Full Name: Ralf Cord Hennecke

Position and Company Name: MD of BME, a division of the Omnia Group

Main Activity of the Company: Supplying explosives products, related services and technology to the global mining sector

Date and Place of Birth: May 17, 1967, Hamburg, Germany

Education: I am a mining engineer with an MBA and a mine manager’s certificate of competence

First Job: Learner official: mining, as a Rand Mines bursar

Size of First Pay Packet: R450 a month

Career Path to Date: Rand Mines and JCI (where I worked in mining production), followed by BME, where I started as a technical representative, before progressing to international business manager; GM: international marketing; GM: customer, commercial and marketing; GM: marketing and technology; MD: Southern African Development Community region; and MD: BME

Value of Assets under Your Control: A sizeable market and infinite personal assets

Number of People under Your Leadership: About 1 600

Management Style: Participative and enabling, but delivery focused

Personal Best Achievement: My family

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

Person Who Has Had the Biggest Influence on Your Career: I learned from all the people I ever reported to

Person You Would Most Like to Meet: Roger Federer; for me, he is the most established tennis player, with his feet firmly placed on the ground

Businessperson Who Has Impressed You Most: Ricardo Semler (autobiography Maverick) – he provides the best examples of how to think outside the box

Philosophy of Life: Just do it! and “The only time ‘success’ comes before ‘work’ is in the dictionary”

Biggest Ever Opportunity: To successfully develop the African market for my current company from a virtual zero base

Biggest Ever Disappointment: That my late mother did not have the opportunity to enjoy her granddaughter

Hope for the Future: That we have a united and functioning South Africa, and that the rhino survives

Favourite Reading: Autobiographies (mainly business, adventure and sport) – it is just fascinating getting views from prominent people

Favourite TV Programme: All sports, news and talk shows

Favourite Food/Drink: Good old South African braai (with all accessories)

Favourite Music: A very diverse range of genres, but especially 70s and 80s rock

Favourite Sport: Soccer, tennis and golf

Hobbies: Travel, sport and music (listening and playing)

Car: VW Touareg

Pets: Three wonderful dogs – Scottie, Africanis and Pointer

Miscellaneous Dislikes: Traffic, queues, nonresponsiveness and dishonesty

Married: To Katja, for 25 years

Children: Kirsten Nadia, 12 years

Clubs: Eagle Canyon Country Club (Honeydew), Virgin Active