Full Name: Kenneth Kateso Maduna

Position: CEO of Bluedrop Energy

Main Activity of the Company: Composite liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) cylinder manufacturing and LPG trading

Date and Place of Birth: April 26, 1978, Sebokeng, Gauteng

Education: BCom (Accounting), Rand Afrikaans University (now University of Johannesburg)

First Job: Finance manager, Nestlife Assurance Corporation, 2003 to 2006

Career History Prior to Current Position: Nestlife, PPS, Discovery Health, 3P Consulting and Telkom. I moved up the ranks and occupied various management positions in the finance departments of these organisations. I gained critical international financial experience as head of corporate finance and treasury at Telkom, which prepared me for my leadership role at Bluedrop Energy

Size of First Pay Packet: R4 000 a month

First Job with Present Group: CFO

Value of Assets under Your Control: I am working on a R300-million LPG composite cylinder manufacturing project

Number of People under Your Leadership: 17

Management Style: Cooperative, participative and transformative

Personal Best Achievement: Being happily married to my pillar of strength and support. My marriage gave me structure, focus and purpose in life

Professional Best Achievement: Establishing Bluedrop Energy and securing funding for the composite LPG manufacturing plant. This is big news for South Africa’s energy future, and we are looking forward to a collaborative partnership with the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy and other stakeholders to roll out our modern, light, environment-friendly, cost-effective, reliable and safer composite LPG cylinders

Person Who Has Had the Biggest Influence on Your Life: My friend and business partner, Mmuso Pelesa. He is an intelligent business leader who can identify a gap in the market and, more importantly, a market in that gap

Person Who Has Had the Biggest Influence on Your Career: My mentor, Moss Mashishi – he planted value-accretive pearls of wisdom which I will forever embrace in my entrepreneurial journey

Person You Would Most Like to Meet: James Rockall, CEO and MD of the World Liquefied Petroleum Gas Association. He heads a powerful global organisation that promotes the use of LPG as a cleaner alternative source of energy and addresses the energy challenges faced by poorer households. I would also like to meet Dzunisani Aldworth Mbalati, CEO of DNG Energy, a young vibrant entrepreneur who has completed large projects in the liquefied natural gas and power generation space

Businessperson Who Has Impressed You Most: David Sassoon, chairperson of J Sassoon Group

Philosophy of Life: “There’s no shortage of remarkable ideas; what’s missing is the will to execute them” – Seth Godin

Biggest Ever Opportunity: Securing multimillion-dollar funding for Bluedrop Energy from J Sassoon Group and support from Ex-Im Bank of the US

Biggest Ever Disappointment: Losing both my parents before I completed my studies and the devastating negative impact of Covid-19 on small and medium-sized enterprises as well as life as we knew it

Hope for the Future: That the South African government successfully rolls out its LPG strategy and that more people in South Africa and the rest of the Southern African Development Community region use LPG for heating and cooking, thus lowering their energy spend and relieving pressure on the constrained and unreliable electricity grid

Favourite Reading: Engineering and leadership magazines

Favourite TV Programme: VICE

Favourite Food/Drink: Sushi and Ernie Els wines

Favourite Music: Jazz and R&B

Favourite Sport: Cricket, rugby and soccer

Favourite Website: www.miningmix.com, www.engineeringnews.co.za, www.miningweekly.com, and www.bloomberg.com

Hobbies: Running (marathons)

Car: Ford Ranger

Pets: None

Miscellaneous Dislikes: Laziness and dishonesty

Favourite Other South African Company: Bidvest

Favourite Foreign Company: Tesla

Married: To Virginia Maduna, since 2008

Children: Amohelang,10

Clubs: Just Running Athletics Club (Centurion)