Full Name: Neil Colquhoun

Position and Company Name: President of Epson Middle East, Türkiye and Africa-Central and West Africa (META-CWA), based in Johannesburg

Main Activity of the Company: Epson is a technology company specialising in printing, scanning, visual display, manufacturing and lifestyle solutions

Schools and Tertiary Education: BSc (Hons) in Manufacturing Management from the University of Sunderland

Size of First Pay Packet: I can’t recall, but it wasn’t much!

Career Path to Date: I joined Epson in 2012 as UK business sales director. Since then, I have held a number of leadership roles within the organisation, including business director for Visual Instruments (Epson Europe) and executive director of Professional Displays (Epson Europe). I went on to serve as VP of the Commonwealth of Independent States, Middle East, Türkiye and Africa as well as Professional Displays (Epson Europe), and I now serve as president of Epson META-CWA. Earlier in my career, I held leadership roles in international technology and fast-moving consumer goods companies.

Value of Assets under Your Control: About R6.8-billion

Number of People under Your Leadership: More than 320 employees

Management Style: Adaptable, depending on the situation

Personal Best Achievement: Leading this fantastic organisation, which is filled with exciting talent

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

Person Who Has Had the Biggest Influence on Your Career: It’s impossible to choose just one person – I’ve learnt from many people throughout my career

Person You Would Most Like to Meet: My late father – to tell him again what he meant to me

Businessperson Who Has Impressed You Most: American academic, entrepreneur, author and media personality Scott Galloway, who is most widely recognised for his work as a marketing professor, writer and commentator on business and society

Philosophy of Life: Don’t dwell on the past; focus on the solution, not the problem

Biggest Ever Opportunity: Moving to Dubai in 2019

Biggest Ever Disappointment: I try not to look back too much. Maybe Scotland losing to Australia in the 2015 Rugby World Cup quarterfinal!

Hope for the Future: My first visit to South Africa was to Cape Town in 1996, and I’ve returned many times for work and holidays. The country and its people are very close to my heart, and leading the organisation here is a privilege. Our investment in this region is driven by the exceptional talent pool, which fits perfectly into our high-performance culture

Favourite Reading: Mostly history and politics. These days, I listen to a lot of podcasts – The Rest is History is my favourite

Favourite TV Programme: Interesting documentaries and live sport

Favourite Food/Drink: Mediterranean or Lebanese food

Favourite Music: Indie folk – Bear’s Den is my favourite band

Favourite Sport: Football – Sunderland Association Football Club and Scotland’s national team

Hobbies: Yoga, Pilates, hiking and football

Car: I own a Rotax go-kart that I attempt to race

Pets: None

Miscellaneous Dislikes: None

Clubs: I am a supporter of Sunderland Association Football Club and the Scotland national team