Full Name: Andrew Bahlmann

Position and Company Name: Joint CE of Deal Leaders International

Main Activity of the Company: Sell-side merger and acquisition (M&A) advisory services

Date and Place of Birth: February 13, 1974, Johannesburg

Education: BCom (Marketing), CA(SA)

First Job: Self-employed – I started a business straight out of school. My first formal job was as an articled clerk at Grant Thornton

Size of First Pay Packet: R1 400 a month

Career Path to Date: I started a tourism business in the early 90s straight out of school, as I did not have the means to study at that time. I pursued a BCom (Marketing) part time during that time. Six years later, I started my articles at Grant Thornton and did my CA(SA) part time. I worked in the US after that for Sage Insurance and then came back to South Africa two years later and worked at WesBank for five years. I left there as the CFO for South Africa and embarked on my entrepreneurial journey by starting my own consultancy. This led me eventually into the mid-market and M&A space by default and not design

Number of People Under Your Leadership: 17

Management Style: I lead from the middle

Personal Best Achievement: Definitely my family

Person Who Has Had the Biggest Influence on Your Life: My late mother

Person Who Has Had the Biggest Influence on Your Career: No one that I can think of. This probably explains why it has taken me so long to get where I am!

Person You Would Most Like to Meet: Former US President Barack Obama

Businessperson Who Has Impressed You Most: Laurie Dippenaar, one of the co-founders of FirstRand in the 1990s

Philosophy of Life: How can you, versus why you can’t

Biggest Ever Opportunity: I am in the middle of it now – building Deal Leaders International

Biggest Ever Disappointment: Partnering with the wrong people

Hope for the Future: That South Africa reaches its true potential

Favourite Reading: Fiction

Favourite TV Programme: Ozark

Favourite Food/Drink: Fusion/whiskey

Favourite Music: Hard rock and instrumental scores

Favourite Sport: Rugby

Hobbies: Padel and cooking

Car: Alfa Romeo

Pets: Two miniature Schnauzers, Coco and Clementine

Miscellaneous Dislikes: Entitlement and passengers on the journey

Married: To Tanya

Children: Chloe, 20; Christian, 18

Clubs: None