Bruce Jack is one of the most recognisable personalities in South African wine. His name is on the business, his ideas have helped build it, and, by his own admission, quite a few of the crazy ones are his too.

But spend five minutes asking him about Bruce Jack Wines and something becomes obvious: this is not a one-man show. There are people who tell him when he’s wrong. People who fix problems before he discovers them. People who make decisions without asking him. And, apparently, an internal secret society with its own handshake.

For our Movers & Shakers issue, we turned the questions around. Instead of asking Bruce about Bruce, we asked him about the people behind the name. And his answers tell you quite a lot about how this team actually works.

Who is most likely to tell you that you’re wrong?

Around the braai, it’s my sons, Benjamin and Robert. Over dinner, it’s my wife. In the office, it was Alison who recently informed me that my people management skills were “hopeless” and “destructive,” and that I'd better sort myself out.

Who solves the problem when everything goes pear-shaped?

It’s usually a team effort, and done behind my back, in a sneaky attempt to fix it before I find out and start shouting. But it doesn't happen that often. I think.

Who comes up with the crazy idea that actually works?

I come up with the craziest ideas, and the team makes some of them work. Others get ignored on purpose, and they hope I forget about them.

Who worries about the details everyone else forgets?

We’re all fairly obsessed with details. Perhaps overly obsessed. I think it slows us down. It’[s easier to ask who isn’t detailed. That honour lies with our sales team. Our global sales manager, Jason Snell, sells wine before we’ve made it. Sometimes, even before we’ve even dreamt it up.

There isn’t much friction in the sales department.

Jason has two sidekicks: Kola Cohen, a big-wave surfer, and Alex Myeki, an aspirant politician. Both are hit-and-miss at report-backs, but my word, together they sell a lot of wine around the world.

Who has the quietest voice but the biggest influence?

Catherine Searle, our office manager, and Enock Gumeni, Drift Estate cellarmaster.

Who would you want beside you in a business crisis?

There’s no one in senior management I can’t count on. Which is handy because the wine industry is pretty much an ongoing business crisis.

Who understands the Bruce Jack consumer best?

Alex Myeki and Ben Jack know what makes younger consumers tick, while Jean-Mari Reyneke, our marketing manager, seems to have cracked the code for communicating about Bruce Jack wines in a fresh way to a wide range of consumers. Alison Pearce, our marketing strategist, can somehow sift through pages and pages of insights and grab the few salient points that give us an edge in understanding consumer trends.

Who has the best palate?

Actually, it’s Jeanette Human at our sister company, Black Oystercatcher Wines. She's Dirk Human’s daughter.

Who is most likely to challenge the way things have always been done?

Now that I think about it, it’s quite a long list.

André Purdy, Appelsdrift Estate farm manager, often has his own ideas. Ben Jack is almost as bad as my wife. Alison Pearce has been challenging me since 2008 and, being from Zimbabwe, doesn't beat about the bush.

Catherine and Paula Jeffrey, our CFO, decided a few years ago that I’m no longer allowed to choose new employees. In fact, I’m no longer told when interviews are happening in case I try to interfere.

Who would you trust to make a major decision without phoning you first?

That’s very funny. They all do it! But that doesn’t mean I trust them.

Who keeps everyone grounded when things become chaotic?

It depends on the cause and extent of the chaos. Every day chaos gets handled by Catherine and Wynand, our financial manager. I’m left to handle the nuclear stuff.

Who makes the team laugh the most?

Our logistics manager, Juan Cornelius. We have a tradition of going to watch Shakespeare as a team. Juan made it through about five minutes before falling asleep and snoring. And he was sitting next to his big boss, Bruce. No respect!

Moteku Mawela, Drift Estate winemaker, is also very funny after a few glasses.

Who is the person everyone turns to when something simply needs to get done?

Catherine.

Who represents the future of Bruce Jack Wines?

Strong, resilient and sustainable wine brands tend to be built on three things: class-leading quality, creativity and truth. Slowly, over generations, these build a reputation and start to create an inner momentum.

The next generation of company leaders will have different challenges and opportunities, but if the core principles become sacrosanct, leaders can come and go. In this sense, the future of Bruce Jack Wines will always be represented by the past.

And finally, Bruce, who really runs Bruce Jack Wines?

It’s a secret society called The Bruciebond. They apparently have their own secret handshake and stuff. We didn’t ask who qualifies for membership. Some things are probably better left alone.