Full Name: Ariella Kuper
Position: MD and cofounder of Clear Asset, which was launched in September 2012
Main Activity of the Company: Online auctions of primarily mining equipment
Date and Place of birth: June 15, 1973, Johannesburg
Education: BA (Joint Honours) Economics and Economic History, University of the Witwatersrand (Wits), 1992 to 1994; MBA, University of Cape Town Graduate School of Business, 2002, with additional scholarship to Columbia Business School, New York
First Job: As a Wits student, I worked part-time for fine art auction house Stephan Welz & Co in association with Sotheby’s UK. After graduating, my first full-time job was as a junior international steel trader with Macsteel International – my thesis was on ‘Beneficiating iron-ore prior to export from South Africa’
Size of First Pay Packet: After graduating from Wits, R6 000 cost to company, with six months to prove myself and then re-evaluation
Value of Assets under Your Control: R100-million in gross sales in the first financial year
Number of People under Your Leadership: A specialised, focused team of 15
Management Style: Very hands-on, engaging and informal, but I do require tight, structured follow-through and work-flow management from my team
Personal Best Achievement: Being MBA class president and learning to speak several international languages in extremely short timeframes
Person Who Has Had the Biggest Influence on Your Career: The CEO at the time at Macsteel International – he saw a rough diamond with potential and allowed me to have a foot in the door
Person You Would Most Like to Meet: Hilary Clinton, as I believe she exudes conviction, combined with real-time experience. It is her ability to take hard decisions that I find compelling
Businessperson Who Has Impressed You Most: Eric Samson, of Macsteel, for his humility and business acumen
Philosophy of Life: Act with a sense of urgency (a tagline I stole from African Barrick Gold) and the paranoid survive
Biggest Ever Opportunity: Going to work in South America for Macsteel International
Biggest Ever Disappointment: Perhaps declining a job offer with Glencore in Switzerland, aged 27
Hope for the Future: For Clear Asset to grow into an internationally respected business seen as a benchmark in the industry through the market intelligence and value it provides for buyers and sellers
Favourite Reading: Edward Rutherfurd
Favourite TV programme: I’m not much of a TV watcher but I do enjoy anything to do with World War II and history
Favourite Food/Drink: A good Chardonnay or Shiraz
Favourite Music: Ballads and opera
Favourite Sport: Swimming
Hobbies: Antiques and art collecting; conducting charity auctions
Car: Convertible
Pets: A bonsai tree that fares rather poorly, given how much I travel
Miscellaneous Dislikes: Uptight people – life is too short to take yourself too seriously! . . . and ineptitude
Married: To Alex Groeneweg, who comes from Holland
Children: Three stepchildren
Clubs: I sit on the NEC board of ORT SA, a nonprofit organisation focused on education and mathematics training for disadvantaged schools