Dig Deep

In this episode we chat to Natascha Viljoen, Chief Executive Officer at Anglo American Platinum, who are one of the biggest mining companies in the world and is the world's largest primary producer of platinum accounting for over a third of the world's annual supply. Natascha has an engineering and processing background working for some of the biggest mining companies in the world and is approaching her 10-year anniversary with Anglo American having taken the CEO role back in 2020. She talks about her career, Anglo American Platinum and the challenges she and the group have faced over the last few years. She has gives some valuable advice what other female mining professionals can look to improve on in developing their careers. KEY TAKEAWAYS Anglo American Platinum, where Natascha is currently the CEO, is a multi-commodity global mining company with Tier 1 platinum assets and an integrated value chain from mining to processing. Natascha's tenure as CEO of Anglo American Platinum has been marked by a focus on safety and culture change within the company, resulting in improved safety performance and a more inclusive and diverse workplace. Despite the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic and operational issues such as a breakdown in the Anglo converter plant, Natascha and her team successfully navigated these difficulties and maintained strong financial performance. Natascha's move to Newmont as COO presents an opportunity for her to apply her skills and knowledge in a new jurisdiction and continue making a positive impact in the mining industry. She remains committed to promoting the value and potential of the South African mining industry, particularly in the context of the energy transition and the country's natural resources. BEST MOMENTS "We are absolutely driven by our values. And I think our purpose was clearly demonstrated through COVID when as a broader Anglo-American guided by our purpose, we showed up, I think in quite unique ways to support our employees and our host communities." "We've made some real inroads in our safety performance… We've made a fundamental change in the culture of this business. It is a culture where we working and we will never be perfect… It is in our systems and processes and changing that so that people are coming to work, they're safe to do their work and they are ready and empowered to do a productive day's work." "I think what I'm regretting most is exiting an industry that is complex and vibrant in terms of the BGM industry… I know that I'm going to miss so many aspects of this business… But I'm absolutely committed to continue to shine the light for South Africa and the benefits and value that we have as a country to add to the global, to the globe in terms of the energy transition, the minerals that we have that will play a critical role in the energy transition and our ability to export renewables." "We have seen significant improvements in the representation of women in the workplace… And the more we support each other, both inside the workplace and outside the workplace, we will continue to change the culture and the physical workplace to be more suitable for full inclusion and diversity." VALUABLE RESOURCES Dig Deep – The Mining Podcast on iTunes       VALUABLE RESOURCES mailto:rob@mining-international.org https://www.linkedin.com/in/rob-tyson-3a26a68/ http://www.mining-international.org https://twitter.com/MiningConsult https://www.facebook.com/MiningInternational.org https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC69dGPS29lmakv-D7LWJg_Q?guided_help_flow=3 ABOUT THE HOST Rob Tyson is the Founder and Director of Mining International Ltd, a leading global recruitment and headhunting consultancy based in the UK specialising in all areas of mining across the globe from first-world to third-world countries from Africa, Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and Australia. We source, headhunt, and discover new and top talent through a targeted approach and search methodology and have a proven track record in sourcing and positioning exceptional candidates into our clients' organisations in any mining discipline or level. Mining International provides a transparent, informative, and trusted consultancy service to our candidates and clients to help them develop their careers and business goals and objectives in this ever-changing marketplace. CONTACT METHOD rob@mining-international.org https://www.linkedin.com/in/rob-tyson-3a26a68/ Podcast Description Rob Tyson is an established recruiter in the mining and quarrying sector and decided to produce the “Dig Deep” The Mining Podcast to provide valuable and informative content around the mining industry. He has a passion and desire to promote the industry and the podcast aims to offer the mining community an insight into people’s experiences and careers covering any mining discipline, giving the listeners helpful advice and guidance on industry topics

Cedric Simonet, CEO at Altona Rare Earths, talks about their rare earths project in Mozambique. They discuss the high-grade ore at the Monte Mouambé project and the recent move to the London Stock Exchange. They explore the uses of rare earth elements and the importance of value addition in African mining. They also emphasize the significance of rare earths in the green revolution and mining industry.

Rohitesh Dhawan, President and CEO of the International Council on Mining and Metals, discusses the transformative power of mining, the role of ICMM in promoting responsible mining, and the need to build trust in the industry. Mining can benefit communities and elevate lives out of poverty. ICMM focuses on raising standards and achieving sustainable outcomes. The podcast also tackles the importance of balancing production and responsible mining, understanding ESG in the industry, and building trust for a better future.

