Full Name: Patmanathan ‘Pat’ Pillai

Position: Founder and CEO of LifeCo UnLtd SA

Main Activity of the Company: LifeCo UnLtd SA invests in impact businesses to deliver social, environmental, economic and financial benefits

Date and Place of Birth: September 7, 1964, Cape Town

Education: BPaed (Arts) (education), University of KwaZulu-Natal; corporate finance, franchising strategy, certificate programme in business project management and entrepreneurship, Wits Business School; impact investing in Africa, University of Cape Town Graduate School of Business

First Job: Waiter at Woodstock Holiday Inn, in Cape Town

Size of First Pay Packet: R110 a month

First Job with Present Group: Founder and business development manager

Value of Assets under Your Control: R118-million

Number of People under Your Leadership: 25

Management Style: 50% empowering, 30% consultative and 20% directive, depending on the situation and the people involved

Personal Best Achievement: Fathering an amazing son

Professional Best Achievements: Merger with UnLtd Group in 2010, founding the Global Social Entrepreneurship Network and setting up the African Venture Philanthropy Alliance (AVPA), a sister organisation to the established EVPA (Europe) and AVPN (Asia)

Person Who Has Had the Biggest Influence on Your Life: My son, my mother and my grandfather

Person Who Has Had the Biggest Influence on Your Career: Black Consciousness leader Steve Biko; Roger Jardine, a man who never forgot his roots in Riverlea and Eldorado Park and helped us to structure our organisation; and Rich Benton, our UK trustee

Person You Would Most Like to Meet: Michelle Obama

Businessperson Who Has Impressed You Most: Jamshedji Tata, founder of Tata Group in 1868; Robert Bosch, founder of Bosch Group in 1886; and Mohammad Yunus, founder of Grameen Bank in 1983

Philosophy of Life: Give value first

Biggest Ever Opportunity: Having the means to relaunch LifeCo UnLtd at the age of 33

Biggest Ever Disappointment: The failed first launch of LifeCo at the age of 23

Hope for the Future: A sustainable nation of champions

Favourite Reading: Entrepreneurial biographies, alternative economics and literature on indigenous succulents

Favourite TV Programme: National Geographic

Favourite Food/Drink: Tea, a good mutton curry and dessert

Favourite Music: Anything from the 1980s and 1990s

Favourite Sport: Hiking and mountain climbing

Favourite Website: Https://www.ted.com, https://www.goalcast.com, https://www.news24.com/ and https://thegiin.org

Hobbies: Yoga, cooking and gardening

Car: Suzuki

Pets: Five golden retrievers

Miscellaneous Dislikes: Corruption, pollution, noisy people, motorbikes and inauthentic people

Favourite Other South African Company: Harambee

Favourite Foreign Company: Bosch and Tata

Married: To Carmen Di Rito

Children: Vaughn, 31

Clubs: University of Johannesburg Athletics Club