Full Name: Graham Ehm
Position: Executive VP: group planning and technical at AngloGold Ashanti, a role focused on the development of the overall portfolio, covering mine plans, capital projects, studies and exploration
Main Activity of the Company: Gold mining
Date and Place of Birth: 1956, Australia
Education: BSc (Hons) Metallurgy
First Job: Process engineer, Queensland Nickel
Size of First Pay Packet: $11 000 a year
Value of Assets under Your Control: Awkward to quantify. I previously managed the Australian region for AngloGold Ashanti. The Tropicana gold mine’s capital expenditure was $830-million, and Sunrise Dam and Tropicana’s net present value is around $2-billion
Number of People under Your Leadership: Currently 200 – previously, in Australia, 1 000
Management Style: Aligned goals, engagement and teamwork
Personal Best Achievement: Leading the Australian team in expanding Sunrise Dam and developing the Tropicana gold mine. I enjoyed the Tanzanian experience in leading the Tanzanian Geita team in the Geita turnaround project
Personal Achievement: With my wife, Merrial, balancing family life with a demanding career
Person Who Has Had the Biggest Influence on Your Life: Personally, Merrial, who has been my support and maintained perspective and values in life, as well as my disabled daughter, Lauren, who, despite her difficulties, has achieved so much through dogged determination, showing us that it is ability that counts, not disability
Person Who Has Had the Biggest Influence on Your Career: Professionally, my university professor, Dr Biswas, who introduced me to the mining industry and global opportunities and the excitement the industry offers. In my career, Tom Duckworth, former head of metallurgy at BP Minerals, who opened an opportunity to work on the Olympic Dam study and project team, which set me on a path of project and general management
Person You Would Most Like to Meet: Unfortunately, he recently died – Nelson Mandela – and FW De Klerk, for their courage, humanity and forgiveness. I would also like to meet Paul Hewson (Bono), U2 lead singer, for his political activism
Businessperson Who Has Impressed You Most: Mark Cutifani, former AngloGold Ashanti CEO, from whom I learned much about values, leadership and managerial systems, and Michael Chaney, former CEO of Wesfarmers, for business leadership
Philosophy of Life: To add value to the lives of people with whom I work and live – success is achieved by working together
Biggest Ever Opportunity: Being GM of the Sunrise Dam gold mine
Biggest Ever Disappointment: For the first time in my career, a fatality occurred on my watch at the Geita gold mine, when two trucks collided, causing a fire and the death of two Tanzanians
Hope for the Future: That we find a solution to religious extremism, which results in the oppression of women and the suffering of children
Favourite Reading: A good espionage novel and biographies of iconic achievements, such as Mallory’s attempts on Everest in the 1920s
Favourite TV Programme: None
Favourite Food/Drink: Roast lamb/a good red wine
Favourite Music: Neil Diamond, Bruce Springsteen, Alicia Keys, Yothu Yindi
Favourite Sport: Trekking, rock climbing and mountaineering; as a couch potato, rugby and tennis
Hobbies: Home and gardens
Car: Holden Jackaroo
Pets: Two Border Collies
Miscellaneous Dislikes: Aggression and disrespect of people
Married: To Merrial
Children: Dane, 28, an oil and gas engineer with Schlumberger; Lauren, 25, who is disabled but works full-time with House with No Steps
Clubs: None