David Strang has had an unusual route into mining leadership. A Glaswegian raised in a South African mining town, he studied applied earth sciences at Stanford on an athletics scholarship, ran for Great Britain at the 1996 Olympics, then learned company-building under Ross Beaty at Lumina Copper – a portfolio eventually acquired for more than US$1.6 billion. In 2016 he co-founded Ero Copper, where he is now executive chairman of a business running copper and gold operations in Brazil.
At the heart of the conversation is David’s habit of questioning what the industry takes for granted. Why don’t geologists have a stronger voice? Why do we assume experience only comes with age? Why shouldn’t a young engineer use AI to rethink how a mine runs? And why can’t a mining company create value that outlasts the ore body itself?
We also explore social licence, the sector’s push into AI, his sponsorship of Stanford’s Mineral-X programme, and a goat-herding project that shows what genuine community partnership looks like.
Produced by Critical Productions. Sponsored by Satarla.
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