Full Name: Estelle Meiring

Position: Director at Paragon Architects

Main Activity of the Company: Architecture

Date and Place of Birth: August 22, 1979, Johannesburg

Education: BArch, University of Pretoria; MSc (property development), University of the Witwatersrand

First Job: Part-time cashier in a clothing store when I was a student

Career History Prior to Current Position: I have been at Paragon for 14 years. Prior to that, I worked for R&L Architects, a small architectural office in Pretoria, and then moved to London, where I worked for an architectural firm called Broadway Malyan

Size of First Pay Packet: R5 000, as a candidate architect

First Job with Present Group: Professional architect

Value of Assets under Your Control: Not stated

Number of People under Your Leadership: 107

Management Style: I adjust my approach, depending on the specific person or team that I am dealing with

Personal Best Achievement: Completing my MSc degree a few months after my twins were born, while also holding down a full-time job

Professional Best Achievement: Not stated

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

Person Who Has Had the Biggest Influence on Your Career: Anthony Orelowitz, one of the founding directors of Paragon

Person You Would Most Like to Meet: Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg

Businessperson Who Has Impressed You Most: Sheryl Sandberg

Philosophy of Life: Look for the magic in the ordinary; find pleasure in the small, simple things in life, and you will have a never-ending source of delight

Biggest Ever Opportunity: Joining Paragon when it had 15 staff members only and playing a part in building it into the big company that it is today

Biggest Ever Disappointment: Not stated

Hope for the Future: That this generation curbs global warming

Favourite Reading: The Dovekeepers, by Alice Hoffman

Favourite TV Programme: Not stated

Favourite Food/Drink: My mother’s roast chicken

Favourite Music: I listen to almost anything, depending on my mood on the day

Favourite Sport: I do not watch sports on TV at all

Favourite Website: Not stated

Hobbies: I occasionally show and breed Irish setters

Car: A Nissan X-trail

Pets: Three Irish setters and a spaniel

Miscellaneous Dislikes: People who interrupt you while you are talking

Favourite Other South African Company: Woolworths

Favourite Foreign Company: Apple

Married: To Louis, since October 18, 2008

Children: Viaan and Mia, aged almost four

Clubs: Not stated