Full Name: Vaughn David Naidoo

Position: Chief technology officer of Altron Bytes Managed Solutions

Main Activity of the Company: Managed services provision

Date and Place of Birth: August 4, 1976, Cape Town

Education: MSc (computer science)

First Job: Woolworths – Application Services

Career History Prior to Current Position: I worked for Telkom: Wholesale (South Africa) as acting technical product development executive from March 2008 to February 2009 and as technical product development executive from March 2009 to March 2012, before serving at Telkom Cybernest (South Africa) as information technology solutions, architecture and strategy executive from August 2012 to March 2016. I was the managing executive for Project Reset and product portfolio management at Business Connection from April 2016 to March 2018

Size of First Pay Packet: R104 000 a year

First Job with Present Group: Chief technology officer

Value of Assets under Your Control: R30-million

Number of People under Your Leadership: 160

Management Style: Visionary

Personal Best Achievement: Being the first in my family to obtain a university degree

Professional Best Achievement: Being promoted to an executive position eight years into my career

Person Who Has Had the Biggest Influence on Your Life: My wife, whom I met in my second year at university

Person Who Has Had the Biggest Influence on Your Career: Will.I.AM

Person You Would Most Like to Meet: Satoshi Nakamoto

Businessperson Who Has Impressed You Most: Steve Jobs

Philosophy of Life: Leave the world in a better place than you found it

Biggest Ever Opportunity: Where I am right now – As Napoleon Hill said: “Your big opportunity may be right where you are now”

Biggest Ever Disappointment: After my grandmother died, I really got to see people for who they were

Hope for the Future: Equality for all

Favourite Reading: Anything and everything regarding artificial intelligence and futurism

Favourite TV Programme: Ted Talks

Favourite Food/Drink: Italian/gin and tonic

Favourite Music: Jazz, rock and classical

Favourite Sport: English football

Favourite Website: google.com

Hobbies: ‘Playing’ with technology

Car: Toyota Prado

Pets: English bulldog

Miscellaneous Dislikes: Unfairness

Favourite Other South African Company: Telkom

Favourite Foreign Company: i.am+ (https://iamplus.com)

Married: To Nadia Williams-Naidoo, since 2004

Children: Jorja-Lee, 11; Noa Grace, 7

Clubs: CrossFit