About

In 2022 Kilbride was awarded an Honorary Professorship by Stellenbosch Business School, where he now lectures on philanthropy and business in society to the MBA, MPhil and visiting overseas students.

In 1994, Ian established the Spirit Foundation (SF), in memory of his late sister Louise and in acknowledgement of South Africa’s new democracy. For over thirty years, SF has grown to serve as a ‘philanthropic umbrella’ for three non-profit companies: the Spirit Education Foundation (SEF), Spirit Wildlife Foundation (SWF) and the Spirit Community Foundation (SCF).

He is the Chairman of Lord's Taverners in South Africa and founder and director of the Spirit International Football Academy.

The call of Africa

With the historic unbanning of South African political organisations in 1990 and imbued with a growing passion for wildlife protection, especially elephant, Kilbride made the decision to leave the UK and embark on a journey that would see him literally drive out of London, travel across Europe and down the entire length of Africa. This was a life changing and eye-opening experience that allowed him to see first-hand the rich social and political tapestry of the African continent and its many people. This direct exposure to the culture of numerous regions and countries led to the realisation that the African continent had immense potential and reinforced within him the importance of education and community development.

Financial services leader and entrepreneur

Arriving in Cape Town, the ‘Mother City’ in 1990 and applying his natural grit and determination, Kilbride immediately established himself in South Africa. He formed new and exciting companies, entities that have hired, trained and produced great young talent. In the following years, he was to become the founder and director of companies in jurisdictions, such as the United Kingdom, Isle of Man, Guernsey, Mauritius and South Africa. As a financial and technology entrepreneur and a natural builder of businesses across industries, he has gathered invaluable experience which, in turn, he applied within both the corporate and philanthropic sides of The Spirit Organisation.

Professional body membership

With a strong belief in continual personal and professional development, Kilbride became a member of the South African Investment Analysts Society, a Fellow of the Institute of Directors and of the Financial Planning Institute. He served on and chaired the Legal and Compliance Committee of the ‘Fund Managers Association of South Africa’ (FMASA), being one of the Association’s founding members in 1994. FMASA is now the ‘Association for Savings and Investment in South Africa’ (ASISA). Kilbride is also a Commissioner of Oaths and serves as a non-executive director for other companies and organisations.

While crossing Africa (28 countries visited to date) he saw how threatened wildlife had become, due to natural and organic urban expansion and the destructive impact of international organised poaching. Thus the seeds were sewn, leading to Ian establishing the Spirit Foundation and its work in ‘Education, Community and Wildlife.’

Business interests

Kilbride is the Chairman and CEO of Spirit Invest and its subsidiary Orion Investment Managers, the owner of Cadiz Asset Management, Starfunds.ai, Capita Asset Management, Accorn Investment Management, Palmyra Asset Management, Fundstore.com, Investin Asset Management and Pangbourne Asset Management. Spirit Invest also owns Orion Wealth Managers which, in turn, owns Warwick Wealth, Appleton Fiduciary Services, Infiniti Wealth and Silverthorn Employee Benefits Specialists.

Philanthropy - a lifetime’s commitment

Success in financial, fiduciary, property and technology businesses has allowed Kilbride to develop his philanthropic goals and commitment. Endorsing the African spirit of ‘Ubuntu’ (I am because we are), Ian leads the Spirit Foundation and its three focused NPCs in the areas he and the Kilbride family are most passionate about: Education, Community and Wildlife. The theme “Just Do Good” runs through every aspect of the Spirit Foundation.

Since 1994, the Spirit Education Foundation (SEF) has funded the high school education (Grade 8 – 12) as well as the ancillary educational and social needs of scholars from disadvantaged backgrounds. Currently, the Spirit Foundation supports some 150 Spirit High School scholars and all SEF staff are qualified educationalists, teachers and or alumni.

With the experience and a track record developed over four decades, SEF has developed a unique mentorship model that has guided thousands of young scholars to develop into exemplary South African citizens. SEF alumni are now found across all aspects of South African life and within many professions. These include astrophysics, nursing, medicine, education, engineering, teaching and many others.

In a more recent significant development, the Spirit Foundation has stepped in to take over the funding and running of two Early Childhood Development Centres in the Breede Valley town of Bonnievale. With its thirty-two staff, the Kapteintjies and Bonnie-People ECD centres nurture, care for, educate and feed 235 learners from the ages of six months up to five years.

Mindful of his own working-class roots, Kilbride established the Spirit Community Foundation (SCF), which aims to actively support programmes that impact positively on working-class, disadvantaged, or disabled communities, in South Africa and the UK.

In South Africa, SCF supports a host of NGOs and charities, including The Big Issue, Hear in Africa, League of the Friends of the Blind (LOFOB), Bonnie Friends, 418, Lords Taverners South Africa, the Spirit International Football Academy, the Mpumelelo Project, the Upper Liesbeek River Garden, iCaddies, Excellence in Life, the Bonnievale Bluebirds, the Bonnievale Football Club and the Young Eagles Rugby Club.

As a fifth-generation Evertonian and significant shareholder, in the 1990s Ian became an early supporter of Everton in the Community (EiTC) and later the Everton Free School (EFS). The important work of both EiTC and EFS has received wide recognition for its remarkable achievements in its socially and economically depressed Merseyside catchment area. SCF has built a library within EFS and is an active and committed supporter of the Everton Disability Teams, which embraces those with many disabilities but also remarkable skills!

Wildlife conservation matters

Kilbride’s passion for wildlife motivated his establishment of the Spirit Wildlife Foundation (SWF) committed to the survival and sustainability of the continent’s iconic species. The SWF has achieved singular success in assisting the survival of orphaned rhino and funded key programmes to support the protection of Africa’s dangerously threatened elephant and carnivore populations. The Sprit Wildlife programme is a supporter of the world-renowned Care for Wild rhino orphanage, Wildlife Vets and Mountainlands.

Interests and hobbies

Kilbride’s has a wide repertoire of interests and hobbies. These include several sports (although now principally as a spectator, rather than as a participant). As team principal of Racing Spirit, he enjoys track days, classic car restoration, writing, painting, the study of local and international history, the collection of local art and studying all forms of politics.

Kilbride recently turned a passion into reality by making a major investment in the acquisition and development of the 1990 Wine and Country Estate in the famed Bonnievale winegrowing district of the Western Cape.

Family

A committed family man, who is delighted that his children are all successful in their own right. He is proud of their individual personalities and their determination to succeed and make a difference in their own unique and diverse ways. Although he travels extensively through Africa and Europe, the Western Cape and Mpumalanga provinces of South Africa will always remain his true love. This is where Kilbride was, in his own words, “lucky enough to find out who I truly am.” He continues to believe deeply and passionately, in the people and the future of South Africa. Ian Kilbride continues to be a passionate South African optimist.

Education

Chairman and active participant in the foundations goal to educate scholars through their high school, there are annual camps and there is ongoing liaison with the 12 schools utilised especially the principals and teachers.

Kilbride has ensured that the foundation is always fully funded and has sourced other donors over the last 20 years, but has always ensured that the Kilbride Family and Spirit Invest act as the backer of last resort. He supports the full time and highly professional…