Full Name: Marc Struik

Position: CEO of BSGR Mining & Metals, a division of BSG Resources

Main Activity of the Company: Exploration, mining, mergers and acquisitions

Date and Place of Birth: Nijmegen, the Netherlands, June 26, 1958

Education: MSc (mining engineering), Technical University Delft, the Netherlands

First Job: Graduate in training, Koffiefontein diamond mine, 1988

Size of First Pay Packet: R2 400 a month (1988)

Career History Prior to Current Position: I spent 11 years with De Beers Consolidated Mines, followed by six years of mining consultancy with Snowden Mining Industry Consultants (during the last four of which I was GM of the Johannesburg office) and then two years as COO of BSGR, before being promoted to CEO in May 2007

First Job with Present Group: COO

Value of Assets under Your Control: Not stated

Number of People under Your Leadership: I have an advisory role to our group of companies, of which BSGR is a major shareholder or owns outright

Management Style: A mix between executive, benevolent, autocrat and developer

Personal Best Achievement: Achieving 90% for my MSc thesis and receiving (at the time) the highest financial award from Ruhrkohle (the largest German coal mining group) for a thesis

Person Who Has Had the Biggest Influence on Your Life: My late father and my wife, Jennifer

Person Who Has Had the Biggest Influence on Your Career: There have been a few

Person You Would Most Like to Meet: No one in particular, but there are a few

Businessperson Who Has Impressed You Most: Same as above

Philosophy of Life: If you never ask, you never get

Biggest Ever Opportunity: Emigrating in 1988 and travelling the world ever since

Biggest Ever Disappointment: The recent passing of my father and my father-in-law

Hope for the Future: That the current world volatility will pass and that, in the end, reason and logic will prevail. This might, however, not be without some sacrifice

Favourite Reading: Fiction and nonfiction. I am currently reading two books: Taking the Stand: My life in the law, by Alan Dershowitz, and Montaillou, Cathars and Catholics in a French Village 1294–1324, by Emmanuel Le Roy Ladurie

Favourite TV Programme: Game of Thrones (actually, the only series I have ever watched), a good movie, and analytical news programmes

Favourite Food/Drink: Thai, fusion and Italian, but I like a good steak too. Regarding drinks, I like a good wine and enjoy malt whisky

Favourite Music: I do not like sakkie-sakkie . . . almost everything else goes – from classic to modern

Favourite Sport: Rugby, boxing, athletics and skiing

Favourite Website: None

Hobbies: Working out in the gym, and playing the drums and the bass guitar

Car: Infinity G37S Coupe and a Saab93 Cabriolet

Pets: Two dachshunds

Miscellaneous Dislikes: I cannot stand snobs, uncouth and arrogant people and I certainly cannot stand fanatics

Favourite Other South African Company: None

Favourite Foreign Company: None

Married: To Jennifer, since June 12, 2004

Children: We have five between us: Cari, 32; Marc, 28; Vivian, 25; Stephen, 24; and Yvette, 23

Clubs: Planet Fitness Platinum, Sandton