Full Name: Mark Wilson

Position: CEO for Europe, Middle East and Africa as well as Asia Pacific at SYSPRO

Main Activity of the Company: SYSPRO is an enterprise resource planning software provider

Date and Place of Birth: Cape Town, on February 4 many decades ago

Schools and Tertiary Education: University of the Witwatersrand

First Job: Costing clerk

Career History Prior to Current Position: Siemens, Fujitsu, Siemens Computers, and then Fujitsu

Size of First Pay Packet: R1 500 a month

First Job with Present Group: CEO for Africa

Number of People under Your Leadership: More than 100

Management Style: Visionary, engaging and collaborative

Personal Best Achievement: Having a great family that followed me to Dubai and India on work assignments

Professional Best Achievement: Achieving business growth and customer centricity in many countries around the world

Person Who Has Had the Biggest Influence on Your Life: This is rather simple – my mother and father

Person Who Has Had the Biggest Influence on Your Career: I was fortunate to have had two people drive me away from finance and into business leadership at the start of my career

Person You Would Most Like to Meet: Kenny Daglish

Businessperson Who Has Impressed You Most: Warren Buffett

Philosophy of Life: Work hard, play hard; don’t be ‘weak’ – find solutions

Biggest Ever Opportunity: The move from FD to CEO

Biggest Ever Disappointment: I am still working towards a decent handicap at golf

Hope for the Future: I love South Africa and hope that one day we will eradicate the issues and start building the country again for all

Favourite Reading: Easy reading thrillers (Deon Meyer)

Favourite TV Programme: Liverpool on a Saturday afternoon

Favourite Food/Drink: Indian (Dosa) and a glass of wine

Favourite Music: The Pogues

Favourite Sport: Football and golf

Favourite Website: Any business or financial read

Hobbies: Golf, followed by good food and wine

Car: Mercedes-Benz

Pets: Two dogs and a cat

Miscellaneous Dislikes: Procrastinators

Favourite Other South African Company: There are so many creative entrepreneurs in the small and medium-sized space that are the backbone of our country that continually find solutions and remain relevant

Favourite Foreign Company: I appreciate the great family-owned businesses that have added value to society for generations and are not household brand names but are suppliers to industry; an example is Lallemand

Married: To Sandra, for more than 20 years now

Children: Two teenagers, Julian and Bela

Clubs: Pretoria Country Club