Full Name: Ian Timothy Harebottle

Position: CEO-designate of Kropz – CEO from March 28, 2018

Main Activity of the Company: Exploration, mine development, mining of fertiliser feed minerals; the company is striving to develop a vertically integrated fertiliser manufacturing capability, producing a progressive range of plant nutrients for the sub-Saharan Africa agriculture industry

Date and Place of Birth: Johannesburg, October 29, 1962

Education: Germiston High School, matric, 1980; Technikon Witwatersrand, 1985; Henley Management College, 1994

First Job: I tried to work most holidays and on many weekends throughout my school and tertiary learning days; jobs ranged from door-to-door encyclopedia sales to general reception/office work and deliveries, washing cars and replacing my neighbour's brake pads

Size of First Pay Packet: Just enough to see us through the weekend

Brief Career History: Retail eye care (ten years), HIV-Aids consulting, research and support for a number of South Africa's largest corporations, including Telkom and Eskom, and most of the mining companies (five years), Tanzanite One (eight years), Gemfields (eight years)

Value of Assets: Kropz is investing $120-million in the Elandsfontein phosphates mining and processing project, on the West Coast of South Africa

Number of People under Your Leadership: 15 employees, a complement that is set to grow with the commissioning of production to over 400 at Elandsfontein

Management Style: Open, interactive, encouraging, motivating and transparent

View of Mining Industry: I love the mining industry. It is a big, small family. When you look around, a large portion of what you see is thanks to mining

Approach to Business: Underpromise, overdeliver and then keep on delivering

Personal Best Achievement: My marriage and family

Person Who Has Had the Biggest Influence on Your Career: My father and two older brothers, each of whom had very strong views on values, family, business, and so on, and played a formative part in my life

Person You Would Most Like to Meet: Elon Musk – innovative, disruptive and inspirational

Businessperson Who Has Impressed You Most: Christo Wiese – despite how busy he is and how large his business empire has become, he always has time for the 'little guys', has always been humble and is a fountain of wisdom

Philosophy of Life: Treat others as you would like to be treated; do the best you can and then leave the rest to God

Biggest Ever Opportunity: Every new day

Biggest Ever Disappointment: That time keeps going faster and faster and that I never seem to have enough of it to do all I want to do

Hope for the Future: Live, love life, explore, learn, grow

Favourite Reading: The convenience of technology is incredible – with a vast array of books and genres readily accessible online all the time, it is hard to keep up and I am always reading more than one at any given time

Favourite TV Programme: I do not have much time for TV, but, when I do, I love anything to do with cars, science, technology and Formula One

Favourite Food/Drink: I am not fussy – thank goodness for that, as I am a horrible cook. Thankfully, my wife and both my sons are excellent cooks

Favourite Music: Anything but rap

Favourite Sport: Rugby

Hobbies: Keeping my 30-year-old Porsche in tip-top condition, track-days and off-road motorcycling (when I get a chance, but, sadly, not so much of late)

Car: 1988 Porsche 911

Pets: None

Miscellaneous Dislikes: Laziness

Married: To Leigh-Ann

Children: Matthew, 24; Daniel, 20

Clubs: None