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