Full Name: Michelle Jenkins

Position and Company Name: Executive: finance and administration (South Africa), Orion Minerals

Main Activity of the Company: Mining and exploration

Date and Place of Birth: April 2, Pretoria, South Africa

Education: CA (SA); BAcc Sc (Hons), University of South Africa; BSc (Hons) (geology), University of the Witwatersrand

First Job: Well-site geologist at Soekor (now called Petra SA)

Size of First Pay Packet: R700 a month

Value of Assets under Your Control: A$66-million

Number of People under Your Leadership: 50

Management Style: High energy and leading by example – I also do not micromanage

Personal Best Achievement: Successfully concluding a mining convention in 2015 with the government of Côte d’Ivoire after nine months of negotiation

Person Who Has Had the Biggest Influence on Your Life: My maternal grandmother, who taught me about the strength of women

Person Who Has Had the Biggest Influence on Your Career: Rob Still – he taught me about business

Person You Would Most Like to Meet: New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Arden, for breaking the stereotypes and being a fierce individual that lives on her own terms

Businessperson Who Has Impressed You Most: Yahoo CEO Carol Bartz. She is not your typical Ivy League woman with an MBA – she is a woman with an attitude and an aptitude for business and people. From humble beginnings, she overcame tremendous personal hardships and disadvantages to become one of the world’s most inspiring CEOs

Philosophy of Life: The question isn’t who is going to let me – it’s who is going to stop me. Be fearless

Biggest Ever Opportunity: Moving to Johannesburg to work for KPMG

Biggest Ever Disappointment: The demise of Taurus Gold

Hope for the Future: That I complete everything I set out to accomplish

Favourite Reading: My favourite book of all time is Atlas Shrugged, by Ayn Rand. I first read it when I was 20 and have read it again regularly over the years

Favourite TV Programme: The Daily Show, with our very own Trevor Noah, and Last Week Tonight with John Oliver

Favourite Food/Drink: Ginger, chilli and lemon tuna and a glass of brut champagne

Favourite Music: I have a very eclectic taste in music, which includes contemporary music, African music, West African music, the blues and more blues, French music, classic rock, hard rock, classical music, jazz, Kings of Leon and the evergreen Van Morrison

Favourite Sport: Running

Hobbies: Painting, learning and speaking French

Car: Lexus Land Cruiser

Pets: We have a crazy boxer dog called Rosie

Miscellaneous Dislikes: Racism, chauvinism and people who play the victim card

Married: To Guy

Children: Rhys, 24; Nicholas, 18

Clubs: None