Tom Marsicano
Full Name: Tom Marsicano
Position: CEO of and Change
Main Activity of the Company: Change management consulting and training
Date and Place of Birth: December 3, 1954, Johannesburg
Education: BCom; certified advanced instructor: Prosci
First Job: Bank clerk
Career History Prior to Current Position: I have consulted in various African countries and in Europe on projects involving mergers, technology changes and corporate culture change, and have trained thousands of practitioners and managers in the government/semigovernment, financial, mining, petrochemicals, fast-moving consumer goods, management consulting and tourism sectors
Size of First Pay Packet: About R220 a month
First Job with Present Group: CEO
Value of Assets under Your Control: R5-million
Number of People under Your Leadership: 20
Management Style: Affiliative
Personal Best Achievement: Being happily married for 35 years, with a stable family, and travelling to and seeing 35 countries
Professional Best Achievement: Establishing a delivery model for change management in a large banking group, including the management of change of several initiatives in the operations area of that bank
Person Who Has Had the Biggest Influence on Your Life: Nelson Mandela
Person Who Has Had the Biggest Influence on Your Career: Former Standard Bank director Gus Warwick
Person You Would Most Like to Meet: Pope Francis
Businessperson Who Has Impressed You Most: Elon Musk
Philosophy of Life: Life is a journey of self-discovery, so expect to learn about yourself every day. Do what you love and do not chase the money – if you do what you love and do it well, and the money will follow you
Biggest Ever Opportunity: Value-added telephony services – I started a new industry in South Africa that leveraged the emerging technology of voice computing
Biggest Ever Disappointment: Being deceived by dishonest employees
Hope for the Future: That we solve the problem of widespread corruption in South Africa
Favourite Reading: Business literature and astronomy
Favourite TV Programme: There is no one programme in particular; however, I do find Air Crash Investigation incredibly interesting
Favourite Food/Drink: Generally, food that is simple but super fresh and a good single malt whiskey
Favourite Music: I love good rock, but also classical music, or music from different cultures, such as gamelan
Favourite Sport: Motor racing and athletics
Favourite Website: www.andchange.com
Hobbies: Photography and blacksmithing
Car: Porsche sports models – 718 to Taycan
Pets: Dogs
Miscellaneous Dislikes: Loud and disruptive people
Favourite Other South African Company: Coca-Cola Beverages Africa
Favourite Foreign Company: Swiss Re
Married: To Teresa, since September 1985
Children: Vincent; Nicholas
Clubs: Association of Change Management Professionals