Full Name: Thibault Dousson

Position: GM, Lenovo Southern Africa

Main Activity of the Company: Provision of marketing and sales support for information technology (IT) products

Date and Place of Birth: June 1971, Chambery, France

Education: International trade degree, MBA

First Job: Export Department assistant

Career History Prior to Current Position: Export Department assistant, CEO’s personal assistant, project manager, category manager, sales manager, channel manager, retail manager, GM

Size of First Pay Packet: R6 500 a month

First Job with Present Group: GM

Value of Assets under Your Control: I cannot disclose that, but we are the second-biggest IT brand in the South African market

Number of People under Your Leadership: 50

Management Style: I like to draw up a five-year plan and set the framework, and then let my managers achieve the set objectives in their own way

Personal Best Achievement: My growing family and a healthy work-life balance

Professional Best Achievement: Being number one with two different brands

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

Person Who Has Had the Biggest Influence on Your Career: My first boss, Nicolas Series – I have never met anyone with such energy and charisma

Person You Would Most Like to Meet: Cyril Ramaphosa

Businessperson Who Has Impressed You Most: Elon Musk – for his vison, but not for his work ethic

Philosophy of Life: Be happy

Biggest Ever Opportunity: Coming to South Africa 15 years ago

Biggest Ever Disappointment: Short-term vision. An all the organisations I worked for where this was applied, a disaster was always around the corner

Hope for the Future: That Africa rocks

Favourite Reading: French author Amelie Nothomb, for her crazy imagination; Sam Harris, for opening my mind to meditation

Favourite TV Programme: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver

Favourite Food/Drink: Nicola’s curry/Miss Lucy wine

Favourite Music: I have eclectic tastes – from soul to funk, electro and rock

Favourite Sport: Handball and rugby

Favourite Website: Quora

Hobbies: Playing golf, binge-watching TV series with my wife and going on holiday

Car: Mercedes-Benz

Pets: A cat

Miscellaneous Dislikes: Bullies, idiots and people who try to force their beliefs on others

Favourite Other South African Company: Aspen

Favourite Foreign Company: Tesla

Married: To Nicola, for four-and-a-half years

Children: Hugo, 2 (another one is on the way)

Clubs: Not stated