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MInInG connect

industry is a community of sorts and a small one in many proud of what we have achieved over the last 15 years and proud
locations. Burning bridges is not the way to develop your to call many of the team my friends. I am also proud to see so
business or reputation. Being tolerant and patient also comes many of our team, including some who been with us since the
in very handy, and not having either of these won’t get you start, develop into roles they never thought they would have the
far. I came across a number of ex-pats in the early days that opportunity to do thanks to the career paths we have been able to
treated people unfairly, just because they are not educated provide.
does not mean they are not smart.
We worked closely with our customers to help solve PD: What is your favourite destination in Africa?
their problems and build their trust in us as their drilling BR: I enjoy them all, and each place has its own beauty.
contractor. As a result of some of the actions we took back I don’t often travel or take too much time out when over there for
then with key customers, we remained their driller of choice. work to look around though. Zanzibar in Tanzania is lovely, and
Those relationships, which became more like partnerships, Tanzania is the largest country we operate in. Egypt is a stunning
remain in place today, and those clients continue to be country; I like the desert, so I find Egypt quite intriguing, and it also
supportive as we expand the services we offer. has fantastic beaches. We also have a great business in Egypt
with a couple of hundred people up there, so it is always a good Brian on site
PD: What was your first memory of landing in Mwanza? place for me to visit and Ivory Coast has great food and some of
BR: Holy smoke! Wow, this is different and what have I done the friendliest people that I have met.
as I had agreed to bring my wife and daughter over to live there.
However, the Australian presence in Mwanza was quite large, and PD: On career day at primary school, what would your
I ended up meeting up with a couple of guys from Kalgoorlie that message be to students?
I had worked with. I also met the likes of industry greats such as BR: Everybody needs mining. We can’t live without mining,
Matt Yates [OreCorp managing director] in Mwanza and others we need it for every aspect of our lives, and therefore the mining
who are still very much involved in the industry today. Before my that we do needs to be responsible mining. Especially if we are
arrival, Tanzania was a socialist country until Benjamin Mkapa mining in other countries, we must remember we are visitors, and
opened it up to free trade in 1994, and this attracted not only the we need to look after the local community, respect it and do what
majors but many juniors from Australia and Canada. I recall during we can to help, it’s the right thing to do.
my first trip to Geita the population was less than 10,000, and
now it’s well over 500,000. PD: What will the mining sector look like in five years?
BR: I am passionate about innovation. Some use it as
PD: Capital is well spread across Africa – Cote d’Ivoire, a marketing tool; we are very real about it and integrate new
Egypt, Mali, Mauritania, Tanzania and into the Middle technologies and innovations into our business to improve
East in Saudi Arabia – how did you adapt to the varying safety and productivity constantly. I think we’ll see completely
cultures? autonomous RC drilling rigs and diamond drill rigs one day, this is
BR: Arrogance won’t work. You have to be humble. Arriving in already the case with blast hole rigs There are some developments
Mwanza from a short trip to Uganda, I expressed my annoyance in diamond drilling that are autonomous now, but the rod handling Brian with daughter Emma at
with the immigration officer for taking his time in processing my is still a bit of an issue. I feel confident the industry will continue to the Mwazna market in 2001
passport. He then pointed at me and said: ‘We Africans have all work towards these improvements until we get to that point.
the time, you have all the money, so we will wait and see.’ There is also going to come a day where downhole tooling sensors
I realised then that patience is a big virtue in Africa. will mean it won’t be necessary to extract as much core as we do
now. We will be able to put down some sort of probe which will
PD: What makes a good leader? actually identify the rock type down the hole.
BR: Providing clear direction and not continually Exploration going forward will be a lot faster and therefore with all
changing your mind, I learned that one years ago. these probes and electronics on drill rigs there will be fewer people
Not everything has to be set in concrete, particularly where and therefore a lot safer.
we work you need some flexibility but you don’t want to keep
floundering and be indecisive. PD: What is one piece of advice you’ll always remember?
You need to make a decision, sometimes you will get it wrong, BR: Be patient and persistent. This came from my Dad while
but you can always get around it and make another plan. undertaking motocross racing as a kid, and it’s a phrase that I
still use today. This came in particularly handy in 2005 when we
PD: What motivates you? submitted an exemption letter to a government department. I sat
BR: I have always felt entrepreneurial and motivated to in the waiting room for two weeks reading books while I waited for
succeed. When I started Capital, people invested in me, and I it to be processed. Finally, on a Friday afternoon, the commissioner
didn’t want to let them down. In addition to that, I called in a couple called me in, stamped and signed my documents then said: “Mr
of guys in from my previous company and asked them to join me Rudd you are a very patient man and good luck on your journey”.
in building the company up. They left jobs to come and work for I will never forget that. Brian (aged 22) on
me, and there were many sleepless nights over that. Barrow Island
PD: Describe the mining sector in one word...
“There was a lot of pressure, particularly in the beginning, but BR: Exciting!
the first few jobs went very well so it was easier to talk about the
success to a new customer and explain how you can replicate that PD: Favourite song to pass the time while drilling?
again and we just kept growing and growing.
BR: I drink alone – by George Thorogood.
We have had issues with cash flows in the early days collecting
money from customers which made life tough at the time. I am

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