Full Name: Mavis (May) Ann Hermanus

Position: Executive director: Natural Resources and Environment (NRE), Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR)

Main Activity of Institution: Research

Date and Place of Birth: May 28, 1960, Cape Town

Education: Rosmead Primary; South Peninsular High; BSc (Geology), UCT, 1997; MSc (Eng) physical metallurgy, University of the Witwatersrand, 1986; Harvard School of Public Health, 1998 to 1999

First Job: Geology technician, George Orr & Associates, 1982

Size of First Pay Packet: R500 a month

Value of Assets under Your Control: People are the CSIR’s main assets and within NRE are some of the world’s foremost climate scientists and ecosystem researchers

Number of People under Your Leadership: 185

Management Style: Not only engaging people around outputs, efficiencies and systems, but also on forward direction

Personal Best Achievement: As chief inspector of mines and Mine Health and Safety Council chairperson, I brokered an agreement on health and safety goals and milestones from 2003 to 2013, which have been a consistent point of reference for improvement efforts

People Who Have Had the Biggest Influence on Your Life and Career: The inspiring teachers of my ghettowise neighbourhood; the Teachers League, which pushed maths and science as subjects central to rebuilding the country; Non-European Unity Movement leader Richard Dudley, who encouraged all of us children to use his fantastic home library; Cyril Ramaphosa, Gwede Mantashe and Kgalema Motlanthe at National Union of Mineworkers (NUM); and Mike Salamon at Samancor

Businessperson Who Has Impressed You Most: Mark Cutifani, for the way he combines technical and social savvy

Philosophy of Life: Enjoyment in living and learning

Biggest Ever Opportunity: NUM, from 1988 to 1992

Hope For the Future: That we build a more socially cohesive South Africa

Favourite Reading: Rebecca Skloot’s Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks; Hilary Mantels’ Place of Greater Safety; Henning Mankell books

Favourite TV Programme: So sorry I can’t see any more Downton Abbey

Favourite Food/Drink: Curries and Thai food, good wine

Favourite Music: Rock, Jazz, Blues

Favourite Sport: Walking, hiking; watching tennis, and those big matches of sports I normally do not follow

Hobbies: Learning to play piano; gardening, being outdoors

Car: Nissan Qashqai 1.5 diesel

Pets: Two dogs, a bird and a cat

Miscellaneous Dislikes: Extreme formality, unnecessary authoritarianism

Married: To Tony A’Bear

Children: Doug, 23; Frances, 20

Clubs: I hang out at Troyeville Hotel when there are presentations and lectures there