Full Name: Michael John Benfield

Position and Company Name: Group CEO of Macsteel Service Centres South Africa

Main Activity of the Company: Macsteel Service Centres South Africa is a merchandiser and distributor of steel and value-added steel products

Date and Place of Birth: January 22, 1968, in a little town on the West Coast of South Africa called Vredenburg. I came home from the hospital to stay in my parents’ caravan on a mine, my father being a geologist

Schools and Tertiary Education: I attended multiple primary schools – from Vredenburg Laerskool to Kuruman Laerskool and Kimberley Junior School and then stayed in Johannesburg for high school and attended Hyde Park High School. I went to the University of the Witwatersrand and graduated with BCom and BAcc degrees, followed by qualifying as a chartered accountant as South Africa went to the polls in 1994

First Job: After completing my articles at Arthur Andersen, I started working at Ster-Kinekor, the largest cinema operator in South Africa at the time

Size of First Pay Packet: I think it was about R350 000 a year, at Ster-Kinekor

Career Path to Date: After Ster-Kinekor, I tried banking at Investec for two years, and then worked for Super Group for a further four years, after which I joined the aviation industry at a small company called Norse Air, which was a small aircraft charter and leasing business. I then worked for Bateman Engineering for four-and-a-half years, followed by a stint at Metorex, a copper mining company in Zambia and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Thereafter, I joined Macsteel. This quite varied career path has exposed me to many different industries and markets

Number of People under Your Leadership: 3 500

Management Style: A collaborative approach and communication are the key pillars of my management style, followed by a deep sense of logic, underpinned by sensible, analysis-driven decision-making

Personal Best Achievement: Being appointed CEO of Macsteel

Person Who Has Had the Biggest Influence on Your Life: My Wife, Nikki

Person Who Has Had the Biggest Influence on Your Career: I have met some wonderful and skillful people along the way, and they have all had some impact on my style of management

Person You Would Most Like to Meet: The leader who will stand up in South Africa and make sure this country achieves its potential, free of the political dysfunction that we are experiencing at the moment

Businessperson Who Has Impressed You Most: Elon Musk – he has clearly been able to surround himself with some of the smartest people on the planet and achieved very impactful success that has touched, and will touch, all our lives at some point

Philosophy of Life: Do the right thing!

Biggest Ever Opportunity: Taking on the role of CEO of Macsteel

Biggest Ever Disappointment: Watching South Africa decay and slide into economic maladministration; our country has so much potential, and can be fixed

Hope for the Future: That South Africa starts to get its economy right and build a future for all its people so that they can achieve their potential

Favourite Reading: A good mystery novel to take my mind off things

Favourite TV Programme: Sport

Favourite Food/Drink: A good steak and a cold beer

Favourite Music: 80s and 90s Pop music – it has influenced a lot of what we are hearing nowadays

Favourite Sport: Cycling, rugby and cricket

Hobbies: Cycling and kite boarding

Car: A VW Tiguan

Pets: Our 15-year Jack Russell, Buddy, has a soft spot in my heart

Miscellaneous Dislikes: The drivers in South Africa – they have no patience and are very selfish, particularly those that go through the Gilloolies interchange every day

Married: To Nikki

Children: Matthew, 26; Jonathan, 24

Clubs: Cycle Lab