Introducing our new CEO – Tori Gardner
July 5, 2021

In June we welcomed Tori Gardner to the CoolPlay team as CEO. She is a proud mother of two kids, Max (6) and Charlotte (4). She grew up in the small town of White River in the Lowveld and went on to study Sport Science and Marketing at the University of Stellenbosch where she met her husband, Jonny. From there they lived and worked in London and Bangkok for a few years before returning to Cape Town. The Gardner family love a camping trip and never shy away from a game with healthy competition.

Previously Tori was the Marketing Manager at the Chris Burger Petro Jackson Players’ Fund, an NGO which supports rugby players in South Africa who sustain disabling injuries on the field. Her marketing and communication skills together with a strong background in the rugby community will be of great value to CoolPlay as we work towards sustainability in a post-COVID world.

“I’ve been welcomed into the family with open (mostly virtual) arms. The trustees, operational staff, the Champions, and partner organisations have all been eager to share, and I can see how special this programme is to so many people. It is also evident how great an impact the programme plays on the ethos of the schools in which we operate and in turn the learners who participate.

THE ENTHUSIASM THAT THE TEAM PUTS INTO BUILDING OUR CHAMPIONS AND LEARNERS IS PALPABLE, AND I LOOK FORWARD TO DRAWING FROM THIS POSITIVE ENVIRONMENT AND ADDING MY OWN ENERGY TO THE COOLPLAY WAY.”