Full Name: Qasim Abrahams
Position and Company Name: VP for sales and service: Southern Africa at Metso Southern Africa
Main Activity of the Company: Supply of equipment, services and process knowledge to the mining industry, from the pit to the handling of the end product
Date and Place of Birth: September 29, 1983
Education: Sustainable leadership, Rutgers Business School; MBA, University of Cape Town Graduate School of Business (UCT GSB); PDBA, UCT GSB; BTech (mechanical engineering), Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT); national diploma (mechanical engineering), CPUT
First Job: Design engineer for a marine and minerals project. I was part of a team that designed, manufactured and commissioned the first offshore mining vessel for De Beers Marine
Size of First Pay Packet: $5 000 a year
Number of People Under Your Leadership: 50 in sales organisation and just over 800 in Metso South Africa
Management Style: I believe in participative (inclusive) and servant leadership. Leading an organisation is centred on the people – we need to empower people for them to grow and develop alongside the organisation
Personal Best Achievement: My amazing family and being selected as a Mandela Washington Fellow in 2017 (An Africa Future Leaders initiative programme)
Person Who Has Had the Biggest Influence on Your Life: My father and my Grade 11 science teacher
Person Who Has Had the Biggest Influence on Your Career: Thomas Konietzko, who was a director of a German renewable-energy company – he took a chance on me to head up the company’s African entity as it undertook its global expansion. He recognised the value I could bring and personally undertook the task of mentoring me. Additionally, Rolf Schweizer, of ABB, appointed me as the youngest regional head of a business unit operating in the energy sector, to oversee the Southern Africa operations
Person You Would Most Like to Have Met: The late Dr Nthato Motlana, because of his work around economic empowerment in South Africa
Businessperson Who Has Impressed You Most: Vodacom Group CEO Mohamed Joosub – his entrepreneurial spirit from a young age and his ability to lead large organisations and get a workforce to rally behind him are inspiring
Philosophy of Life: Living a life driven by purpose is living a life of fulfilment
Biggest Ever Opportunity: Every opportunity to impact on the life of someone else and to grow as an individual is a big event in my life
Hope for the Future: That people across Africa have access to clean water, food, electricity and education. No human being should be denied these. The fact that we have this kind of disparity in all African countries and further across the globe is saddening
Favourite Reading: The Innovator's Dilemma: The Revolutionary Book That Will Change the Way You Do Business, by Clayton Christensen
Favourite TV Programme: I do not really watch television
Favourite Food/Drink: Thai and Italian
Favourite Music: A little bit of everything, mood dependent
Favourite Sport: Rugby and soccer
Hobbies: Running, CrossFit and doing obstacle challenges like the Warrior Races
Married: To Wierzah Adams
Children: Jood, 5; Li’ya, 4