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