Full Name: Izak Marais

Position and Company Name: COO at Blyvoor Gold

Main Activity of the Company: Blyvoor Gold is a South African gold mining company operating the Blyvoor mine on Johannesburg’s West Rand. The company is led by an agile leadership team and strong investors, who have built a quality, long-term, profitable mining asset offering steady growth and low costs, and produces 40 000 oz a year at an all-in sustaining cost of under $1 000/oz

Date and Place of Birth: May 23, 1968; I am a son of Africa

Education: A mining engineering degree from the University of Pretoria, an MBA from the University of Cape Town and a master’s degree in law from the University of Cumbria

First Job: After the Chamber of Mines training college, I started at Buffelsfontein as a contract miner

Size of First Pay Packet: R984.25 a month – of course, I kept the payslip

Career Path to Date: I have by choice been a gold miner all my life, in various line roles, and I have been the COO of different entities for the past decade or so

Value of Assets under Your Control: Market capitalisation of more than R6-billion

Number of People under Your Leadership: 1 800 (directly and indirectly), and the number is set to grow to 5 000 as we ramp up operations at the mine

Management Style: Situational, as required. The days of enforcing a preferred style on to a multigenerational, multicultural human capital asset base are long gone

Personal Best Achievement: Having harm-free, on-target days

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

Person Who Has Had the Biggest Influence on Your Career: Bruce Lutman

Person You Would Most Like to Meet: Pink (yes, the rockstar)

Businessperson Who Has Impressed You Most: Any entrepreneur who gets his or her idea off the ground and manages to create employment

Philosophy of Life: This is not as good as it gets. Every day won’t be a thrilling success. And just because you have not succeeded yet does not mean you failed

Biggest Ever Opportunity: The opportunity to cofound, with my wife, our mining advisory business, Njovu Strategic and Operational Advisors, with a hand-picked team of industry professionals

Biggest Ever Disappointment: Not being able to get investors interested in fantastic small- to medium-scale mining opportunities

Hope for the Future: That people may be tolerant of each other’s views, background, ethnicity, gender and religion – in short, world peace

Favourite Reading: Harvard Business Review

Favourite TV Programme: Anything that keeps you guessing until the end

Favourite Food/Drink: Braaibroodjies and red wine – but not together

Favourite Music: It depends on how good the production day was, with the favourites ranging from classical to metal. But I am yet to have a jazz day

Favourite Sport: Squash (to play) and watching my wife watch rugby

Hobbies: Who has time for hobbies?

Car: A 2005 model Ford Ranger

Pets: None

Miscellaneous Dislikes: Inconsiderate people across any sphere of our daily society

Married: Yes, I am very much married

Children: I have three amazing female bodied children

Clubs: None