Scott Williamson, MD of Blackstone Minerals, talks about nickel opportunities and their attractive ESG credentials. Cobalt was the critical metal in lithium-ion batteries, but early exploration was limited. Nickel deposits are scarce, appearing mainly in Russia, Australia, Canada, China, and Africa. Conventional miners sell nickel concentrate to smelters, but the battery industry requires refineries. Sulphite nickel is easily consumed into chemicals and benefits from its own energy source and acid.

In this episode we chat to Molly Hunsaker from Hunsaker Incorporated, whose family controls 100% of the Majuba Hill District, a large contiguous land position, located northeast of Reno, Nevada where their copper, silver and gold project is comprised of extensive mineral and surface rights held by private ownership, patented mining claims, and Federal Lode Mining claims. Molly is an experienced field geologist and talk us through her journey, working with her father in the family business and the exciting project that unearthing at Majuba Hill. KEY TAKEAWAYS Molly works in the wester United States, and specialises in early-stage exploration projects being staked from ground zero. Exploration geology involves beginning at the fundamental exploration stage, and deciding whether or not a mine is worth pursuing. Working in a family business can be challenging, especially when you love what you do. Down time is hard to find, as business creeps into every aspect of life. The ultimate goal of the project is to make as significant a contribution to geology as possible. This is the legacy being aimed for by the Hunsacker family. BEST MOMENTS 'I grew up in the mining industry' 'When I decided on a career, I could think of anything better than exploration and geology' 'Exploration geology is absolutely a numbers game' 'The goal is to make a significant contribution to geology' VALUABLE RESOURCES Molly Hunsacker LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/molly-hunsaker-85a09764/ Dig Deep – The Mining Podcast on iTunes       VALUABLE RESOURCES mailto:rob@mining-international.org https://www.linkedin.com/in/rob-tyson-3a26a68/ http://www.mining-international.org https://twitter.com/MiningConsult https://www.facebook.com/MiningInternational.org https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC69dGPS29lmakv-D7LWJg_Q?guided_help_flow=3 ABOUT THE HOST Rob Tyson is the Founder and Director of Mining International Ltd, a leading global recruitment and headhunting consultancy based in the UK specialising in all areas of mining across the globe from first-world to third-world countries from Africa, Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and Australia. We source, headhunt, and discover new and top talent through a targeted approach and search methodology and have a proven track record in sourcing and positioning exceptional candidates into our clients' organisations in any mining discipline or level. Mining International provides a transparent, informative, and trusted consultancy service to our candidates and clients to help them develop their careers and business goals and objectives in this ever-changing marketplace. CONTACT METHOD rob@mining-international.org https://www.linkedin.com/in/rob-tyson-3a26a68/ Podcast Description Rob Tyson is an established recruiter in the mining and quarrying sector and decided to produce the “Dig Deep” The Mining Podcast to provide valuable and informative content around the mining industry. He has a passion and desire to promote the industry and the podcast aims to offer the mining community an insight into people’s experiences and careers covering any mining discipline, giving the listeners helpful advice and guidance on industry topics

