Full Name: Ari Budin

Position: COO of Magnitech

Main Activity of the Company: Magnitech is an industrial lighting manufacturer

Date and Place of Birth: June 8, 1979, Johannesburg

Education: BCom (Hons) (finance), MBA

First Job: Selling biltong at the Bree street flea market

Size of First Pay Packet: Not enough to buy a packet of biltong

Career History: Before joining Magnitech, I spent 12 years as the country head of I Hennig, an international diamond brokerage, and contributed to the establishment of multiple diamond polishing factories across Southern Africa

First Job with Present Group: COO

Number of People under Your Leadership: About 120

Management Style: I subscribe to the transformational management approach. I believe that innovation and the willingness to embrace change, as well as the quest for continuous growth, are key to any individual’s or company’s success. Pushing past your comfort zone is where greatness really happens

Personal Best Achievement: My two incredible daughters, Layla and Shanna

Professional Best Achievement: My professional best achievement is always still ahead of me

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

Person Who Has Had the Biggest Influence on Your Career: My father, who has always pushed me to excel beyond my belief

Person You Would Most Like to Meet: Richard Branson

Businessperson Who Has Impressed You Most: Bill Gates – to achieve such greatness, recognise it and then devote the rest of your life to making the world a better place is amazing in every sense of the word

Philosophy of Life: Carpe Diem – Seize the day!

Biggest Ever Opportunity: The opportunity to advance Magnitech into a global leader in industrial lighting must be my greatest opportunity yet

Biggest Ever Disappointment: I try not to linger on disappointments, but move on to create the next opportunity instead

Hope for the Future: To see and be part of a truly unified and thriving South Africa

Favourite Reading: Shantaram, by Gregory David Roberts

Favourite TV Programme: The sitcom Friends

Favourite Food/Drink: You cannot beat a good pizza and a glass or two of wine.

Favourite Music: I have a very eclectic taste in music, but my go-to tunes have to be 80ss rock

Favourite Sport: Rugby

Favourite Website: I am a tech nut, so it would have to be Wired.com

Hobbies: Reading, boxing, gym, wildlife and spending quality time with my family

Car: Mercedes-Benz

Pets: A slightly deranged cocker spaniel

Miscellaneous Dislikes: People who talk while chewing and slow Sunday drivers

Favourite Other South African Company: There are so many South African founded companies that I greatly admire – Sasol, for its innovation; Nandos, for its phenomenal marketing and stellar growth; Anglo American, for what it has created; and SANParks, for what it preserves, are just a few that immediately come to mind

Favourite Foreign Company: Google

Married: To Alexi, since January 17, 2008

Children: Layla, 8; Shanna, 5