Full Name: Alon Lits

Position and Company Name: Cofounder of The Join Panda App

Main Activity of the Company: Leveraging technology to provide people with access to the right mental healthcare at the right time

Date and Place of Birth: January 15, 1985, Johannesburg

Education: BSc (actuarial science and mathematical statistics), University of the Witwatersrand (Wits); BSc (advanced mathematics of finance), Wits; MBA, INSEAD; Associate of the Society of Actuaries with the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries

First Job: My first full-time role was with Investec Bank as part of its graduate recruitment programme

Size of First Pay Packet: R20 000 a month

Career Path to Date: My current role emerged after I initially took some time out after a demanding, but exciting, few years at Uber. I started doing some advisory work with some tech businesses across the continent and beyond. I was introduced to my cofounder at Panda, Allan Sweidan, towards the end of 2020. We found a common passion in trying to address the mental health pandemic in the country while using technology as simple as Uber, where I served as GM and director responsible for the company’s business in sub-Saharan Africa. We officially started working on Panda full time about a year ago and went live with the app in October. Prior to joining Uber, I worked for Investec, which I joined as part of its graduate recruitment programme in Capital Markets (within the Specialised Finance division, focused on corporate lending). I spent a year on the programme, rotating through the different areas of Specialised Finance. I ultimately joined the Acquisition Finance team, where I provided debt and preference share solutions to corporates and private-equity firms across Africa

Value of Assets under Your Control: We are a very early-stage startup with bold aspirations

Number of People under Your Leadership: We have just hired our eleventh full-time employee

Management Style: I believe in leading from the front and working alongside my colleagues

Personal Best Achievement: Ensuring that I got the ambulance to our home in time when our baby came much earlier than expected

Person Who Has Had the Biggest Influence on Your Life: My parents – they taught me the importance of family, hard work and integrity

Person Who Has Had the Biggest Influence on Your Career: My brother-in-law, Justin Drennan, who is the CEO of ParcelNinja and one of the pioneers of the startup world in South Africa

Person You Would Most Like to Meet: Winston Churchill – although he was a flawed human, he provided leadership to the world during our darkest hour

Businessperson Who Has Impressed You Most: Elon Musk – he continues to redefine the possible

Philosophy of Life: Hard work pays off

Biggest Ever Opportunity: The opportunity to join Uber in 2013

Biggest Ever Disappointment: Prior to joining Uber, I was interviewed for positions with private-equity funds and went through a long process with a US-based fund. I was ultimately unsuccessful, and was completely gutted. A few weeks later, I was given the opportunity to join Uber

Hope For the Future: That we can make a meaningful dent on the mental health pandemic in South Africa and globally with the Panda App

Favourite Reading: High Output Management, by Andrew Grove

Favourite TV Programme: I’m loving Ozark at the moment

Favourite Food/Drink: Sushi/Jameson on the rocks

Favourite Music: My current playlist includes everything from Twinkle Twinkle Little Star (thanks to my children) to The Kid Laroi and Glass Animals

Favourite Sport: Soccer

Hobbies: I try to keep active by working out in the gym and running. I am trying to focus as much of my free time as possible on my family and friends

Car: I’m still brand loyal and my car is an Uber

Pets: Two Pekingese that we adopted six years ago

Miscellaneous Dislikes: Disingenuous people and taking a giant gulp of off milk without realising that it’s past expiration

Married: To Shani, who is a clinical psychologist and director of a not-for-profit organisation

Children: Ethan, who is nearly one year old, and Zac, who is three-and-a-half years old