Full Name: Marco Sutter

Position: MD of Bühler Southern Africa

Main Activity of the Company: Bühler builds processing equipment for the mining, food and beverage, and manufacturing industries, and also provides solutions to the animal feed industry and automotive and mobility industry

Date and Place of Birth: September 21, 1978, in Uzwil, Switzerland

Schools and Tertiary Education: After matric I completed a four-year apprenticeship programme as a millwright. I subsequently acquired a diploma as a technologist for industrial milling at the Swiss Milling School, a Swiss federal diploma in business administration and applied technical management, and an executive MBA from Stellenbosch University

First Job: Helping out at my father’s office during school holidays, doing filing and completing customer files on a typewriter

Career Path to Date: I progressed from millwright to international installation engineer and supervisor, project manager based in China and Europe, sales engineer in the UK, area sales manager in South Africa, head of sales and service in South Africa and now MD

Value of Assets under Your Control: Not stated

Number of People under Your Leadership: About 220

Management Style: Values such as responsibility, respect, support, trust, honesty and passion are very important for me. I like to see people growing within the company and make them strong individuals who can work within a team. Only a strong team can take the company to the next level. I like to empower employees and move them towards a shared vision of where the group is going, but not how it will get there – setting people free to innovate, experiment and take calculated risk

Personal Best Achievement: Building a house and raising my three children

Person Who Has Had the Biggest Influence on Your Life: My wife, Bridgette, who motivates and believes in me every day

Person Who Has Had the Biggest Influence on Your Career: My father, Peter Sutter – as I like to learn from the best in business

Person You Would Most Like to Meet: Richard Branson

Businessperson Who Has Impressed You Most: Steve Jobs

Philosophy of Life: Great things never come from comfort zones

Biggest Ever Opportunity: To lead the best team in a great country with a lot of potential

Biggest Ever Disappointment: A person I trusted stole from me over many years and spoke badly about me

Hope for the Future: Africa is the future of our planet, so I have high hopes for this continent to rise and shine. I have high hopes for South Africa too. I also hope that our young generation will lead South Africa into a growing economy

Favourite Reading: Company success stories such as the Virgin group, Coca-Cola, IBM and Apple

Favourite TV Programme: Documentaries

Favourite Food/Drink: Moroccan cuisine/coffee

Favourite Music: Blues

Favourite Sport: Skiing

Hobbies: Spending time with my family, hiking and biking, woodwork and baking

Car: Toyota Fortuner

Pets: Two Jack Russels

Miscellaneous Dislikes: Dishonesty, lazy and negative people who are not engaged in their work

Married: To Bridgette, for eight years

Children: Kamo, 19; Keon, 12; Kiara 6

Clubs: None