Full Name: Michael Grant Feldon

Position: MD of DoseTech Fire

Main Activity of the Company: Supply and support of the latest firefighting equipment and technology

Date and Place of Birth: January 29, 1963, Johannesburg

First Job: Apprentice fitter/machinist

Career History Prior to Current Position: I began my career as an apprentice fitter at AECI, followed by a role as an apprentice draughtsperson at the same company. I then joined Spirax Sarco as a junior salesperson and was later promoted to senior salesperson. After that, I opened Armstrong Steam’s Cape Town office and subsequently merged the business with my father’s flow measurement and chemical dosing company, DoseTech. Together with my father, we established and developed DoseTech Fire in Cape Town

Size of First Pay Packet: R220 a week

First Job with Present Group: Director

Number of People under Your Leadership: 8

Management Style: Participative

Personal Best Achievement: My family and our business

Professional Best Achievement: Securing the FireDos foam proportioning agency in 1999 and adding Akron Brass and SA Fire Italy to our scope, as well as introducing FireDos revolutionary foam proportioning technology to the South African firefighting industry 25 years ago, forever changing foam proportioning

Person Who Has Had the Biggest Influence on Your Life: My father, Wally Feldon.

Person Who Has Had the Biggest Influence on Your Career: Rod Mountain, owner of Armstrong Steam, and Heinrich David, founder of FireDos GmbH

Person You Would Most Like to Meet: Sir Peter Blake, a legendary New Zealand sailor and racing icon, widely regarded as one of the greatest yachtsmen in the history of the sport

Philosophy of Life: Work hard, play hard

Biggest Ever Opportunity: Securing FireDos products and the fire protection industry

Biggest Ever Motivation: Being reminded most days by my high school teachers that I would amount to nothing

Hope for the Future: An end to crime and high-level corruption and to see South Africa’s true potential for all our people

Favourite Reading: Books by Deon Meyer

Favourite TV Programme: Watching the Springboks and travel shows

Favourite Food/Drink: A good old braai with family and friends/red wine

Favourite Music: Cat Stevens, U2 and Pink Floyd

Favourite Sport: Sailing and golf (when I get a chance)

Favourite Website: www.firedos.de

Hobbies: I enjoy visiting food markets and cooking, and I have recently taken up oil painting lessons

Car: Audi Q5

Pets: None since my best friend – Storm, a Labrador – had to leave us

Miscellaneous Dislikes: Dishonesty and arriving late for meetings

Favourite Foreign Company: FireDos

Life Partner: Sherry (née Ollis) for 32 years

Children: Michaela, 25

Clubs: Royal Cape and Langebaan Yacht clubs, as well as Virgin Active