Full Name: Deshnee Naidoo
Position: CEO of Zinc International, a subsidiary of Vedanta Limited
Main Activity of the Company: Mining, processing, refining and selling zinc concentrate/metal and associated by-products
Date and Place of Birth: February 27, 1976, Durban, South Africa
Education: Schooling in Durban – primary school, Foresthaven; secondary school, Stanmore Secondary; BSc (chemical engineering), University of Natal, Durban
First Job: Learner official metallurgist, Precious Metals Refiners, Rustenburg, Anglo Platinum – I was a recipient of an Anglo Platinum bursary
Size of First Pay Packet: About R4 000 a month (net)
Value of Assets under Your Control: Zinc International is a group company in Vedanta Resources and is not listed. Vedanta Resources is a London Stock Exchange-listed company with a market capitalisation of about £2-billion. Zinc International is a collection of zinc assets in Ireland, Nambia and South Africa
Number of People under Your Leadership: We currently employ just over 3 500 people, including contractors in South Africa, Namibia and Ireland
Management Style: Facilitative – I believe in finding integration between assertiveness and collaboration
Personal Best Achievement: Having three daughters before my thirty-first birthday
Person Who Has Had the Biggest Influence on Your Life: My late father – he instilled in my brothers and me the value of education
Person Who Has Had the Biggest Influence on Your Career: Cynthia Carroll – I was her executive assistant between 2009 and 2011, when she was CEO of Anglo American. I learnt (from witnessing first-hand) that you can be a mother and a successful career woman
Person You Would Most Like to Meet: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi
Businessperson Who Has Impressed You Most: Our group chairperson, Anil Agarwal
Philosophy of Life: Treat people the way you want to be treated
Biggest Ever Opportunity: Being awarded an Anglo American bursary, as it was the ‘start’
Biggest Ever Disappointment: I firmly believe that things do happen for a reason and, with disappointments, I attempt to salvage the lessons from such situations to become a better person
Hope for the Future: That we use the Gamsberg project to further accelerate socieconomic development in the Northern Cape, while deepening Vedanta’s operational record in South Africa
Favourite Reading: Mining Weekly and Engineering News, of course! I enjoy the occasional thriller while on rare leisure time.
Favourite TV Programme: Master Chef, Idols and America’s Got Talent – all programmes I watch (when I can) with my daughters
Favourite Food/Drink: My mother’s lamb breyani/skinny latte
Favourite Music: Pop, R&B and Bollywood
Favourite Sport: Squash; short and high impact!
Hobbies: Spending quality time with my family
Car: Company car (C180 Mercedes). I am not a ‘car person’ – as long as a car is safe and serves a functional purpose, it will do for me
Pets: None
Miscellaneous Dislikes: People with bad/negative attitudes, traffic and unnecessary queueing
Married: To my university sweetheart, Veeren, for the past wonderful 18 years
Children: Sharessa, 16; Kashaliyah, 10; and Preyanka, 9
Clubs: None