Full Name: Jan Jonatan Lourens
Position: MD of Thermaspray
Main Activity of the Company: High-technology coatings
Date and Place of Birth: July 18, 1958, Johannesburg
Education: BSc Eng (metallurgy), University of the Witwatersrand (Wits); MSc (industrial), Wits; DEng (mechanical), Rand Afrikaans University (now the University of Johannesburg); Achieving Outstanding Performance, INSEAD, France; Strategic Management of Services, INSEAD
First Job: Officer Commanding South African Air Force Laboratory
Career History Prior to Current position: CEO of Rosenbauer, an Austrian manufacturer of firefighting vehicles; CEO of Draeger SA, a German manufacturer of personal protection and medical devices; various positions at Mercedes-Benz South Africa and DaimlerChrysler South Africa; CEO of CH Warman, a mining equipment company
Size of First Pay Packet: R1 300 a month
First Job with Present Group: MD
Value of Assets under Your Control: R80-million
Number of People under Your Leadership: 65
Management Style: Visionary, pacesetting
Personal Best Achievement: Having a happy family
Professional Best Achievement: Having left every company that I did leave in a profitable state
Person Who Has Had the Biggest Influence on Your Life: My grandfather
Person Who Has Had the Biggest Influence on Your Career: Christoph Kopke, Mercedes-Benz
Person You Would Most Like to Meet: Stephen Hawking (now deceased)
Businessperson Who Has Impressed You Most: Warren Buffett
Philosophy of Life: If your attitude is right, there is always enough for everybody
Biggest Ever Opportunity: Buying Thermaspray
Biggest Ever Disappointment: Missing the opportunity to make peace with my father
Hope for the Future: That we temper the current environment, which is characterised by greed, and move back to Madiba’s ubuntu
Favourite Reading: Deon Meyer
Favourite TV Programme: Anything on old cars
Favourite Food/Drink: Oxtail and Rock Shandy
Favourite Music: Chris Rea
Favourite Sport: Athletics
Favourite Website: CNN
Hobbies: Old Land Rovers
Car: VW Amarok
Pets: A Jack Russel and a Schnauzer
Miscellaneous Dislikes: People who have emigrated and now cannot stop slating South Africa
Favourite Other South African Company: Naspers
Favourite Foreign Company: Tesla
Married: To Gerda Janse van Rensburg, since April 29, 1989
Children: Jonathan, 36; Gerardt, 27; Jordaan, 26
Clubs: None