Getting to know Sven the chef
One thing that many people may not know about him is he loves cooking to a point where he can cook all day and practically anything. He enjoys playing the piano, dancing, taking the dogs for a walk and spending quality time with his wife and children.
He was born in the largest city of Namibia in February 1968 and grew up with his two siblings. He was raised by his parents Volker and Monika in the garden town of the country, Okahandja.
He lost his younger brother Thorsten at an early age and considers his sister Sonja as his best friend.
We are talking about Sven Thieme, the executive chairman of the Ohlthaver & List Group.
THE EARLY LIFE
“I met my first wife, Cecile, in Luxembourg in 1996 and got married in 2000. We are blessed with three wonderful children of whom the eldest, Saskia, has just graduated from school. Alexis and Nikita are still in school. When I took over the company as executive chairman after my grandfather passed away, the business required my full attention and focus. I worked from 04h00 in the morning until very late, which unfortunately was to the detriment of my first marriage. Cecile was a tremendous pillar, but somehow we started to live our own lives.” He said: “In 2014, I met Alexia and I knew that I had to change, as my whole world changed. Together with Alexia, I luckily managed a change within myself and learned to take things easier, as I had suffered burnout at the time. We did a lot of travelling, which contributed to my recovery – and tied the knot in 2016. She is my beautiful and most trusted friend and confidante, and a dedicated mother to our children – yes, together we have six. Phillip and Dominic have also completed school and Annica is still in school. We share ideas, passions and hobbies – and her advice is always sound and reasonable. I love her and all of my children dearly – and my family truly drives me.”
ACADEMICS
“I attended the DHPS in Windhoek and also resided in the school’s hostel. I cannot remember a bad day at school and always wanted to excel. Subjects like Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry and Biology, in particular, fascinated me from an early age and I am still grateful that its intricacies came easy to me.”
He added: “I graduated from High School in 1986, which was matric at the time – and completed my German Abitur in 1987. I went on to study at the Stellenbosch University (SU) and Cape Town (UCT) in South Africa, where I completed my B-Accounting and PGDA to be admitted to an audit firm to qualify as Chartered Accountant. My career began at Deloitte & Touche in Cape Town, where I completed my articles, and then moved on to the beautiful Luxemburg from 1994 to 1998, where I specialised in banking.”
THE KITCHEN MASTER’S PALATE
The good thing about Thieme is that he can cook/prepare anything – even the famous Japanese dish, sushi, and he eats almost everything but be warned if you are planning on inviting him anywhere, don’t offer matangara (tripe).
“I cook anything; I even make Sushi – and at least once or twice a week, gather family and friends for a social “braai”. I love eastern cuisine like Japanese, Thai, Chinese, etc. My all-time favourite is Sushi. The other cuisine I enjoy is French and sometimes the basic German food like Eisbein and others. But there is no food that I don’t like, except for tripe – that’s a pass, thank you.”
“I love my coffee, cappuccino without any sugar and also enjoy Rooibos and herbal teas. My fondest memories include enjoying an early coffee with my grandfather while monitoring and supervising farm Midgard with him. I love white wine mixed with water, or sometimes a beer. And yes, with the sundowner, I do enjoy a cigarette, or two or three.”
THE O&L LEGACY
“My grandfather and great-grandfather left us with a legacy that deserves to be maintained and cultivated well into the future and for the benefit of every single Namibian. Stepping into their footprints has not been easy, but they instilled upon values of family, trust and honesty that have inspired me to continue building O&L on those foundations. I remember my grandfather saying to me: “I don’t know how you are going to do it, but I know you will”. The company was in a very concerning and bad shape, which I only discovered later and only then understood why he made such a comment.”
A CASUAL DAY AT THE THIEMES
For a busy man like him, running and overseeing the daily operations of Namibia’s largest private company group, one would wonder if he even gets time to socialise a little, unwind and do things outside of wor, which he has managed to do by allocating his time wisely and efficiently.
“I wake up early every day to enjoy my first cup of coffee, feed all the house pets, do some stretching and then get ready for the day. The first thing I do is to look at the agenda, and clear emails and WhatsApps. Almost every day, I exercise – either by running a few kilometres on the treadmill or working out in the gym. Usually, by 07h00, I am in the office (home or work office). Most days, I do the cooking, which I enjoy followed by a lovely sundowner with my wife. Sometimes, we just chat or watch a movie together before we go to sleep.”
Thieme extended: “Above all, I am a family man who tries to spend as much quality time with my wife and children. Our children participate in a wide variety of sports and pursue a diversity of other interests; we aim to attend as many events together as possible. Travelling is my biggest hobby and I hope to see many more exciting places. On weekends away, I enjoy going to the farm or Swakopmund, or just staying at home. During our spare time, we cook up a storm, experimenting with various cuisines and testing new recipes and tastes. I am a soccer fanatic and still favour my Ramblers soccer team.”
FOOD FOR THOUGHT
Thieme said leadership is an enormous responsibility that should never be underestimated. Simultaneously, it is also an opportunity one should take pride in and fulfil to one’s best abilities.
“What I am passionate about is my purpose and serving that of the company. Having a mindset to always think of the next generation and knowing that I am serving the people of our beloved country and not the other way around. I love being called Sven – and only Sven because it makes me feel I am like everybody else. I believe in a strong value system with thought-through leadership dimensions.”