Full Name: Lionel Maasdorp

Position: MD of Allmech

Main Activity of the Company: Water treatment of heat-transfer surfaces and manufacture of electrode boilers. Allmech is also the agent for Runxin multiflow control valves

Date and Place of Birth: July 1975, South Africa

Education: I am currently registered for a mechanical engineering diploma at the University of South Africa (Unisa) and hold a BCompt degree from Unisa, obtained in 1997

First Job: Audit clerk with Hewitt Van Der Walt Auditors, in Benoni, Gauteng

Career History Prior to Current Position: I moved from auditing to become group financial manager at BED Group (seven years), after which I spent a year at Tyco Trucks (an Imperial subsidiary). I later did some consulting work and, in 2008, joined the finance team of the civils division of Roshcon (a division of Eskom), for which I worked until it was merged with Rotran in 2012

Size of First Pay Packet: R1 000 a month, in 1994

First Job with Present Group: GM, in 2013

Value of Assets under Your Control: About R20-million

Number of People under Your Leadership: 18

Management Style: I prefer to give staff the freedom to take their own decisions as a team, with enough supervision to change things, if necessary, but not to have to monitor them constantly

Personal Best Achievement: Managing Allmech successfully after Allan Cunningham was involved in a motorbike accident in 2014

Professional Best Achievement: Not stated

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

Person Who Has Had the Biggest Influence on Your Career: Fanie van Der Walt

Person You Would Most Like to Meet: Richard Branson

Businessperson Who Has Impressed You Most: Mike Barns

Philosophy of Life: There are constant ups and downs, so make the best out of both of them, as they will pass at some stage

Biggest Ever Opportunity: Not stated

Biggest Ever Disappointment: Seeing how disconnected large companies actually are

Hope for the Future: That corruption and greed make way for investment and development to benefit the whole country

Favourite Reading: Nonfiction

Favourite TV Programme: National Geographic

Favourite Food/Drink: Chicken

Favourite Music: Pop and rock

Favourite Sport: Not stated

Favourite Website: www.ephotozine.com

Hobbies: Photography, scuba diving

Car: A 4 × 4

Pets: Four dogs

Miscellaneous Dislikes: None

Favourite Other South African Company: Not stated

Favourite Foreign Company: Not stated