Full Name: Zacharias Bernardus Swanepoel
Position: CEO of Village since June 2010
Main Activity of the Company: Mining
Date and Place of Birth: May 7, 1961, Pretoria
Education: Bergsig Hoërskool, Rustenburg, 1978; BSc (mining engineering), Universtiy of Pretoria, 1983; BCom (Hons) (financial management), University of South Africa, 1989
First Job: Graduate-in-training, Grootvlei, 1983
Size of First Pay Packet: R422 a week
First Job with Present Group: CEO
Value of Assets under Your Control: R550-million
Management Style: Team player, participative
Personal Best Achievement: Being the recipient of an Atlas Copco travel grant to Portugal, Italy and Sweden in 1993
Professional Best Achievement: Seeing young people I worked with leading other companies
Person Who Has Had the Biggest Influence on Your Life: My mother
Person Who Has Had the Biggest Influence on Your Career: Peter DK Robinson, of Gengold
Person You Would Most Like to Meet: Warren Buffett
Businessperson Who Has Impressed You Most: Peter Flack
Philosophy of Life: You can influence your circumstances
Biggest Ever Opportunity: Joining Harmony (Swanepoel is the former CEO of Harmony Gold, which employed some 45 000 people under his watch)
Biggest Ever Disappointment: Seeing people you respect being corrupted by power
Hope for the Future: I really hope to play a part in making a future for my children in South Africa
Favourite Reading: Biographies
Favourite TV Programme: Sport
Favourite Food/Drink: Chocolate/red wine
Favourite Music: Nothing in particular
Favourite Sport: Rugby and now soccer
Car: BMW X3
Pets: None
Miscellaneous Dislikes: Political correctness
Favourite Foreign Company: BHP Billiton
Married: To Tracey
Children: Zinette, Juanita and Zack
Clubs: None