Full Name: Tertius Emil Zitzke

Position and Company Name: CEO of 4Sight Holdings

Main Activity of the Company: 4Sight is a JSE AltX-listed multinational, diversified technology group whose strategic vision is digital transformation for businesses through seamlessly integrating the operational technology and information technology worlds with the business environment to achieve the ultimate goal of artificial intelligence (AI) for boosting productivity across all sectors. The four clusters of 4Sight focus on serving the specific needs of their target industries with their own innovative IP solutions, while leveraging their deep domain expertise, thus empowering customers and partners to future-proof their businesses through digital AI transformation, to make better and more informed decisions in the modern digital economy

Date and Place of Birth: May 3, 1961, Bloemfontein

Schools and Tertiary Education: Matric, Pretoria West High School; Senior Business Development Programme, Graduate School of Business, University of Pretoria

First Job: I started my working career in the Data Division at Barclays Bank

Size of First Pay Packet: R157.50, in January 1979

Career Path to Date: Barclays Bank: 1979 to 1984, last position assistant accountant; FOREXPeriUrban Development Board: 1985 to 1988, senior accountant and group consolidations; Q Data Consulting: 1989 to 1994, financial manager and Accpac sales executive; AccTech Systems, 1994 to date, part of the now-named 4Sight Systems, CEO of 4Sight Holdings since November 1, 2019

Value of Assets under Your Control: R470-million

Number of People under Your Leadership: 445

Management Style: Visionary; growth-driven through people with a solid innovation drive; charismatic; “the truth will set you free”

Personal Best Achievement: 4Sight business turnaround and group realignment, resulting in double-digit growth

Person Who Has Had the Biggest Influence on Your Life: My father and my father-in-law

Person Who Has Had the Biggest Influence on Your Career: Jeremy Waterman, CEO of Accpac Africa; Henri Hattingh, MD of Applico, an affiliate of Q Data; Hannes Jansen, MD of Martin Jonker Motors and chairperson of the Pretoria Business Chamber; and Wallie Louw, Officer Commanding Regiment Hillcrest (Citizen Force Infantry Unit)

Person You Would Most Like to Meet: Any business and community leaders that had a big influence on the South African economy and people’s lives

Businessperson Who Has Impressed You Most: Piet Den Boer, founder of Q Data Consulting, and Nelson Mandela

Philosophy of Life: There is only ONE first impression; my dad always said daytime is customer time – you do your back-office work at night; know your numbers; answer ‘yes’ or ‘no’; let’s start at the answer and work back

Biggest Ever Opportunity: November 1994 – starting my own business, and becoming CEO of 4Sight

Biggest Ever Disappointment: The first board members of 4Sight Holdings

Hope for the Future: That there is no discrimination at any level against any person in the world

Favourite Reading: Second World War history, the Anglo Boer War, the South African Border War, gardening, and wildlife

Favourite TV Programme: BBC Click, Bloomberg Technology Hour, Money Market, history, construction and industrial TV programmes

Favourite Food/Drink: Braai, fine entertainment and red wine (collector)

Favourite Music: Queen, 1980s bands, Afrikaans music and opera

Favourite Sport: Rugby and Formula 1

Hobbies: Travelling, 4 X 4 safari, gardening, wildlife, building a museum of Boer War artefacts, and collecting books on South African war

Car: Toyota Land Cruiser VX, Safari Cruiser 79 and 1967 Mercedes-Benz 280 SE

Pets: None

Miscellaneous Dislikes: Traffic rule violators and untidy people

Married: To Marie-Louise Zitzke

Children: Emil, 30; Reinhardt, 27

Clubs: Historical interest groups