Full name: John Nicolaas Faasen

Position: General secretary of the Bargaining Council for the Civil Engineering Industry (BCCEI)

Main Activity of the Company: Negotiating and managing collective agreements in the civil engineering industry, as well as preventing and resolving labour disputes and administering various social security funds

Date and Place of Birth: January 8, 1955, Johannesburg

Education: T III (technical certificate)

First Job: Dog handler in the South African Police Service

Career History Prior to Current Position: Artisan boilermaker at the Western Holdings gold mine; designated agent, regional manager, operations manager and GM: operations for the Metal and Engineering Industries Bargaining Council

Size of First Pay Packet: R90 a month

First Job with Present Company: General secretary, June 1, 2013

Value of Assets under Your Control: As a newly established bargaining council, the BCCEI’s asset base is still relatively small

Number of People under Your Leadership: As a newly established organisation, we have only four full-time employees

Management Style: I am a big supporter of putting people in ‘the right seat on the bus’, as this allows me to harness the strength of all my people

Personal Best Achievement: Starting a family with an amazing wife, who has supported me through thick and thin, and raising two awesome children

Professional Best Achievement: Gaining the trust of all stakeholders in the civil engineering industry and being appointed general secretary of the BCCEI

Person Who Has Had the Biggest Influence on Your Life: My wife

Person Who Has Had the Biggest Influence on Your Career: The late Basil Davis

Person You Would Most Like to Meet: Sir Richard Branson

Businessperson Who Has Impressed You Most: Brian Joffe

Philosophy of life: Always be true and honest with yourself

Biggest Ever Opportunity: Being appointed general secretary of the BCCEI and being afforded a chance to build something of value out of nothing

Biggest Ever Disappointment: Losing my mother

Hope for the Future: I have a positive outlook and am certain that we will go from strength to strength as an industry and as a country

Favourite Reading: Robin Cook. However, I have a broad taste in literature and am always on the lookout for a good read

Favourite TV Programme: I enjoy most of the shows on Discovery

Favourite Food/Drink: Red wine and good pasta

Favourite Music: I have a soft spot for the classics

Favourite Sports: Karate, squash and open water diving

Favourite Websites: Bizcommunity, TED Talks and Engineering News

Hobbies: Collecting die-cast cars, stamps and coins

Car: Mercedes-Benz E320

Pets: Two dogs, two cats and a parrot

Miscellaneous Dislikes: Lazy, dishonest and false people

Favourite Other South African Company: Bidvest

Favourite Foreign Company: Virgin

Married: To Hilda, since August 12, 1978

Children: Christine and James

Clubs: Virgin Active and scuba diving club