In this episode we chat to Prashant Chintawar, MD & CEO, Volt Resources who are a critical minerals and battery materials company listed on the ASX and are an established graphite producer with an operating mine in Ukraine and a developer of wholly owned Bunyu Project in Tanzania - one of the largest graphite deposits in the world. Volt acquired interest in three gold projects in Guinea, West Africa and three license applications in Serbia, that are prospective for lithium-borate mineralization. PC is an entrepreneurial global business leader, with a track record of creation and scaling up of new specialty material and battery material businesses, growing existing chemical businesses, product profit and loss management, negotiating and structuring deals and industrialization and tells us more about the company, the projects they are involved in and more around the battery industry. KEY TAKEAWAYS As a business stalwart, Prashant has not just founded them, but also grown them, and therefore can speak as both founder and manager. Mining in Ukraine is a definitely challenging due to the geopolitical climate. The power is unreliable, for instance, plus the supply chain is difficult. True leaders can surmount any barriers to action and provide solutions that allow others to fulfil their potential. It's critical to have a team with real world experience - those who have built and sold products. This allows you to be far more agile in the sector. BEST MOMENTS 'I have created businesses. We have scaled up the businesses' 'Our investors, shareholders and stakeholders can expect continuing updates' 'The second pillar is our graphite project in Tanzania' 'Don't ever assume that you know everything' VALUABLE RESOURCES Prashant Chintawar LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/prashantchintawar/ Dig Deep – The Mining Podcast on iTunes     https://www.linkedin.com/company/volt-resources/?viewAsMember=true https://twitter.com/asxvolt VALUABLE RESOURCES mailto:rob@mining-international.org https://www.linkedin.com/in/rob-tyson-3a26a68/ http://www.mining-international.org https://twitter.com/MiningConsult https://www.facebook.com/MiningInternational.org https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC69dGPS29lmakv-D7LWJg_Q?guided_help_flow=3 ABOUT THE HOST Rob Tyson is the Founder and Director of Mining International Ltd, a leading global recruitment and headhunting consultancy based in the UK specialising in all areas of mining across the globe from first-world to third-world countries from Africa, Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and Australia. We source, headhunt, and discover new and top talent through a targeted approach and search methodology and have a proven track record in sourcing and positioning exceptional candidates into our clients' organisations in any mining discipline or level. Mining International provides a transparent, informative, and trusted consultancy service to our candidates and clients to help them develop their careers and business goals and objectives in this ever-changing marketplace. CONTACT METHOD rob@mining-international.org https://www.linkedin.com/in/rob-tyson-3a26a68/ Podcast Description Rob Tyson is an established recruiter in the mining and quarrying sector and decided to produce the “Dig Deep” The Mining Podcast to provide valuable and informative content around the mining industry. He has a passion and desire to promote the industry and the podcast aims to offer the mining community an insight into people’s experiences and careers covering any mining discipline, giving the listeners helpful advice and guidance on industry topics

In this episode we chat to Taj Singh, President and CEO of NOA Lithium Brines, a lithium exploration and development company formed to acquire assets with significant resource potential with all of their projects located in the heart of the prolific Lithium Triangle, in the mining-friendly province of Salta, Argentina, Taj has a background in metallurgy and over 20 years of experience in the mining sector in the areas of executive management, business development, capital markets, project development, engineering and operations. Taj talks to us about the company, the energy transition and gives us an update on the projects they are involved in. KEY TAKEAWAYS NOA Lithium Brines is focussed in the north west of Argentina, and the mission is to acquire large controlling land positions and projects with existing data and resource. The energy transition is an operational opportunity for us to address climate change and reduced greenhouse gas emissions, to create a more sustainable future. Lithium is a critical component of electric vehicles, and therefore the shepherding of this resource must be in line with the ultimate aims of EVs - to encourage a cleaner, more sustainable world. The outlook for NOA Lithium is focussing upon drilling at Rio Grande, and ultimately culminating in a successful 2024. Drill targeting and data collation will be essential. BEST MOMENTS 'In our portfolio we have three key projects' 'As the CEO of a lithium mining company I know we have a pivotal role in history' 'We're seeing rapid growth in the adoption of electric vehicles' 'The potential for this to get much bigger is obvious' VALUABLE RESOURCES Taj Singh LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/posts/taj-singh-5bab028_noa-lithium-brines-new-company-in-the-lithium-activity-7067509062778712064-gsk7/ Dig Deep – The Mining Podcast on iTunes       VALUABLE RESOURCES mailto:rob@mining-international.org https://www.linkedin.com/in/rob-tyson-3a26a68/ http://www.mining-international.org https://twitter.com/MiningConsult https://www.facebook.com/MiningInternational.org https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC69dGPS29lmakv-D7LWJg_Q?guided_help_flow=3 ABOUT THE HOST Rob Tyson is the Founder and Director of Mining International Ltd, a leading global recruitment and headhunting consultancy based in the UK specialising in all areas of mining across the globe from first-world to third-world countries from Africa, Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and Australia. We source, headhunt, and discover new and top talent through a targeted approach and search methodology and have a proven track record in sourcing and positioning exceptional candidates into our clients' organisations in any mining discipline or level. Mining International provides a transparent, informative, and trusted consultancy service to our candidates and clients to help them develop their careers and business goals and objectives in this ever-changing marketplace. CONTACT METHOD rob@mining-international.org https://www.linkedin.com/in/rob-tyson-3a26a68/ Podcast Description Rob Tyson is an established recruiter in the mining and quarrying sector and decided to produce the “Dig Deep” The Mining Podcast to provide valuable and informative content around the mining industry. He has a passion and desire to promote the industry and the podcast aims to offer the mining community an insight into people’s experiences and careers covering any mining discipline, giving the listeners helpful advice and guidance on industry topics

