In this episode, we chat to Martin Horgan, ex-director of Toro Gold, an African Gold explorer and developer recently bought out by Resolute Mining, who acquired their flagship asset Mako Gold Mine (Mako) located in Senegal. 

I was really interested in getting Martin on the podcast as he has achieved a lot with Toro Gold and he didn’t necessarily follow the normal path that most other junior mining explorers would normal follow.

We talk about his background, working on site, in the consultancy space, and then into the banking sector before starting an exploration company. We also discuss Toro Gold; how they made a greenfield discovery and took it successfully into production and an exit, which isn't the normal path an exploration company take, and why they remained in private hands rather than in a public listed company

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Martin’s extensive experience has seen him travel the world and work in all sectors of the mining industry. During the late 2000’s, against the accepted wisdom, Martin decided to start a business, affirming that his contacts and opportunities would help him to establish a real player. He established Toro in 2009 as a result.
• Job opportunities when leaving university back in the nineties was significantly easier as companies were actively seeking future stars at the universities themselves. 
• Many UK graduates feel that they are overlooked when it comes to employment, in favour of Australian or Canadian graduates, due to their indigenous mining backgrounds. To this, Martin recommends that UK graduates also study a second language; French perhaps, as this can give the graduate an advantage.
• The fundamental success of any business comes down to the people. Having people who were highly competent in their individual disciplines was key to the success of Toro.
• It’s surprising that many in the mining industry don’t deliver on their promises. One of Toro’s core principles is that it always makes sure to follow through on any promises given. This has led to an increase in trust in the company, and the reason for its lofty position as one of the more respected parts of the mining industry.
• The mining sector has something of an image issue. it is one of the more ignored in today’s civilisation, and yet it is perhaps the most important. There are hardly any goods on sale today that are not sourced from the proceeds of some kind of mining or exploration. Education is desperately needed in order to ensure the next generation of mining professionals.

.BEST MOMENTS

’In those days, companies were still doing the “milk round”'

‘I’ve seen the sector from several different perspectives’

‘It’s like Trivial Pursuit’

’There’s no magic formula to it’

‘It is actually a clean and ethical industry’

‘We’re going to put the band back together'

VALUABLE RESOURCES

Dig Deep – The Mining Podcast on iTunes

Martin Horgan LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/martin-horgan-038b298/?originalSubdomain=uk

Resolute Mining - https://www.rml.com.au

ABOUT THE HOST

Rob Tyson is an established recruiter in the mining and quarrying sector and decided to produce the “Dig Deep” The Mining Podcast to provide valuable and informative content around the mining industry. He has a passion and desire to promote the industry and the podcast aims to offer the mining community an insight to peoples experiences and careers covering any mining discipline, giving the listeners helpful advice and guidance on industry topics.

Rob is the Founder and Director of Mining International Ltd, a leading global recruitment and headhunting consultancy based in the UK specialising in all areas of mining across the globe from first world to third world countries from Africa, Europe, Middle East, Asia and Australia. We source, headhunt and discover new and top talent talent through a targeted approach and search methodology and have a proven track record in sourcing and positioning exceptional candidates into our clients organisation in any mining discipline or level. Mining International provides a transparent, informative and trusted consultancy service to our candidates and clients to help them develop their careers and business goals and objectives in this ever-changing marketplace.

CONTACT METHOD

rob@mining-international.org

https://www.linkedin.com/in/rob-tyson-3a26a68/

www.mining-international.org

https://twitter.com/MiningConsult

https://www.facebook.com/MiningInternational.org

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC69dGPS29lmakv-D7LWJg_Q?guided_help_flow=3