Full Name: Alex John Grose

Position: MD of Investing in African Mining Indaba

Main Activity of the Company: Organising the Investing in African Mining Indaba in Cape Town every year, as well as other similar events

Date and Place of Birth: January 21, 1977, Tokyo, Japan

Education: BA (business administration), French, Aston University, UK

First Job: Advertising sales executive, Sterling Publishing, London

Size of First Pay Packet: £16 000 a year

Number of People under Your Leadership: 18 full-time staff and numerous temporary staff during the Mining Indaba

Management Style: Empowering a superb leadership team

Personal Best Achievement: Hopefully, the February 6 to 9 Mining Indaba. Before that, launching the first telecoms conference in Burma/Myanmar, before the country had telecoms

Person Who Has Had the Biggest Influence on Your Life: My parents, who believed in me and supported me in every choice I have made

Person Who Has Had the Biggest Influence on Your Career: My first boss, Richard Crosby, who showed me the importance of hard work and integrity

Person You Would Most Like to Meet: Tiger Woods, for inspiring a generation of people around the world. Perhaps I should say Ernie Els!

Philosophy of Life: Better to regret the things you have done than the things you have not done

Biggest Ever Opportunity: My new role as MD of Mining Indaba

Biggest Ever Disappointment: Never having a hole-in-one – hopefully, that can still change

Hope for the Future: Rebalancing the world away from the current wave of parochialism

Favourite Reading: Nonfiction novels (do they exist?) – something like Into Thin Air, by John Krakauer

Favourite TV Programme: The Wire or Engrenages

Favourite Food/Drink: Traditional Christmas lunch with all the trimmings and a good red wine

Favourite Music: Very varied. I collect a lot of vinyl – the most recent purchase was Johnny Cash

Favourite Sport: To watch: football; to play: golf

Hobbies: Travelling the world, golf, snowboarding and buying and listening to music

Car: BMW, but, in reality, these days, Uber

Pets: None

Miscellaneous Dislikes: Being bored; racism; people driving in the wrong lane on a motorway

Married: Engaged

Clubs: None