Episode Details

Today we speak to Stewart Dickson, CEO - Variscan Mines Limited, a natural resources company focused on the development of high-impact base-metal projects who currently have projects in Australia, Spain and Chile. Stewart’s journey into mining isn’t the norm as he started off in the military so I was curious to know and understand how he got into the mining industry and learn how someone with a non-technical mining background can develop a career in the mining industry. 

In this episode, we chat about what qualities are needed from people that are not from a mining background. We talk about the skills and experience Stewart has bought to the mining industry and his emphasis on teams, trust and cooperation which are so important in management today. We also cover risk and opportunity working in developing countries. 

KEY TAKEAWAYS 

An unconventional pathway 

• My career in the military provided me with a great foundation for working in the mining industry. 

• There are some common traits between the oil and gas mining industries and the military that allowed me to empathise with management teams. 
• These traits include being able to face up to a challenge whether technical, physical, political, intellectual and a willingness and desire to go out and achieve an objective or corporate intent irrespective of the circumstances.   
• It’s the will to win mentality and the ability and desire to see a project through from inception to completion. 

Being non-technical 

• The nature of the industry, it’s multidisciplinary and complex, requires a comprehensive approach to situations, projects and opportunities. 

• Non-technical people benefit from not thinking in a particular way or are rigid because of expertise in a particular area. 
• You need to have the right people with the right skills in the right role 
• The role of the senior leader is to bring people together effectively to win or lose together as a team. 
• Good teams 
• You use the enriched experiences of those around you and what binds it together is clarity of intent, the unifying purpose needs to come from the leadership. Without commitment from leadership, the team will struggle to operate. 

• The key is clarity of intent everybody in the organisation knows what they are trying to achieve. 
• They know that whatever actions they take they are directed towards achieving the plan or purpose. 

Leadership style 

• There is no right way or right pathway you have to be comfortable of your own strengths and weaknesses 
• There is no right way and if you try to be someone you are not it will not stand up in a stressful or complex situation 

• We are in a  hyper-connected world there will be times where you are looking at a physical situation with virtual aspects as well. 
• Trust your team you’ve hired and nurtured them. 
• If you apply this most of the time people pay you back hugely. 

BEST MOMENTS 

‘It’s looking at situations in a 360 way’ 

‘You need to want to win with personal resilience and robustness along with the fortitude to deal with what comes in front of you’ 

‘In mining it’s all about the prevent phase - your social licence and engagement’ 

VALUABLE RESOURCES 

The Dig Deep Mining Podcast 

Variscan Mining website 

ABOUT THE HOST 

Rob Tyson 

Rob Tyson is an established recrui