Mining personality
- By http://www.miningweekly.com/article/bruce-shapiro-2013-04-26
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Position: President of MineAfrica and of the Canada-Southern Africa Chamber of Business Date and Place of Birth: October 7, 1943, Johannesburg, South Africa Main Activities: MineAfrica arranges Investing in African Mining seminars in Toronto and London; the Canada-Southern Africa Chamber of Business facilitates high-level networking and holds risk mitigation and corporate social responsibility seminars Education: BCom, University of the Witwatersrand; MBA, University of Cape Town Graduate School of Business First Job: Checking goods at the back door of the OK Bazaars (1929) warehouse Size of First Pay Packet: A miniscule ?40 a month (in those days it was equal to R80) Value of the Assets under Your Control: We do not hold any assets; we are a service company Number of People under Your Leadership: I may influence some people but do not lead any Management Style: Each person operates best in his or her own style. I encourage that by simply stating that “such and such needs to be done by …”. I am also available for advice at all times Personal Best Achievement: I was the first person in South Africa to be sponsored to do a full-time MBA by a commercial organisation Person Who Has Had the Biggest Influence on Your Career: My boss in the statistics department of OK Bazaars when I was 21, who helped significantly in promoting me in the organisation Person You Would Most Like to Meet: Nelson Mandela Person Who Has Impressed You Most: Winston Churchill Philosophy of Life: In life, you only really have one thing – your name. To me, that means integrity and fairness. It also means that one should have a well-developed ability to laugh at oneself Biggest Ever Opportunity: To work for and earn a significant stake in Pick n Pay when it had only three branches. At the time, I thought that completing my education was more important. Today I would question that Biggest Ever Disappointment: That, owing to my conscience, conditions prevailing in South Africa in the late 1970s forced me to leave the country Hope for the Future: That fairness and justice will eventually prevail in the world and that in some way I can help promote socially responsible development in Africa, especially South Africa Favourite Reading: Cutting-edge science of most kinds, science fiction, historical fiction and spy stories Favourite TV Programme: I watch very little TV other than the news Favourite Food/Drink: Caviar, oysters, crayfish (and lobsters in Canada), with a little champagne or excellent wine Favourite Music: Classical or jazz Favourite Sport: Golf and hiking in the country in Canada in summer and cross-country skiing in winter Hobbies: Photography Car: I really don’t care as long as it starts Pets: Cats (of any kind) – at one time, I even nearly got a lion cub but had problems with the wife over that Dislikes: Pretentiousness, greed and ignorance Married: To Debby Ruben (not the same one who wouldn’t let me have the lion cub) Children: Two lovely daughters Clubs: A fitness club where I pay a membership fee in the hope that one day I will actually go
Edited by:
Martin Zhuwakinyu
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Full Name: Bruce Shapiro