Full Name: Nadir Khamissa

Position: CEO of Hello Group

Main Activity of the Company: Financial services

Date and Place of Birth: August 1, 1978, Pretoria

Education: BCom (actuarial science); CFA; owner-president management programme, Harvard Business School

First Job: Quantitative analyst, Deutsche Bank

Career History Prior to Current Position: I joined Deutsche Bank as a graduate in 2000, leaving in 2010 as MD of Global Equity Derivatives Trading

Size of First Pay Packet: R6 000 a month

First Job with Present Group: Founder

Value of Assets under Your Control: Not stated

Number of People under Your Leadership: 450

Management Style: Facilitative and entrepreneurial. My job is to create an environment where my people can step up and lead and to deliver a support ecosystem around them

Personal Best Achievement: Being happily married with beautiful children

Professional Best Achievement: Building an organisation with an amazing culture and energy

Person Who Has Had the Biggest Influence on Your Life: Nazir Ahmed Osman, my mother’s brother, who is not only an amazing entrepreneur but also a profoundly ethical person

Person Who Has Had the Biggest Influence on Your Career: Roger Naylor, my former boss at Deutsche Bank – he taught me how to lead people by helping them develop a career and encouraged me to never stop learning

Person You Would Most Like to Meet: Elon Musk

Businessperson Who Has Impressed You Most: Elon Musk

Philosophy of Life: We get only one life, so live it doing meaningful work

Biggest Ever Opportunity: Telecoms deregulation happening at the perfect time for us to acquire a licence and launch our business

Biggest Ever Disappointment: Failure of our business six months after launch, which resulted in near bankruptcy

Hope for the Future: That technology opens amazing opportunities for everyone on earth

Favourite Reading: True North, by Bill George

Favourite TV Programme: Arsenal football matches

Favourite Food/Drink: Thai

Favourite Music: Eminem

Favourite Sport: Football

Favourite Website: Not stated

Hobbies: Working out in the gym, reading

Car: Ferrari 458 Spider, Porsche 911, Audi Q7

Pets: None

Miscellaneous Dislikes: Not stated

Favourite Other South African Company: Naspers

Favourite Foreign Company: Google

Married: To Hasseena, since December 16, 2003

Children: Four boys aged 8, 6, 2 and 1

Clubs: YPO