Full Name: Sivandran Munsami Gounden
Position: Chairperson of HolGoun Investment Holdings
Main Activity of the Company: Mining
Date and Place of Birth: August, 2, 1959, Marianhill, KwaZulu-Natal
Education: BEng (civil), 1982, University of Durban Westville; PhD (engineering), 2001, University of Natal
First Job: Structural engineer, 1983, Owen Jones & Partners
Size of First Pay Packet: R365 a month
Value of Assets under Your Control: Market capitalisation in excess of R1-billion
Number of People under Your Leadership: About 600
Management Style: Leading from the front
Personal Best Achievement: Not forgetting my humble beginnings
Person Who Has Had the Biggest Influence on Your Life: My mother and my wife
Person Who Has Had the Biggest Influence on Your Career: Too many to mention
Person You Would Most Like to Meet: Karl Marx and Albert Einstein (if they were still alive)
Businessperson Who Has Impressed You Most: Steve Jobs
Philosophy of Life: Fortune favours the brave
Biggest Ever Opportunity: Living through South Africa’s transition to democracy
Biggest Ever Disappointment: Patellectomy (removal of patella) at age 19 after a soccer injury
Hope for the Future: Educating our youth to enable them to secure meaningful employment
Favourite Reading: The Outliers, by Malcolm Gladwell
Favourite TV Programme: The Fixer (political drama)
Favourite Food/Drink: Japanese fusion/a good bottle of red wine
Favourite Music: Contemporary jazz and blues; more recently, classical
Favourite Sport: Canoeing – I have completed 19 Dusi Canoe Marathons
Hobbies: Reading, mountain biking and swimming
Car: Porsche Cayenne
Pets: Boxer, Goliath The Third
Miscellaneous Dislikes: Dishonesty and tardiness
Married: To Vanessa
Children: Lee, 23; Caelyn, 20
Clubs: The Arts Club London, Centurion Canoe Club and Pretoria Country Club