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