Full Name: Leon Furstenburg

Position: MD of Knight Piesold

Main Activity of the Company: People management

Date and Place of Birth: November 1957, Johannesburg

Education: MSc in water engineering, BSc in civil engineering

First Job: Engineer in training in the design branch of the then Johannesburg City Council

Size of First Pay Packet: I cannot remember – about R400 a month

Value of Assets under Your Control: $100-million

Number of People under Your Leadership: 850 worldwide, of whom some 170 are in Southern Africa

Management Style: Participative, open-door policy

Personal Best Achievement: Marrying Sandy

Person Who Has Had the Biggest Influence on Your Life: Not sure, actually

Person Who Has Had the Biggest Influence on Your Career: The late Professor Desmond Midgley

Person You Would Most Like to Meet: No specific person at the moment

Businessperson Who Has Impressed You Most: Steve Jobs

Philosophy of Life: Live and let live

Biggest Ever Opportunity: Becoming a partner in Watermeyer, Legge, Piesold & Uhlmann, now Knight Piesold

Biggest Ever Disappointment: Having to retrench some staff at one stage

Hope for the Future: That there is a good education system in South Africa that will finally set its people free

Favourite Reading: I read all sorts of things, ranging from business books to esoteric literature

Favourite TV Programme: I do not watch much television but probably something complex and educational like Top Gear

Favourite Food/Drink: I eat almost anything

Favourite Music: Anything by Queen

Favourite Sport: I used to play squash

Hobbies: Cabinet-making

Car: Audi

Pets: Two Labradors and two cats

Miscellaneous Dislikes: Opinionated people

Married: To Dr Sandy Wise

Children: Three mine and three Sandy’s: Leanne and Julia (29), Francois and Matthew (27), Sandra and Kyle (25) – quite a team!

Clubs: None