Full Name: Etienne de Villiers
Position and Company Name: Divisional technical executive at John Thompson
Main Activity of the Company: John Thompson is involved in the design, manufacture, building and maintenance of industrial and utility boiler plant, as well as the design, manufacture and supply of flue-gas cleanup and air-quality management equipment and systems
Date and Place of Birth: December 26, 1969, Gqeberha (formerly Port Elizabeth)
Schools and Tertiary Education: Matric, Tygerberg High School, 1987; BEng (Mechanical), Stellenbosch University, 1991
First Job: Rocket test engineer
Size of First Pay Packet: R5 000 a month
Career Path to Date: After graduating, I did my national service and subsequently joined Houwteq/Denel as a rocket test engineer. I then worked for the Cape provincial government for just over two years, looking after mechanical and medical equipment at provincial hospitals. I joined John Thompson as a junior boiler design engineer in 1996, progressing to senior design and commissioning engineer and then engineering manager for the Industrial Watertube boiler business unit. After a five-year stint as partner/design engineer at Thermal Energy Systems, I rejoined John Thompson as divisional technical manager in 2012
Number of People under Your Leadership: 7 direct reports and 37 indirect reports
Management Style: I try to be a hands-on manager, to nurture the technical talent we have in the organisation, and to use every possible chance to encourage communication between the engineers and the different businesses
Personal Best Achievement: Being involved in the design, sale and commissioning of two new boiler products for John Thompson
Person who has had the biggest influence on Your Life: My parents and my wife
Person Who Has Had the Biggest Influence on Your Career: My father
Person You Would Most Like to Meet: Too late now – it would have been Nelson Mandela
Businessperson Who Has Impressed You Most: Not stated
Philosophy of Life: Dream big, live big; be diligent and motivated in your work but live to be remembered by those for whom you cared for who you were and not for what you achieved. Also, keep your identity and passions, stay humble and always be an ambassador for God
Biggest Ever Opportunity: To land a job as a design engineer in the field of thermodynamics and heat transfer
Biggest Ever Disappointment: Not being able to travel for a year after completing my national service
Hope for the Future: That I live to see South Africa reach its full potential and all South Africans proudly standing together under a government with integrity
Favourite Reading: Spy novels and war history
Favourite TV Programme: Currently, The Recruit
Favourite Food/Drink: Good steak and red wine
Favourite Music: Acoustic music and chill music, including music by Jack Johnson, Cat Stevens, Bob Marley and many more
Favourite Sport: Surfing, kite surfing, rugby, skateboarding and tennis
Hobbies: Surfing, kite surfing, mountain biking, skateboarding, reading, carpentry and garage projects
Car: Toyota Fortuner 4 x 4
Pets: Two Golden Retrievers
Miscellaneous Dislikes: Dishonesty, disrespect, entitlement, laziness, people who complain and negative people
Married: To Samantha
Clubs: I’m not a clubber
Edited by Martin Zhuwakinyu
Creamer Media Senior Deputy Editor
