Full Name: Stephen Paul McCarley
Position: MD of Bosch Munitec
Main Activity of the Company: The management, operations and maintenance of municipal engineering services and infrastructure, focusing on water, wastewater and solid waste management services
Date and Place of Birth: November 13, 1967, Belfast, Northern Ireland
Education: BSc Eng (Chem), University of Natal
First Job: Vacation work at QD Fire, installing firefighting sprinkler systems, when I was 16
Career History Prior to Current Position: City of Durban, professional chemicals officer; eThekwini Water & Sanitation, chemical engineer/works area engineer; WSSA, national process manager/operations manager: KwaZulu-Natal; Vivendi Water Systems, GM: operations; Durban Water Recycling, MD; Alliance Water Engineering, operations director; Bosch Munitech, MD; and Bosch Holdings, director
Size of First Pay Packet: R89 a week at QD Fire
First Job with Present Group: Operations director
Value of Assets under Your Control: R40-million
Number of People under Your Leadership: 73
Management Style: Participative, with delegation and authority at the appropriate levels
Personal Best Achievement: My two beautiful daughters, taking part in the Comrades Marathon and learning to swim at the age of 45, within four months of my first half ironman distance triathlon (1.9 km open-water swim)
Professional Best Achievement: The continued confidence shown in my leadership by the staff at Bosch Munitech and the Bosch Holdings board, enabling us to grow the company fivefold in four years.
Person Who Has Had the Biggest Influence on Your Life: It has to be my ex-wife and the two beautiful girls we had together
Person Who Has Had the Biggest Influence on Your Career: My mentor at eThekwini, Norman Fortmann, the late Sean Reilly, the previous MD at Bosch Munitech, and the late Coenie Kellerman, whose common-sense approach and indomitable spirit taught me so much
Person You Would Most Like to Meet: Bono
Businessperson Who Has Impressed You Most: Sir Richard Branson
Philosophy of Life: It starts with Kyk Noord, which, loosely translated into English, means ‘Keep calm and carry on’, but with more feeling, as can only be expressed in Afrikaans
Biggest Ever Opportunity: Being let go by Vivendi (now Veolia), although it did not appear that way at the time
Biggest Ever Disappointment: That government, despite an obvious deficiency in capacity to deliver sustainable water, wastewater and solid waste services, fails to meaningfully engage the private sector to contribute to the provision of these basic services
Hope for the Future: A peaceful and prosperous South Africa, where all citizens enjoy dignity and respect
Favourite Reading: History and multisport magazines
Favourite TV Programme: QI, The Big Bang Theory, Top Gear, Phineas and Ferb
Favourite Food/Drink: Sunday afternoon braai/red wine with friends
Favourite Music: Cold Play, Snow Patrol, Pink, Arno Carstens and even some of the doef-doef my teenagers listen to
Favourite Sport: Endurance sport – trail running, road running, mountain biking, road cycling and triathlon – and (watching) rugby
Favourite Website: News 24 and Facebook
Hobbies: I am an army reservist with 2 Construction Regiment.
Car: Audi A4
Pets: None
Miscellaneous Dislikes: Dishonesty
Favourite Other South African Company: Any company in the Bosch Holdings group of companies
Favourite Foreign Company: Guinness and Bushmills
Married: Divorced
Children: Megan, 16; Sarah, 14
Clubs: Westville Athletic Club