Full Name: Harry Ephraim Mashego, known as Mashego Mashego

Position: Executive director: corporate affairs, Harmony Gold Mining Company

Main Activity of the Company: Gold mining and exploration

Date and Place of Birth: June 15, 1964, Witbank, Mpumalanga

Education: BA Ed, University of the North; BCom (Hons), University of Johannesburg; Global Executive Development Programme, Gordon Institute of Business Science

First Job: School teacher, Sozama High School, 1987 to 1989

Career Path: Adult basic development instructor, human resources (HR) manager, Kriel power station; corporate group HR, JCI, 1997; Industrial Development Corporation, 1998, deployed to Atlantis Diesel Engines as senior GM HR, Indian Ocean Fertiliser, Foskor, rising to VP of HR. On July 1, 2005, I joined Harmony as group HR development manager for three months, before being appointed GM of the Evander gold mine. I was promoted to group executive: HR in August 2007. In February 2010, I was appointed to the Harmony board of directors and am still in that position

Size of First Pay Packet: R350 a month

Number of People under Your Leadership: Harmony employs 30 700 people, including contractors (as at mid-March 2018)

Management Style: Very inclusive and participative

Personal Best Achievement: Becoming a voice of reason and a role model in the community

Professional Best Achievement: Being part of a team that pulled the company through difficult times – returning it to profitability

Person Who Has Had the Biggest Influence on Your Career: There are a number of people, but I would like to single out the late Piet Greyling, who allowed me room to experiment and learn the trade of being an executive

Person You Would Most Like to Meet: I have had the good fortune of meeting lots of people that I look up to

Businessperson Who Has Impressed You Most: Ntate Richard Maponya

Philosophy of Life: One’s destiny will keep calling one into the world of the unknown – embrace it

Biggest Ever Opportunity: Appointment to the Harmony board – it allowed me to influence things beyond company boundaries. My current position affords me the opportunity to interact with ‘the powers that be’ in South Africa and beyond the country’s borders and to influence their thinking

Biggest Ever Disappointment: Being a victim of crime in my own backyard

Hope for the Future: That, as South Africans, we work together in addressing all the challenges facing the country for our own benefit and the benefit of future generations

Favourite Reading: The works of Stephen Covey and upcoming local authors like Sibongile Sithole and Dr Thabelo Malovhele

Favourite TV Programme: I watch whatever is on the screen at the time

Favourite Food/Drink: Crisp vegetables and lamb/oxtail

Favourite Music: Gospel

Favourite Sport: None

Hobbies: Reading, public speaking, community involvement

Car: Mercedes-Benz

Pets: None

Dislikes: Arrogant people who are full of themselves

Married: To Lauretta, for 29 years

Children: Letukile and Reratilwe, and grandson Phetogo

Clubs: Mamelodi Sundowns