In this episode we chat to Shirley Hayes, who is the founder of SHiP Copper Mines, a copper mining and development company based in the Northern Cape Province in South Africa and is a 95% subsidiary of Copper 360. Shirley is a mining entrepreneur who extensive experience in surface mining and blasting and has also run her own quarrying business in the early days. Seeking and identifying alternative commodities, she started SHiP Copper Mines focusing on the concordia tenement covering 36K hectares of the most prospective copper targets in the area. She shares her story from starting in administration to now running a listed mining company and the challenges she overcome as a female mining entrepreneur. KEY TAKEAWAYS The best rewards often come from the toughest situations. When we overcome hardships, the empowerment is multiplied. When you are starting out, you will always be in negotiation mode. Much can be learned from this period, in which you are constantly finding new ways to market yourself. Being a mining entrepreneur comes with a unique set of challenges, which are exacerbated even more by our gender. Overcoming prejudice as a woman is a factor that unfortunately wastes everyone's time. Being a mentor to someone can be precarious, as each person's journey is different and will involve different challenges. The best way is to study someone, rather than ask them to tell you what to do. BEST MOMENTS 'Those were the best years of my life' 'You are always negotiating from the point of being the weaker one' 'There are always two sides to the coin' 'Rather than think I needed to do better, I needed to be better' VALUABLE RESOURCES Copper 360 Linked-In: https://www.linkedin.com/company/copper360 Copper 360 web: www.copper360.co.za Shirley Hayes Linked-In: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shirley-hayes/ Dig Deep – The Mining Podcast on iTunes       VALUABLE RESOURCES mailto:rob@mining-international.org https://www.linkedin.com/in/rob-tyson-3a26a68/ http://www.mining-international.org https://twitter.com/MiningConsult https://www.facebook.com/MiningInternational.org https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC69dGPS29lmakv-D7LWJg_Q?guided_help_flow=3 ABOUT THE HOST Rob Tyson is the Founder and Director of Mining International Ltd, a leading global recruitment and headhunting consultancy based in the UK specialising in all areas of mining across the globe from first-world to third-world countries from Africa, Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and Australia. We source, headhunt, and discover new and top talent through a targeted approach and search methodology and have a proven track record in sourcing and positioning exceptional candidates into our clients' organisations in any mining discipline or level. Mining International provides a transparent, informative, and trusted consultancy service to our candidates and clients to help them develop their careers and business goals and objectives in this ever-changing marketplace. CONTACT METHOD rob@mining-international.org https://www.linkedin.com/in/rob-tyson-3a26a68/ Podcast Description Rob Tyson is an established recruiter in the mining and quarrying sector and decided to produce the “Dig Deep” The Mining Podcast to provide valuable and informative content around the mining industry. He has a passion and desire to promote the industry and the podcast aims to offer the mining community an insight into people’s experiences and careers covering any mining discipline, giving the listeners helpful advice and guidance on industry topics

