Full Name: Mike Seeger

Position: MD of MX Mining Capital Advisors

Main Activity of the Company: Mining investment advisory services

Date and Place of Birth: January 5, 1969, Johannesburg

Education: Deutsche Schule Johannesburg; Gymnasium Gilching, Germany; BSc (Eng) (Mining), University of the Witwatersrand (Wits); MSc (Eng) (Mineral Economics), Wits; PhD on A Gameplan for Junior Mining Companies, Wits

First Job: Mining engineer in training (miner)

Size of First Pay Packet: R5 300 a month

Value of Assets under Your Control: Not applicable when you raise capital for mining projects

Number of People under Your Leadership: Between 5 and 400, depending on the nature of the engagement

Management Style: The 20:80 principle, keep calm, discipline, art of delegation, action plan, feedback

Personal Best Achievement: Starting a mining company from ten PowerPoint slides through to developing a producing mine and listing it on a stock exchange – the ASX – Universal Coal

Person Who Has Had the Biggest Influence on Your Life: My father and my mother

Person Who Has Had the Biggest Influence on Your Career: Richard Collins and Mike Smith

Person You Would Most Like to Meet: Elon Musk

Businessperson Who Has Impressed You Most: Richard Branson

Philosophy of Life: Simplicity is key, less is more, take calculated risks to achieve

Biggest Ever Opportunity: Raising capital for several mining operations and projects across the African continent

Biggest Ever Disappointment: Being forced to liquidate a mining contracting company and retrench the staff and the workforce after Eskom cancelled the contract

Hope for the Future: That the world becomes environmentally sustainable for my children’s grandchildren

Favourite Reading: Tim Ferris’s Tools of the Titans

Favourite TV Programme: Homeland

Favourite Food/Drink: Weisswurst, brezel and weissbier

Favourite Music: U2, Coldplay, JJ Cale

Favourite Sport: Tennis, golf, gym

Hobbies: Family, renewable energy, travel, reading, FC Bayern Munich

Car: Toyota Fortuner 4 × 4

Miscellaneous Dislikes: Men of straw

Married: To Glenda

Children: Karsten, 19; Keenia, 17; Kessia, 7

Clubs/Organisation Memberships: Verein Deutscher Ingenieure, Engineering Council of South Africa, University of the Witwatersrand Mining Engineers Association