures, but shape ethical, empowered generations who are equipped to lead.

Qualifications

  • Bachelor of Arts Honours Degree, University of the Western Cape (*summa cum laude)
  • Social Media and Marketing, University of Cape Town
  • Women in Leadership, Organisational Leadership, Stellenbosch University Business School
  • Short courses completed: Finance and Governance for NPOs (Turning Point Accountants), Emotional Intelligence and Personal Mastery (IMSIMBI), Impact Management and Measurement (Next Generation Impact Experts), Business Development (TSIBA Ignition Academy) and Media Training (Alkemi Collective)

Achievements

  • Appointed as the first woman of colour to lead Feenix (2022–present)
  • Launched a pro bono masterclass initiative leveraging partner expertise to upskill Feenix’s predominantly youth-led team
  • Selected for the international Tony Elischer Foundation Mentorship Programme (2025)
  • Invited speaker at the International Fundraising Conference (IFC) in the Netherlands (2024 and 2025)
  • Honoured by the University of Cape Town’s Graduate Business School in 2024 at the 25th Annual Women in Business Conference
  • Partnered with the World Health Organization on the Global Early Childhood Development Study (2015–2016), including a research collaboration in Switzerland with international experts
  • Led the coordination of the City of Cape Town Youth Indaba (2014) in partnership with the Department of Social Development and Early Childhood Development, hosted at the University of the Western Cape while working for the UWC HIV & AIDS Programme
  • Mentored several young professionals, with four promoted within two years and one appointed as chief executive of an impact-driven start-up affiliated with the Maharishi Institute

Mentors

My mother — when I was four years old, my father passed away in a diving accident. I had a nine-year-old sister and my mother was five months pregnant with my baby brother. I cannot fathom the amount of strength it must have required for her to get up each morning and take care of us. Despite her own challenges and our family’s financial struggles, she always prioritised our education and gave us the freedom to pursue our dreams, no matter what they were. This gave us the security, stability and confidence we needed to succeed in life, and I will forever be grateful to my mother for her sacrifices — many of which I will never know the full extent of. Our Group CEO, Leana De Beer — I will never forget the first time I had to create a departmental budget as a newly appointed manager and had absolutely no idea what I was doing. Leana sat with me for eight hours straight in front of our laptops with an Excel spreadsheet and helped me create a detailed budget, one line item at a time. This marked the beginning of a valuable mentorship journey in which she has never wavered in her support of my growth, upskilling and advocacy. Her mentorship was instrumental in my appointment as CEO, and she continues to offer valuable strategic guidance to this day. Other mentors — I would also like to acknowledge Nyasha Njela, director at Revolutionise International; Damian Chapman, director at Money Advice Trust; Joachim Jacobs, director at UWC HIV & AIDS Programme (deceased); Megan September, director of Zion Ministries; and Chantel Cooper, CEO of The Children’s Hospital Trust. Their candour, humour and mentorship have helped shape me into someone who leads with purpose, generosity and empathy.