Meet the CEO is a new, weekly feature on TechCentral. The aim is to introduce our readers to the people behind the news by providing insights into the leaders shaping South Africa’s ICT industry. Our sixth interview in the series is with HP South Africa MD David Rozzio. We hope you enjoy it. — Duncan McLeod, Editor
What was your first-ever job?
The first type of job I could do as a 16-year-old in France was to work in agriculture. I started harvested maize, just for just couple of weeks during one summer. But my real career started in a French company called Saint-Gobain, in their Pont-a-Mousson branch, creating ductile iron pipes for water and sewage. I started as a financial controller for mergers and acquisitions. The company wanted to diversify their business at the time.
Who is your greatest role model, and why?
My role models are my close friends or family. I have been inspired by family members being entrepreneurs all their life and by some friends who created their own business in early stage of their professional lives.
What’s your favourite quote?
“The one thing that never changes is change itself.”
What phone do you currently use, and why?
I use a Samsung Galaxy S9. I like Android and I have been using Samsungs for years now. I feel comfortable with them and they seem the most efficient to me.
What are you currently reading?
I don’t read many books anymore, but I do consume a lot of media, from the Financial Times to the Harvard Business Review as well specific African news titles including The Africa Report and Jeune Afrique (as I speak French).
What are your three favourite books?
Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury, L’Etranger by Albert Camus and the Millennium trilogy by Stieg Larsson.
What’s your favourite movie?
Pulp Fiction
What is your most treasured possession?
Great French wines I own, and which are kept in a cellar in France, waiting for me every time I have the chance to go back.
What has been the highlight of your career so far?
Being able to create my own company in France in 1999 (I was 24). That entrepreneur journey has been a driver for my career since.
How do you cope with stress?
By spending time with my family and watching sport.
What skill or talent would you most like to possess that you don’t already?
I wish I could be well-spoken enough to be able to deliver TED-type talks. I am always impressed by inspiring people delivering amazing speeches, speaking about their passions.
What phrase do you most use/overuse in business?
“Let’s push!”
What’s your favourite place in the world, and why?
It must be a small town in the countryside of France called Marcillac-la-Croisille. I spent all my summers there with my parents when I was young. My great grandfather was exiled from Italy and ended up in the town after World War 1. So, I have part of me in Marcillac-la-Croisille and it is really a place where I can relax and revive my spirits. — © 2018 NewsCentral Media
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