Aletta is Professor of Physiology at the Hypertension in Africa Research Team (HART) of the North-West University in South Africa. She is also the Director of the Unit for Hypertension and Cardiovascular Disease of the South African Medical Research Council. Alta has published more than 200 scientific papers in high ranking medical journals and has been cited more than 3000 times. Alta Schutte has been a constructive and hard-working young member of the ISH Scientific Council since 2012 and Vice President of the Society since 2016. As Chair of the Membership Committeesince 2014, she has improved the recruitment of new ISH members considerably. Alta has also established two new membership categories (‘Clinical Members’ and ‘Emerging Leaders’). As Vice President, she has actively participated in many of the on-going activities including MMM 2017. She has also contributed to the work of the ‘Young ISH Investigators’ and is a founding member of the ‘Women in Hypertension’ group.