Full Name: Stefan Ivanov Babatchev

Position and Company Name: Chief project engineer at Condra

Main Activity of the Company: Condra is a manufacturer of cranes, hoists and material handling equipment

Date and Place of Birth: August 5, 1959, Kozarsko, Bulgaria

Schools and Tertiary Education: I attended TET Lenin in Plovdiv, Bulgaria, where I earned an N4 certificate in electronics, and VMEI Varna, where I qualified as a mechanical engineer

First Job: Maintenance fitter at VAMO, in Varna, Bulgaria

Size of First Pay Packet: 300 Bulgarian Lev a month, which is equivalent to about R2 800 at the current exchange rate

Career Path to Date: After starting off at VAMO in Varna as a maintenance fitter, I went on to work as a design engineer in Plovdiv, Bulgaria, and as production supervisor at a crane manufacturer in Pazardjik, also in Bulgaria, before moving to South Africa, where I first worked for Sachmech as a technician/supervisor, before joining Condra, where I have had the roles of production manager and project engineer

Value of Assets under Your Control: Not stated

Number of People under Your Leadership: About 100 employees

Management Style: Be one of the workers

Personal Best Achievement: My children and my grandchildren

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

Person Who Has Had the Biggest Influence on Your Career: Josef Kleiner, the founder of Condra

Person You Would Most Like to Meet: Vasil Levski, a nineteenth-century Bulgarian revolutionary who is regarded as a national hero in his home country

Businessperson Who Has Impressed You Most: Elon Musk

Philosophy of Life: Don’t look for problems; look for solutions

Biggest Ever Opportunity: Joining Condra

Biggest Ever Disappointment: None

Hope For the Future: That we will have more clever politicians

Favourite Reading: Crime novels and science fiction

Favourite TV Programme: Who Wants to Be a Millionaire

Favourite Food/Drink: Perfectly cooked steak and craft beer

Favourite Music: Bulgarian folk music

Favourite Sport: Soccer

Hobbies: Do-it-yourself – anything at home

Car: Audi Q5

Pets: Charly, a dog of the Chow Chow breed

Miscellaneous Dislikes: Lying

Married: To Zita Georgieva Babacheva for 41 years

Children: Ivan Stefanov Babachev, 40; Gergana Stefanova Young, 36

Clubs: The Bulgarian Society in South Africa