In this episode, we chat with Stephen Mullowney, CEO of TRX Gold, who are a listed mining company with its flagship project, the Buckreef Gold Project in Tanzania. Stephen’s going to unpack the human side behind Buckreef’s rapid growth: the moments that forced him to rethink his approach, the wins that mattered more to people than markets, and the misconceptions outsiders still hold about this industry. We explore how leaders handle unpopular decisions, where the real bottlenecks are at site level, the technologies reshaping operations and the ones that haven’t lived up to the hype. We’ll also look beyond production metrics to ask a bigger question: what does success truly look like for TRX in the next five years, and how sustainable is its current growth path? KEY TAKEAWAYS Effective leadership in the mining industry involves understanding the human side of operations, making decisions that prioritise long-term success over short-term gains, and empowering team members to contribute to decision-making processes. Many people mistakenly attribute a mining company's success solely to commodity prices. While prices do play a role, a strong focus on operational efficiency, growth, and cost discipline is crucial for sustainable success, regardless of market fluctuations. Mining operations face numerous bottlenecks at various stages, from drilling and blasting to crushing and milling. Identifying and addressing these bottlenecks is essential for maintaining efficiency and productivity. The mining industry is gradually adopting new technologies, particularly in areas like exploration and communication. BEST MOMENTS "Mining is a commodity space, and a lot of people give credit for success based on the commodity price, but if you don't keep a good focus on growth and cost discipline, it doesn't matter what commodity price you have." "There's always a bottleneck, and there's always a problem, and it's always in a different spot. Mining has so many little things along the process timeline that can knock you down." "I think technology is really going to help us on the exploration side. We're doing studies now to identify new structures, and competing technology can be good there." "I think the model of not diluting has been good for TRX at Buckreef, and it could continue. I don't see any reason why it can't." GUEST RESOURCES ● Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TRXGoldCorp ● LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/trx-gold-corporation/ Email: ir@trxgold.com Tel: (437) 224-5241 VALUABLE RESOURCES Mail: rob@mining-international.org LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rob-tyson-3a26a68/ X: https://twitter.com/MiningRobTyson YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/DigDeepTheMiningPodcast Web: http://www.mining-international.org CONTACT METHOD rob@mining-international.org https://www.linkedin.com/in/rob-tyson-3a26a68/ Podcast Description 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 into people’s experiences and careers covering any mining discipline, giving the listeners helpful advice and guidance on industry topics. This Podcast has been brought to you by Disruptive Media. https://disruptivemedia.co.uk/
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