In this episode we chat to Niv Dagan, Founder & Executive Director of Peak Asset Management, a boutique investment management & corporate advisory firm, with offices in Melbourne and Vancouver. Their entire principle is built on the "co-invest" model, so they only put opportunities in front of their clients that they personally back with their own capital. Niv has a background in capital markets, broking and hedge funds and talks about the company and gives us an overview of what is happening in the financial markets within the mining and resources space in the ASX, TSX and LSE and what investors appetites are in regards to investing. KEY TAKEAWAYS Peak has handled everything from portfolio management to asset allocation to structured products. There was a sense that focus was needed, so curated deals became their main talent. Peak specialise in identifying great deals and putting them in front of investors - curated, highly researched and with all due diligence undertaken. There must be alignment between the investors and the corporate side of the business. Win win situations must be sought for all parties involved. Australia is seeing more money than ever being pumped into rare earth materials due to its location in and around the Asiatic continent. BEST MOMENTS 'We were tailed as the Millionaire's Factory' 'It's been a great ride' 'Going out on your own is risky' 'I always talk about alignment' VALUABLE RESOURCES Niv Dagan LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/nivdagan/?originalSubdomain=au   Dig Deep – The Mining Podcast on iTunes       VALUABLE RESOURCES mailto:rob@mining-international.org https://www.linkedin.com/in/rob-tyson-3a26a68/ http://www.mining-international.org https://twitter.com/MiningConsult https://www.facebook.com/MiningInternational.org https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC69dGPS29lmakv-D7LWJg_Q?guided_help_flow=3 ABOUT THE HOST Rob Tyson is the Founder and Director of Mining International Ltd, a leading global recruitment and headhunting consultancy based in the UK specialising in all areas of mining across the globe from first-world to third-world countries from Africa, Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and Australia. We source, headhunt, and discover new and top talent through a targeted approach and search methodology and have a proven track record in sourcing and positioning exceptional candidates into our clients' organisations in any mining discipline or level. Mining International provides a transparent, informative, and trusted consultancy service to our candidates and clients to help them develop their careers and business goals and objectives in this ever-changing marketplace. CONTACT METHOD rob@mining-international.org https://www.linkedin.com/in/rob-tyson-3a26a68/ Podcast Description Rob Tyson is an established recruiter in the mining and quarrying sector and decided to produce the “Dig Deep” The Mining Podcast to provide valuable and informative content around the mining industry. He has a passion and desire to promote the industry and the podcast aims to offer the mining community an insight into people’s experiences and careers covering any mining discipline, giving the listeners helpful advice and guidance on industry topics

In this episode we chat to Dan Greco, an executive performance coach who works with many people in the mining sector around performance, personal issues and challenges they face within our industry plus others. He previously worked in a catering as chef, working on mining sites remotely and on FIFO rosters so is experienced and understands what those conditions and environments are like Dan responded to my LinkedIn post about getting a guest to come on to the podcast to talk about metal health issues with FIFO lifestyles and it’s a common theme and often spoken about in his work so it would be good to share some knowledge and give some tips to help improve anyone working on a FIFO basis or even working remotely. He talks about common practices any FIFO worker should follow to reduce further confrontations at home and what things you should work on to improve your mental health. KEY TAKEAWAYS No matter which job you do, there can always be a sense of routine and drudgery, which can contribute to a decline in mental wellbeing. The physical aspect of wellbeing contributes heavily to the wellbeing of our mind. If we take care of the body, the mind will benefit. We tend to deal with big things in our mind quite easily. It's the smaller things that niggle and nag at our minds which make days worse. Life keeps moving, no matter where you are. It's pointless to worry about things that are far away. Control the things you can, and leave the rest to others. BEST MOMENTS 'I experience what it was really like to bear the brunt of how harsh it can be' 'You can become conditioned' 'It's about living a communal life. It's not a normal life' 'There's a level of patience that we must develop' VALUABLE RESOURCES   Dig Deep – The Mining Podcast on iTunes   VALUABLE RESOURCES mailto:rob@mining-international.org https://www.linkedin.com/in/rob-tyson-3a26a68/ http://www.mining-international.org https://twitter.com/MiningConsult https://www.facebook.com/MiningInternational.org https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC69dGPS29lmakv-D7LWJg_Q?guided_help_flow=3 ABOUT THE HOST Rob Tyson is the Founder and Director of Mining International Ltd, a leading global recruitment and headhunting consultancy based in the UK specialising in all areas of mining across the globe from first-world to third-world countries from Africa, Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and Australia. We source, headhunt, and discover new and top talent through a targeted approach and search methodology and have a proven track record in sourcing and positioning exceptional candidates into our clients' organisations in any mining discipline or level. Mining International provides a transparent, informative, and trusted consultancy service to our candidates and clients to help them develop their careers and business goals and objectives in this ever-changing marketplace. CONTACT METHOD rob@mining-international.org https://www.linkedin.com/in/rob-tyson-3a26a68/ Podcast Description Rob Tyson is an established recruiter in the mining and quarrying sector and decided to produce the “Dig Deep” The Mining Podcast to provide valuable and informative content around the mining industry. He has a passion and desire to promote the industry and the podcast aims to offer the mining community an insight into people’s experiences and careers covering any mining discipline, giving the listeners helpful advice and guidance on industry topics