Berger ' s office manager Carly Merryweather , volunteer project coordinator for the ONF , helps publicise donations .
He was fortunate enough to grow up in a family which enjoyed cosmopolitan connections – holidays with family in London for example – and was in America when a call that would take him to the North-East of England defined his life .
It was quite the change of career direction but , typically , a change he managed .
“ I came to Peterlee in County Durham in 1988 with my wife Ariane to establish the business ,” he recalls . “ Berger had chosen the location and although they originally had a manager lined up who was German , they decided they needed someone who spoke English and I went for it .”
It was a remarkable gamble – making a business novice the managing director of a company that operates in the specialised world of providing closing rings , pipe connectors , drum lids and seals to industry .
But they had chosen a man who – very much like the products he oversaw – worked hard to make sure everything ran as efficiently and effectively as possible .
“ It was a culture shock ,” he smiles . “ Just one example , I came from a place where houses didn ’ t have heating . There was no need for it , given the climate in South Africa . There were many things I had to adapt to pretty quickly .
“ The North-East was very much a place apart , especially at that time .
“ When we first arrived , it was stereotypically bleak weather-wise and the economy seemed to match the weather – nothing much going forward – but what a dramatic transformation we have seen , although challenges continue .”
There ’ s no denying the city of Durham is very different from the city of Durban .
But Richard ’ s passion for his adoptive home and its people has grown ever deeper over the decades with his two children , Georgina and Alex , born here .
As a family man , the recent death of both his parents in South Africa , first 92-year-old Ray and then 90-year-old Charmian ( neither from Covid-19 )
“ I want the North-East to be the best it can be and for that to happen , business has to pull together more .”
made 2020 an especially difficult year for Berger ’ s global sales director .
“ My father ’ s death was a particular shock because he hadn ’ t been ill and there was no warning ,” says Richard . “ It is a real sadness I could not be with either of them .
" Both events were a major reset for me along with the Covid impact . Travel restrictions have also given me the space to focus more locally .
“ These have all impacted how one looks at life .”
Perhaps these are some of the reasons why the idea of the Open North Foundation resonates for him – a philanthropic vehicle for improving the lot of the North-East business community in which he has spent close to 33 years of his life . A legacy . He said : “ The seeds for the foundation were sown during the first Covid lockdown .
“ Berger couldn ’ t help with the government ’ s call for PPE , we ’ re too niche , but we wanted to give something back .
“ The foundation allows a whole diverse range of people and institutions to do something constructive for Covid-19 relief .
“ Looking to see if it might have legs , I consulted with well-known business leaders to look at what we could do , and eight out 10 people in my network were positive .”
The traction the ONF is getting so soon is testimony to all those supporting the initiative , which reads like a " Who ' s Who " of North-East business – and testament to the bridges Swart has built in the business community over the decades .
His collaborative approach was learned a long time ago – a recognition of the fact that people are stronger together than they are apart .
“ When I first arrived in the North-East , I knew if I was to make it work I would have to build a network and I set about doing that straight away ,” he reflects .
“ The Northern Development Company played a key part in attracting Berger as a foreign investor and supporting us at the start . I made it a mission to build connections so I looked to get involved in what I thought made sense .
“ That was essential .
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