Full Name: Stefano Marani

Position and Company Name: CEO of Renergen

Main Activity of the Company: The development of alternative energy projects – natural gas, in particular

Date and Place of Birth: August 1977, Standerton, South Africa

Education: BSc (actuarial science), honours degree in advanced mathematics of finance, University of the Witwatersrand

(Wits)

First Job: Derivatives marketing and trading, Deutsche Bank

Size of First Pay Packet: A basic salary of R120 000 a year, but I earned a decent bonus, which took me almost past R1-million a year

Value of Assets under Your Control: R1.3-billion

Number of People under Your Leadership: 34 and counting

Management Style: I delegate as much as possible. Many people struggle with this concept, particularly when work is not coming back as you would like or how you would do it. But, unless you give someone the chance, he or she will never learn, which means you cannot grow yourself, and that is worth more

Personal Best Achievement: My children

Person Who Has Had the Biggest Influence on Your Life: My family – lots of hardships endured together, and many lessons learned along the way

Person Who Has Had the Biggest Influence on Your Career: Professor Sherwell, of Wits – he told me to become a banker instead of an actuary, given my lack of enthusiasm for mortality

Person You Would Most Like to Meet: If I could arrange a dinner between Bill Murray and Brian Greene, I think that would be a fascinating evening

Businessperson Who Has Impressed You Most: Sara Blakely, for so many reasons

Philosophy of Life: I think I have misquoted this one before in a public forum, but ‘Don’t take life too seriously – you won’t get out alive’

Biggest Ever Opportunity: I am currently in it

Biggest Ever Disappointment: I have had many. One example is a share I considered buying on the ASX. I studied it for over a year, when it was trading at A$ 0.014 per share. I eventually did not buy it and forgot about it. I looked last week and it is now trading at A$26

Hope for the Future: That my children are better than me

Favourite Reading: Stieg Larson’s series. Nonfiction reading tends to be more scientific, particularly on the physics side

Favourite TV Programme: GOT had me until the last, very disappointing season. George Martin, why did you stop writing?

Favourite Food/Drink: Life is too short to have a favourite food – all of it must be tried!

Favourite Music: Depends on the day. When I am sick of talk radio, I can switch between hard rock and classical quite comfortably

Favourite Sport: Mountain biking

Hobbies: Mountain biking and playing the guitar (very badly)

Car: I drive a little Mercedes A200, but, right now, if I could choose any car for the garage, it would be a mid-1970s Lancia Stratos, with the Alitalia decals

Pets: Max, the chocolate brown Labradoodle

Miscellaneous Dislikes: Laziness and stupidity

Married: To Pola

Clubs: None. No time, with young children