Shaun is the founding executive director of The Mandela Rhodes Foundation in Cape Town, an organisation dedicated to building leadership excellence in Africa.Shaun was associated with Nelson Mandela for 23 years. He also acts as trustee of various charitable organisations.A veteran journalist he has held editorial roles for several newspapers, including the Johannesburg Star, the Cape Argus, Saturday Star, The Sunday Independent and he was Deputy Chief Executive of Independent News & Media South Africa.

Shaun is also the internationally best-selling author of Strange Days Indeed and The Native Commissioner. He was educated at Rhodes University in Grahamstown and the University of Oxford, where he was a Rhodes Scholar.