Full Name: Allen Richard Butcher
Position: GM of the Tweefontein Optmisation Project (TOP), a Glencore coal mining operation, since January 2012
Main Activity of the Company: Coal mining and marketing
Date and Place of Birth: April 18, 1969, Luton, England
Education: Sunward Park High, Boksburg, matric, 1986; BSc (mechanical engineering), University of the Witwatersrand (Wits), 1991; Registered Professional Engineer, 1996; Government Certificate of Competence, 1997; BA, MBA and executive management diploma, Stellenbosch University, 2003; graduate diploma in engineering (mining), Wits, 2009
First Job: Engineer in training, Sishen iron-ore mine, 1992
Size of First Pay Packet: R1 850 a month
Value of Assets under Your Control: The capital value of the TOP on completion in May or June will be more than R8-billion and thereafter the project's operational expenses will be about R3.5 billion a year
Number of People under Your Leadership: 750 full-time employees, and 2 500 contractors at peak construction
Management Style: Open, with firm direction and objective target setting; I enjoy robust discussion and dissent to a point and try to base the solution of any problem on logic; in a technical environment, fact-based consensus is invariably arrived at – people management needs a softer touch
Personal Best Achievement: The TOP to date
Person Who Has Had the Biggest Influence on Your Life: My wife
Person Who Has Had the Biggest Influence on Your Career: Matie von Wielligh and Ben Alberts
Person You Would Most Like to Meet: Thuli Madonsela
Businessperson Who Has Impressed You Most: Ivan Glasenberg
Philosophy of Life: Do everything with enthusiasm; live life to the fullest
Biggest Ever Opportunity: The high level of autonomy at the TOP
Biggest Ever Disappointment: Not being good enough to play sport for a living
Hope for the Future: That South Africa, which has so much going for it, reaches its full potential
Favourite Reading: Fiction and technical publications – I read as much as I have time for
Favourite TV Programme: Game of Thrones
Favourite Food/Drink: Asian seafood/wine
Favourite Music: 1980s
Favourite Sport: Off-road motor cycling
Hobbies: Making and building things
Car: Mercedes-Benz ML
Pets: Two sausage dogs
Miscellaneous Dislikes: Dishonesty and incompetence
Married: To Henriette, for 17 years
Children: Maryke, 29; Heloise, 26; Rozanne, 26; Michael, 16
Clubs: Tweefontein Golf Club