Full Name: Louw Smith

Position: COO of London-listed Nordgold

Main Activity of the Company: Nordgold is a pure-play emerging-markets gold producer established in 2007. In 2013, Nordgold’s nine mines, located in the Commonwealth of Independent States and West Africa, produced 924 400 oz of gold

Date and Place of Birth: August 22, 1966, Paarl, South Africa

Education: Bachelor’s degrees in geology and geochemistry, engineering geology and commerce, as well as master’s degrees in mining engineering and business administration

First Job: Vacation student, Deelkraal gold mine, Carletonville, South Africa, 1986/7

Size of First Pay Packet: Enough to see me through university and buy a car

Value of Assets under Your Control: Nordgold’s market capitalisation is $650-million

Number of People under Your Leadership: 10 000

Management Style: Collaborative and empowering.

Personal Best Achievement: Completing six consecutive Accra marathons in Ghana between 1993 and 1998

Person Who Has Had the Biggest Influence on Your Life: My father has always been available for support and wisdom

Person Who Has Had the Biggest Influence on Your Career: The best leaders in the gold industry I have met over the past 25 years, from whom I have learnt a lot

Person You Would Most Like to Meet: Angela Merkel

Businessperson Who Has Impressed You Most: Lee Iacocca

Philosophy of Life: Leading teams into unchartered waters and realising possibilities by believing

Biggest Ever Opportunity: Reading for an executive MBA at the University of Western Australia

Biggest Ever Disappointment: Missing out on opportunities when teams did not function to their fullest potential

Hope for the Future: Creating opportunities for young mining professionals to develop their careers and make a more significant contribution than we will

Favourite Reading: The Wisdom of Teams, by Jon R Katzenbach and Douglas K Smith

Favourite TV Programme: Sport and news

Favourite Food/Drink: Steak/red wine

Favourite Music: Rock‘n’roll and country

Favourite Sport: Marathon running

Hobbies: Travelling and discovering the world together with my family

Car: Volvo XC60, which will be in storage for a few more years

Pets: The children’s cat, and all the horses in the world

Miscellaneous Dislikes: People who do not embrace the opportunities they are given

Married: To Annelize, who has been with me on this journey for the past 24 years

Children: Loulé, 14; Cal, 12

Clubs: Western Australia Marathon Club