Full Name: Chris Norton

Position and Company Name: Regional director: Africa, Veeam Software, based in Johannesburg

Main Activity of the Company: Veeam Software provides organisations with resilience through data security, data recovery and data freedom for their hybrid cloud. The Veeam Data Platform delivers a single solution for cloud, virtual, physical, SaaS and Kubernetes environments

Date and Place of Birth: October 1, 1969, Johannesburg

Schools and Tertiary Education: Matric, St Stithians College; sales and marketing diploma, Wits Technikon

First Job: In the early 1980s, I had an informal job clearing tables as a runner at Mike’s Kitchen in Bryanpark. My first formal job was as a call centre agent at IBM in the early 1990s

Career History Prior to Current Position: After leaving IBM, I worked at various distribution companies in brand management and then moved into the vendor space with Citrix, where I started the business as employee Number 1, and then went on to start VMware in South Africa, also as employee Number 1. After leaving VMware, I went to ServiceNow to start the company’s South Africa office and then moved on to VCE, which was absorbed into EMC and then bought by Dell. In April 2021, I left Dell to join Veeam

Size of First Pay Packet: Less than R4 000 a month

First Job with Present Group: Regional director: Africa (my current role)

Number of People under Your Leadership: 42

Management Style: I have an open and consultative, output-orientated management style

Personal Best Achievement: I was debt free by 34

Person Who Has Had the Biggest Influence on Your Life: My wife

Person Who Has Had the Biggest Influence on Your Career: A gentleman called Lewis Gee

Person You Would Most Like to Meet: Lewis Hamilton

Businessperson Who Has Impressed You Most: Paul Maritz

Philosophy of Life: Happiness is not having what you want; it is wanting what you have

Biggest Ever Opportunity: Concluding a global PC deal with a multinational company for $75-million

Biggest Ever Disappointment: Losing the revenue for two massive deals because our distributor was liquidated after having been paid by the customers

Hope for the Future: That South Africa survives the current downward trend

Favourite Reading: Car Magazine or Gadget Magazine

Favourite TV Programme: I am currently watching the X-files from the start

Favourite Food/Drink: Braai with a good wine

Favourite Music: 80s music

Favourite Sport: Rugby (especially after a South Africa win)

Hobbies: Anything that has to do with the outdoors or wildlife, fly-fishing or breakfast runs

Car: Audi RS6 and Landcruiser 76

Pets: We have one rescue dog and one rescue cat

Miscellaneous Dislikes: Bad drivers and poor service

Married: I have been married to my lovely wife for more than 25 years

Children: I have two beautiful daughters

Clubs: None