Full Name: Ronald Clifford William Webber-Youngman

Position: Professor and head of the Department of Mining Engineering at the University of Pretoria

Main University Activity: Mining engineering education and research

Date and Place of Birth: December 2, 1959, Welkom, Free State

Education: Technical High School Welkom (matric); BEng (mining engineering), MEng Mining (mining engineering), University of Pretoria; PhD, North-West University

First Job: Learner official, Anglovaal, Hartebeestfontein mine, Stilfontein, January 1978

Size of First Pay Packet: R363 a month (cost to company)

Department Annual Education Budget: R21-million

Number of People under Your Leadership: 43 lecturers, contract lecturers, support staff and full-time postgraduate students; 337 undergraduate students (77% of whom are black and 29% women) and 70 postgraduate students (pursing honours and master's degrees, as well as PhDs), totalling 404 students, the world's highest-number English-speaking mining department

Management Style: Participative, focusing on results and staff development, with the aim of empowering employees and students to develop themselves to their highest potential

Personal Best Achievement: Springbok karate captaincy, 1996; International Society of Mining Professors presidency, 2014

Person Who Has Had the Biggest Influence on Your Life: My Springbok karate coach, the late Eddie Dorey

Person Who Has Had the Biggest Influence on Your Career: Christo Naude, whom I first met when I was an Anglovaal learner official; later, as GM, he appointed me project mining engineer at JCI’s Joel mine

Person You Would Most Like to Meet: In my sport career, we were promised a meeting with Nelson Mandela, which, sadly, never happened. Now it is Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa – I have so much to share with him

Businessperson Who Has Impressed You Most: Mervyn Niland (From Backyard to Brand Leader) – he inspired me to start my own written dream list with the objective of making as many items come true

Philosophy of Life: To avoid ‘I should have’ moments – it always relates to missed opportunities

Biggest Ever Opportunity: Being granted an Anglovaal scholarship to study mining engineering at the University of Pretoria. My parents would not have been able to pay for my tertiary education

Biggest Ever Disappointment: I would rather elaborate on the greatest moment in my life – the birth of my son and being present when it happened at 17:20 on November 26, 2006

Hope for the Future: For the next generation of South Africans to fully unlock the potential of this great country of ours, where the ugly triplets of poverty, unemployment and inequality will receive significant attention

Favourite Reading: Motivational, inspirational books, books on leadership, including Good to Great, by Jim Collins

Favourite TV Programme: Boston Legal, The Blacklist, 24, British comedy

Favourite Food/Drink: I love curry dishes, and a good old Scotch at sunset

Favourite Music: I love light classical music with my favourite instrument, the cello

Favourite Sport: Rugby, karate, cycling

Hobbies: Motivational talks to all audiences, outdoor activities, fishing

Car: Toyota Hilux 4 × 4, 1998 model, the best ever made

Pets: Two Boston terriers and a Yorkshire terrier

Miscellaneous Dislikes: I cannot stand people with a negative outlook on life, dishonest and lazy people, arrogant people (in whatever form)

Married: To Jerina

Children: Liam, 8

Clubs: Mining Alumni Society, University of Pretoria; Spintech Spinning Club