Mark Bristow has been the chief executive of Randgold Resources since he led its incorporation in 1995. A geologist with a PhD from the University of Natal in South Africa, his pioneering exploration work in West Africa provided the foundation on which the company was established. He has since overseen its growth into a major multinational gold mining and exploration business which is listed on the London Stock Exchange, where it is a member of the FTSE 100 index, as well as on NASDAQ. He is the non-executive chairman of the Toronto and Johannesburg listed diamond mining company, Rockwell Resources International, which he also founded in 2006 as well as the chairman of a private E&P start-up company called Midway Resources International. Over his plus 30 year career, which started out in the South African platinum and gold mining industry, he has played a significant role in promoting sub-Saharan Africa as a business destination for the resource sector. He has pioneered the concept that for mining to be sustainable in emerging markets, the industry should focus on delivering value to all stakeholders.
