Full Name: Godfrey Nndivheni Marema

Position and Company Name: Plant manager and MD at Eaton Electric South Africa

Main Activity of the Company: Eaton South Africa is a subsidiary of Eaton Global, a power management company with manufacturing sites in South Africa and Morocco and distribution sites all over Africa

Date and Place of Birth: April 7, 1975, Venda, Limpopo province

Education: BSc (Chemical Engineering), University of Cape Town (UCT), 2000, (under the Lord Sainsbury scholarship programme); Management Development Programme, Rhodes University

First Job: Graduate trainee at Volkswagen South Africa (VWSA)

Size of First Pay Packet: A few thousand rands

Career Path to Date: I worked at VWSA for 16 years in various manufacturing, sales and marketing roles. In between, I had a stint at Umicore, a global chemicals company focusing on clean technology in the automotive catalyst sector. Before assuming my current role at Eaton, I was the COO of Landisy+Gyr, a multinational electronics company

Value of Assets under Your Control: A net asset value over R130-million

Number of People under Your Leadership: 300 employees

Management Style: People focused and results driven

Personal Best Achievement: Being the last manager, in 2007, who oversaw the last Citi Golf production at the Volkswagen plant in South Africa

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

Person Who Has Had the Biggest Influence on Your Career: My previous technical director at Volkswagen

Person You Would Most Like to Meet: The Dalai Lama

Businessperson Who Has Impressed You Most: Steve Jobs

Philosophy of Life: I am a Christian, so I believe we exist because God created all forms of life. I strongly believe that He gave us brains to question things and be open to other ideas so that we can grow. John Lennon once sang: “Life is what happens to you, whilst you are busy making other plans.” So, I believe we should live for today, but also plan so that tomorrow is a better day

Biggest Ever Opportunity: Winning a scholarship challenge at UCT in 1996 and being selected to visit Cambridge University, where I met with Lord Sainsbury

Biggest Ever Disappointment: Not getting the chance to spoil my late mother when I started working and her missing out on seeing her grandchildren grow up

Hope for the Future: I believe we must take care of Mother Earth. It is encouraging to see many people and countries starting to take global warming seriously

Favourite Reading: All the books by John Grisham

Favourite TV Programme: We hardly watch TV in our household, but I enjoy action-packed movies

Favourite Food/Drink: As a rural boy from Venda, there should be pap at least every second day, otherwise I get grumpy

Favourite Music: I am an all-rounder and listen to different genres

Favourite Sport: Soccer, racing, tennis and my newfound hobby, golf

Hobbies: Cooking, especially potjiekos, reading and debating

Car: Audi

Pets: None

Miscellaneous Dislikes: Excuses

Married: Yes

Children: Three daughters aged 16, 13 and 9

Clubs: None