Full Name: Michiel CJ de Wit
Position: President and COO of Tsodilo Resources; president of Delrand Resources
Main Activity of the Company: Exploring for base metals and diamonds in Botswana and for kimberlites in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)
Date and Place of Birth: April 1, 1952, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
Education: BSc (Hons), Trinity College, Dublin University; MSc, Pretoria University; MSc, Reading University; PhD, University of Cape Town
First Job: Field technician in the geophysics section of the Geological Survey of South Africa
Size of First Pay Packet: R220 a month and, more importantly, some subsistence and travel allowance
Value of Assets under Your Control: $40-million, in Botswana
Number of People under Your Leadership: 40 employees
Management Style: Participative, focusing on teamwork and providing team members with the tools and the responsibility to manage their projects
Personal Best Achievement: Completing my PhD part-time while holding down a full-time job
Person Who Has Had the Biggest Influence on Your Life: Firstly, my mother, who suffered greatly in World War Two but retained a tremendous positive outlook on life; secondly, my wife, Cheryl, who, with great tenacity and love, has never given up on my son, Michael, after a tragic accident; and, lastly, Michael himself, who, with great determination, is dealing with his brain injury, showing us how precious life really is
Person Who Has Had the Biggest Influence on Your Career: Barry Hawthorne, deputy technical director of the Anglo American/De Beers group, now retired, who showed me the importance of applying science to exploration
Person You Would Most Like to Meet: Harrison Schmitt, who, during the Apollo 17 mission, became the first and only geologist to have walked on the moon
Businessperson Who Has Impressed You Most: Gary Ralfe, retired De Beers MD, who, with his business and interpersonal skills, led De Beers to new heights through high values, integrity and vision
Philosophy of Life: You have to enjoy what you are doing; if you are not excited in your career, then it is time to move on
Biggest Ever Opportunity: Joining the De Beers group in 1978
Biggest Ever Disappointment: Not having been able to complete all the exploration programmes in the DRC, with its fantastic mineral exploration targets, owing to logistics and political interference
Hope for the Future: That more resources, and not just money, are ploughed into education in Africa so that all youngsters on the continent benefit from it and are able to improve their lives
Favourite Reading: Tim Butcher, John Gordon Davis and early Wilbur Smith books on Africa
Favourite TV Programme: Euronews and a competitive game of rugby or football
Favourite Food/Drink: Nasi Goreng with a cold Heineken
Favourite Music: Adele, 1960/70 rock, Chopin piano concertos
Favourite Sport: Field hockey and roadrunning
Hobbies: Geology, in general, and applied sedimentology, in particular
Car: Toyota Prado
Pets: Ntombi, a blind Labrador, and her cheeky friend, Tache, a Jack Russell
Miscellaneous Dislikes: People who ignore the facts
Married: To Cheryl, ‘Die lig van Lichtenburg’
Children: Peter, 35, manager: capital projects, Intercontinental Hotels Group, London; Michael, 33, supervisor, Bennett’s Blinds, Johannesburg; Claire, 28, junior sous chef at Berners Tavern, London
Clubs: Kimberley Club, Irene Athletics Club