Full Name: Kimleigh (Kim) George Montague Pratley

Position: CEO of Pratley Group

Main Activity of the Company: Manufacturing

Date and Place of Birth: March 24, Johannesburg

Education: Matric, St Stithians College; BSc (mechanical engineering), GDE and MSc (mechanical engineering), University of the Witwatersrand; various other qualifications related to marketing, materials bonding and aviation, including instructor’s and airline pilot’s licences

First Job: Holiday job – collecting data for a market research company.

Career History Prior to Current Position: Apprentice tool- and diemaker at Pratley, technical services engineer, technical director and mine manager

Size of First Pay Packet: I cannot recall, but it was the standard rate for apprentices

First Job with Present Group: Apprentice tool- and die-maker

Value of Assets under Your Control: Not stated

Number of People under Your Leadership: About 220

Management Style: Be credible – mean what you say; solicit, probe and heed the views of those at the ‘coalface’; sift fact from opinion and clarify; be decisive if impasse threatens delay

Personal Best Achievement: Together with my wife, Val, raising two unpretentious, hard-working and professionally competent sons

Professional Best Achievement: Maintaining a continuous growth and diversification trajectory for Pratley Group, even through some very adverse economic times and doing this with zero debt

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

Person Who Has Had the Biggest Influence on Your Career: My late father

Person You Would Most Like to Meet: Albert Einstein

Businessperson Who Has Impressed You Most: Elon Musk

Philosophy of Life: ‘Impossible’ is what nobody can do until somebody does it

Biggest Ever Opportunity: Being exposed at a young age to the considerable skills and professional expertise of the staff at Pratley

Biggest Ever Disappointment: Bearing witness to the boundless greed and corruption of so many politicians

Hope for the Future: That we have a well-educated electorate that will, through the ballot box, hold government truly accountable using rational criteria

Favourite Reading: Science and aviation nonfiction

Favourite TV Programme: Friends

Favourite Food/Drink: Seafood/beer

Favourite Music: I like most music, but I do draw the line at rap

Favourite Sport: Rugby and aerosports

Favourite Website: www.pratley.com – yes, I know, I am biased

Hobbies: Flying and collecting old engineering things, such as steam engines

Car: A 1988 C260 Mercedes-Benz that has a cracked dash and smokes a lot

Pets: Three dogs

Miscellaneous Dislikes: Onions and arrogant people

Favourite Other South African Company: Bell Equipment

Favourite Foreign Company: Space-X

Married: To Valerie, since January 10, 1981

Children: Andrew, 36; Charles, 33

Clubs: Krugersdorp Flying Club