Full Name: Richard Floyd

Position and Company Name: CEO of Aurous Resources

Main Activity of the Company: Aurous Resources is a South African gold mining company which owns the Blyvoor mine and the Gauta tailing project. The company is led by an agile leadership team and strong investors, who have built a high-quality, long-term, profitable mining portfolio offering steady growth and low costs

Date and Place of Birth: 1985, Cape Town

Schools and Tertiary Education: I studied business science and law at the University of Cape Town and am an admitted attorney of the High Court of South Africa, and a fixed- and rotary-wing owner-pilot

First Job: Mining attorney

Size of First Pay Packet: $1 000 a month

Career Path to Date: I worked in a mining law practice before transitioning into environmental rehabilitation of disturbed mining land (East Daggafontein, Ex Anglo/DRD). I then became principal at Galaxy Gold and later founded Aurous Resources and Blyvoor Gold

Value of Assets Under Your Control: $1-billion

Number of People under Your Leadership: 2 000, but plans are afoot to scale to 5 000

Management Style: Performance- and efficiency-centric. Persistence (not patience) pays

Personal Best Achievement: Delivering the first ton of gold to Rand Refineries

Person Who Has Had the Biggest Influence on Your Life: My wife

Person Who Has Had the Biggest Influence on Your Career: There have been many positive influencers, but I am generally focused on inner strength – chasing other leaders’ dreams and ambitions won’t get you closer to your own

Person You Would Most Like to Meet: Mark Bristow

Businessperson Who Has Impressed You Most: Elon Musk

Philosophy of Life: You reap what you sow

Biggest Ever Opportunity: In the pipeline but, sadly, still confidential

Biggest Ever Disappointment: I don’t dwell on the past – my motto is, ‘Look forward, and chin up!’

Hope For the Future: Continuing to identify, realise and commercialise the vast untapped value in Africa

Favourite Reading: I do not have much time for reading at this frenetic stage of the game

Favourite TV Programme: Rebuild Rescue

Favourite Food/Drink: Stew-for-two and a bottle of red wine

Favourite Music: Kygo, but I am a recent convert to modern country

Favourite Sport: Currently trail running

Hobbies: Burning energy with my family

Car: Toyota Fortuner

Pets: Some African game and one too many horses

Miscellaneous Dislikes: Politics

Married: Absolutely

Children: Double-trouble Floyd boys

Clubs: Brakpan Aero Club, Johannesburg Country Club and False Bay Yacht Club