Full Name: Robert Richardson

Position: MD of Air Products

Main Activity of the Company: Manufacture of industrial and speciality gases

Date and Place of Birth: 1961, Johannesburg

Education: BSc (mechanical engineering), University of the Witwatersrand (Wits), 1981; MSc (industrial engineering), Wits, 1993; PrEng, 1987

First Job: Assistant design engineer, Sasol Technology

Career History Prior to Current Position: Various operations and project management positions, including eight years as GM: On-Sites (responsible for Air Products tonnage gas production)

Size of First Pay Packet: R1 200 a month

First Job with Present Group: Projects manager

Value of Assets under Your Control: R3.5-billion

Number of People under Your Leadership: 680

Management Style: Participative and informal

Personal Best Achievement: Eighteen Comrades marathon finishes, including two silver medals (below 7 hours, 30 minutes)

Professional Best Achievement: Being appointed MD of Air Products South Africa

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

Person Who Has Had the Biggest Influence on Your Career: Mike Hellyar, previous MD of Air Products

Person You Would Most Like to Meet: Albert Einstein

Businessperson Who Has Impressed You Most: Warren Buffett

Philosophy of Life: Try to recognise the individual qualities that each person brings

Biggest Ever Opportunity: Studying engineering on a Sasol bursary

Biggest Ever Disappointment: That South Africa has not been able to adequately address the growing problem of unemployment, especially youth unemployment

Hope for the Future: A South Africa where the leaders act in the interests of society rather than the interests of an elite few

Favourite Reading: Light nonfiction, such as Malcolm Gladwell

Favourite TV Programme: Detective series

Favourite Food/Drink: Steak/red wine

Favourite Music: 80s rock

Favourite Sport: Roadrunning

Favourite Website: BD Live

Hobbies: All kinds of do-it-yourself work

Car: Mercedes-Benz, Toyota

Pets: None

Miscellaneous Dislikes: Corruption

Favourite Other South African Company: Sasol

Favourite Foreign Company: Toyota

Married: To Jane Scott, since 1989

Children: Laura, 21

Clubs: None