Full Name: Cohen Appanah

Position and Company Name: Global project manager: manufacturing excellence at Komatsu

Main Activity of the Company: Komatsu manufactures heavy-duty equipment used in the mining industry

Date and Place of Birth: April 11, 1991, Durban

Schools and Tertiary Education: I hold an engineering degree, an MBA and various leadership/management qualifications from the Gordon Institute of Business Science, Wits Business School, the University of Cape Town and Oxford University.

First Job: Engineering in-service trainee at an automotive company

Size of First Pay Packet: R2 240 a month

Career Path to Date: I have progressed over my 12-year-plus career from an engineering trainee to a global manager working with 15 sites in seven countries

Management Style: Situational – I believe there is no one-size-fits-all approach. Instead, a leader should continuously adapt his or her leadership style to suit the current work environment and/or the needs of the team

Personal Best Achievement: Being awarded the Top Student Award in the Executive Development Programme at Wits Business School in 2023

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

Person Who Has Had the Biggest Influence on Your Career: My very first manager. My drive for progress started after I witnessed this particular manager being comfortable in their role – not prioritising learning, and subsequently not progressing further. I decided that I wanted to follow a different path, one of growth

Businessperson Who Has Impressed You Most: Steve Jobs – although I don’t completely agree with his authoritarian style of leadership, I am extremely impressed by what he managed to accomplish at Apple

Philosophy of Life: Trust God and have unwavering faith. Write down your goals, visualise them clearly, be intentional and stay consistent. You will achieve everything you set your mind to. A well-structured routine that keeps you grounded, combined with strong discipline, will take you to places you never imagined

Biggest Ever Opportunity: Becoming a manager leading a team of 100 people at the age of 27. This was a turning point in my life and my career. It changed my perception of what was possible for me to achieve

Biggest Ever Disappointment: None – I believe everything that happens, good or bad, has a role to play in my journey

Hope for the Future: Living out my higher purpose each day, being principled and staying true to my values. Making a positive difference to the world is important to me. I want to leave this world a better place than I found it

Favourite Reading: Difficult to pick one, but if I had to, I’d choose Long Walk to Freedom, by Nelson Mandela. It is one of the most inspirational books I’ve ever read, especially since it is so relatable to many South Africans

Favourite Food/Drink: Indian food. I grew up eating Indian food daily, and for me it feels like an experience

Favourite Music: 2000s RnB and Rap

Hobbies: Travelling is by far my biggest hobby – the world has so much to offer and is bigger than we could ever imagine. I diligently follow the 5AM Club routine each morning, which includes exercising, journalling, meditation and reading, and these also form part of my hobbies

Car: I recently became the owner of a hybrid – the best decision I have ever made! I look forward to going electric someday

Miscellaneous Dislikes: Injustice, crime and entitlement

Married: Yes