Full Name: Martin Christiaan Beyers

Position: MD of CERadvance Engineering Ceramics

Main Activity of the Company: Technical and industrial ceramic solutions for the petrochemicals, mineral processing and general engineering industries

Date and Place of Birth: August 27, 1971, Pretoria

Education: Matric, Afrikaanse Hoër Seunskool, Pretoria, 1989; BTech (ceramics technology), Pretoria Technikon, 1997; BSc (Hons) (environmental technology), University of Pretoria, 2009

First Job: Laboratory assistant, Moh-9 Armour Ceramics

Career History Prior to Current Position: Product manager, Moh-9/Multotec Wear Linings

Size of First Pay Packet: R1 000 a month

First Job with Present Group: Technical director

Value of Assets under Your Control: R12-million

Number of People under Your Leadership: 25 people

Management Style: Intuitive and (mostly) democratic

Personal Best Achievement: Re-entering the academic world after 15 years of full-time work and completing an honours degree in an entirely different field of study

Professional Best Achievement: Being named the overall winner of the Sanlam/Business Partners Entrepreneur of the Year competition for 2010

Person Who Has Had the Biggest Influence on Your Life: My mother and my father

Person Who Has Had the Biggest Influence on Your Career: My mentor, ceramicist Dirk Skawran

Person You Would Most Like to Meet: Reinhard Mey (German songwriter)

Philosophy of Life: Every company, every community and every civilisation thrive on the energy provided by those who do more than what is generally expected of them

Biggest Ever Opportunity: Cofounding CERadvance with business partner Dave Kelly

Hope for the Future: That Africa, as a whole, realises its renewable and sustainable energy potential and becomes a global trendsetter or leader
Favourite Reading: Alexander McCall Smith, Paulo Coelho, Bill Bryson and JK Rowling

Favourite TV Programme: I do not own a TV set

Favourite Music: Traditional middle and eastern European folk music

Favourite Sport: None

Favourite Website: www.hellopeter.com

Hobbies: Music, musical instruments and crafts

Car: Not stated

Pets: I am an aquarist

Miscellaneous Dislikes: ‘Unteachable’ teachers, nonleading leaders, nonserving politicians and the bad service culture across the board – from municipalities to your local hardware store

Favourite Other South African Company: Chamberlain (over a 100 years old, but still family owned)

Favourite Foreign Company: Kyocera

Married: To Dalena (née Steÿn), an urban designer

Children: Krisjan and Marjan

Clubs: Not stated