Full Name: Dean Naidoo

Position: People leader: Africa at Aurecon

Main Activity of the Company: Professional consulting

Date and Place of Birth: July 3, 1972, Durban, KwaZulu-Natal

Education: MSc (completing)

First Job: Human resources graduate

Career History Prior to Current Position: A variety of human resources positions at NMP, Medscheme, Momentum, Redis and Aurecon

Size of First Pay Packet: Small to very small

First Job with Present Group: People leader: Africa

Value of Assets under Your Control: Immeasurable – I work with very talented people across Aurecon

Number of People under Your Leadership: 27

Management Style: Ambidextrous, agile and consultative

Personal Best Achievement: Being admitted as a member of the Institute of Directors of South Africa

Professional Best Achievement: Seeing the lives of people enriched through education programmes established in sub-Saharan Africa

Person Who Has Had the Biggest Influence on Your Life: My parents and God

Person Who Has Had the Biggest Influence on Your Career: My parents, my wife and my external mentor, Nicky Jacklin

Person You Would Most Like to Meet: Desmond Tutu, Bill Gates

Businessperson Who Has Impressed You Most: Sir Richard Branson and Jack Welch

Philosophy of Life: To inspire, to make a difference and to shape the future

Biggest Ever Opportunity: Building and leading teams in Africa and the Middle East

Biggest Ever Disappointment: Not learning to speak Swahili or French

Hope for the Future: Making high-quality education accessible to everyone

Favourite Reading: Biographies

Favourite TV Programme: Documentaries

Favourite Food/Drink: Indian, Chinese, Portuguese, Italian

Favourite Music: R & B

Favourite Sport: Cricket, Formula 1, rugby and soccer

Favourite Website: Google

Hobbies: Reading

Car: Mercedes-Benz

Pets: Two dogs (German shepherds)

Miscellaneous Dislikes: Arrogance

Favourite Other South African Company: Unilever

Favourite Foreign Company: Google, Microsoft

Married: To Belinda, since December 27, 2003

Children: Talia, 11; Laila, 9; Yuval Aaron, 6

Clubs: None