IBSUniversity Announces Appointment of Three New Governing Council Members Port Moresby, 28 November 2025

IBSUniversity is pleased to announce the appointment of Drs. HFJ (Eric) Kramer, Ms. Barbara Age, and Mr. Kaime Kipi as new members of the University Governing Council, effective 28 November 2025. Their appointments were formally issued and announced by Mrs. Auvita Rapilla, Chancellor of IBSUniversity and Chairperson of the Governing Council.

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These distinguished leaders join the existing external independent Council Members – Mrs. Auvita Rapilla (Chancellor), Dr. Ponnusamy Manohar (Pro Chancellor), and Mr. Rio Fiocco – in strengthening the governance, leadership, and strategic direction of IBSUniversity. The Governing Council now comprises 13 members, including ex-officio representatives, bringing together a diverse range of expertise across higher education, business, diplomacy, technology, and national policy.

Drs. Kramer is a highly accomplished international executive with more than three decades of leadership experience across Europe, Australia and the United States of America, and Papua New Guinea in financial services, investment management, governance, and corporate strategy. He has held senior roles including CEO of PacSolutions Ltd, De facto CEO of PacSuper, Chairman of People’s Micro Bank, and Board Director of PNGID. His expertise spans fund administration, organizational transformation, regulatory compliance, and strategic planning, with a strong reputation for ethical leadership and stakeholder engagement.

Ms. Barbara Age is a seasoned diplomat, lawyer, and senior public policy leader with an extensive career in international relations, diplomacy, foreign policy, governance, and regional affairs. She served several high-ranking national roles including Secretary of the Department of Foreign Affairs, Acting Secretary, Deputy Secretary (Policy), and Director roles in key divisions within the Department. She has also represented Papua New Guinea in numerous high-level bilateral and multilateral forums, including the United Nations, APEC, MSG Secretariat, and Pacific regional bodies. Her contributions to community development, women’s empowerment, diplomacy training, and advisory services further enrich the Council’s capabilities.

Mr. Kaime Kipi brings robust technical, commercial, and governance experience from the telecommunications and ICT sectors. He currently serves as the Senior Manager Domestic Business at PNG DataCo Ltd, where he oversees national-level commercial operations, revenue analytics, and project reporting. His earlier leadership roles at Telikom PNG and Data Nets Ltd span corporate accounts management, ICT business development, and technical engineering. Mr. Kipi also holds significant governance and community leadership positions, including Chairman of the Governing Council of Port Moresby Technical College and also a member of the PNG Institute of Directors.

Chancellor Auvita Rapilla welcomed the new appointments, noting that the combined expertise of the new Council Members will significantly enhance IBSUniversity’s governance capacity:

“Their distinguished careers and deep commitment to national development will add tremendous value to the University as we continue strengthening academic quality, institutional governance, and our contribution to Papua New Guinea’s growth.”

In addition of these esteemed leaders reinforces IBSUniversity’s commitment to world-class governance, transparency, quality assurance, and strategic advancement aligned with the University’s Vision, Mission, and Strategic Plan.