Full Name: Ronald Clifford William Webber-Youngman
Position: Professor and head of the Department of Mining Engineering at the University of Pretoria
Main University Activity: Mining engineering education and research
Date and Place of Birth: December 2, 1959, Welkom, Free State
Education: Technical High School Welkom (matric); BEng (mining engineering), MEng Mining (mining engineering), University of Pretoria; PhD, North-West University
First Job: Learner official, Anglovaal, Hartebeestfontein mine, Stilfontein, January 1978
Size of First Pay Packet: R363 a month (cost to company)
Department Annual Education Budget: R21-million
Number of People under Your Leadership: 43 lecturers, contract lecturers, support staff and full-time postgraduate students; 337 undergraduate students (77% of whom are black and 29% women) and 70 postgraduate students (pursing honours and master's degrees, as well as PhDs), totalling 404 students, the world's highest-number English-speaking mining department
Management Style: Participative, focusing on results and staff development, with the aim of empowering employees and students to develop themselves to their highest potential
Personal Best Achievement: Springbok karate captaincy, 1996; International Society of Mining Professors presidency, 2014
Person Who Has Had the Biggest Influence on Your Life: My Springbok karate coach, the late Eddie Dorey
Person Who Has Had the Biggest Influence on Your Career: Christo Naude, whom I first met when I was an Anglovaal learner official; later, as GM, he appointed me project mining engineer at JCI’s Joel mine
Person You Would Most Like to Meet: In my sport career, we were promised a meeting with Nelson Mandela, which, sadly, never happened. Now it is Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa – I have so much to share with him
Businessperson Who Has Impressed You Most: Mervyn Niland (From Backyard to Brand Leader) – he inspired me to start my own written dream list with the objective of making as many items come true
Philosophy of Life: To avoid ‘I should have’ moments – it always relates to missed opportunities
Biggest Ever Opportunity: Being granted an Anglovaal scholarship to study mining engineering at the University of Pretoria. My parents would not have been able to pay for my tertiary education
Biggest Ever Disappointment: I would rather elaborate on the greatest moment in my life – the birth of my son and being present when it happened at 17:20 on November 26, 2006
Hope for the Future: For the next generation of South Africans to fully unlock the potential of this great country of ours, where the ugly triplets of poverty, unemployment and inequality will receive significant attention
Favourite Reading: Motivational, inspirational books, books on leadership, including Good to Great, by Jim Collins
Favourite TV Programme: Boston Legal, The Blacklist, 24, British comedy
Favourite Food/Drink: I love curry dishes, and a good old Scotch at sunset
Favourite Music: I love light classical music with my favourite instrument, the cello
Favourite Sport: Rugby, karate, cycling
Hobbies: Motivational talks to all audiences, outdoor activities, fishing
Car: Toyota Hilux 4 × 4, 1998 model, the best ever made
Pets: Two Boston terriers and a Yorkshire terrier
Miscellaneous Dislikes: I cannot stand people with a negative outlook on life, dishonest and lazy people, arrogant people (in whatever form)
Married: To Jerina
Children: Liam, 8
Clubs: Mining Alumni Society, University of Pretoria; Spintech Spinning Club