Barend Lutz

Barend Lutz is an experienced professional with a diverse range of work experience. Barend began their career as District Manager at Scottish and Southern Energy (plc) in 2006. Afterward, they worked as a Demolitions Expert at Toquin Construction for a brief period. In 2010, Barend joined the University of Stellenbosch as a Tutor in Political Science and later served as an Assistant to International visiting academics and post-doctoral students. In 2012, they worked as a Researcher at MIH Media Lab and then joined Consultancy Africa Intelligence's Election and Democracy Unit. Barend also worked at red24 as a Political Risk Analyst & Digital Media Manager, focusing on the South America region. Barend was a Private Consultant from 2014 to 2019, where they worked on their PhD in political science, lectured at the University of Stellenbosch, and provided consulting services to government and private clients exploring the integration of political science and data analysis technologies. From 2015 to 2019, Barend worked for the US Government as an African Open Source Media/Data Officer, utilizing big data exploitation and machine learning for open-source intelligence operations in the African media environment. Currently, Barend is the CEO and Co-Founder at VoxCroft, a global leader in open-source intelligence and risk analytics, combining tradecraft and AI to deliver accurate insights to key decision-makers.

Barend Lutz's education history begins with their completion of Matric - with distinction at Old Boys' Paul Roos Gymnasium from 2000 to 2005. During this time, they studied subjects such as Maths, Afrikaans, English, Economics, History, Computer Science, and Technical Drawings.

Barend then enrolled at Stellenbosch University from 2007 to 2010, where they pursued a Bachelor of Arts in Value and Policy Studies. Their coursework included Economics, Politics, Decision-Making Analysis, Philosophy, Sociology, Business Management, and Strategic studies.

In 2010, Barend Lutz attended The University of Hong Kong for a summer-school program, focusing on Economics, Politics, and Film-making.

Continuing their education, in 2011 Barend Lutz pursued their Master's degree in International Studies at Stellenbosch University. Barend completed this degree with Cum Laude honors in 2012.

In the same year, Barend Lutz also engaged in an MA exchange program at Sciences Po, specializing in International Relations.

Overall, Barend Lutz's education history demonstrates a diverse range of academic experiences across various fields, including International Studies, Economics, Politics, and Decision-Making Analysis.