Mining some tales with. . . Randy Smallwood

Randy Smallwood

Every month, The Northern Miner gets to know a different executive in the mining industry by asking them about everything — except mining.

This month, we feature Randy Smallwood, president and CEO of Wheaton Precious Metals in Vancouver, B.C.

Q: What was your first job?  

A: I grew up in a family auction business, so my first job at the age of eight was working the auction floor. Every day brought new treasures and challenges as you handle a wide range of items and interact with a diverse array of people, from passionate collectors and sellers to curious onlookers. 

Q: If you weren’t in mining, where would you be? 

A: I would be in another profession that allows me to travel the world and experience new places and cultures.  

Q: What is the most used app on your phone?  

A: Strava—I use it almost daily to track various activities like biking, hiking, walking, running, etc.   

Q: What’s your favourite reading?  

A: Bloomberg Markets, sometimes The Economist 

Q: What do you drive? 

A: I’ve been driving a Tesla Model S for 10 years now. Electric vehicles are the way of the future.   

Q: Favourite band? 

A: Pink Floyd / Van Morrison 

Q: Marvel or Quentin Tarantino?  

A: Quentin Tarantino  

Q: Window or aisle seat?  

A: Always window.  

Q: Favourite sports team? 

A: Chelsea FC  

Q: What’s your kryptonite? 

A: My knees.  

Q: What are you really into these days?  

A: Striving to reach 100 countries! I have visited 87 countries so far.  

Q: What are you avoiding?   

A: Nothing, I prefer to tackle any issues head on.  

Q: What’s your biggest fear? 

A: Deglobalization is high on my list of concerns. While globalization is not without its challenges, I believe it promotes equality, economic growth, fosters innovation and cooperation, and facilitates the movement of goods to those that need them.   

Q: Who is your mentor, guide or guru?  

A: I worked for Ian Telfer for eight years early on in my career. He was an incredible mentor who greatly influenced the way I lead today and my approach to business in general.   

Q: What have you learned along the way?  

A: To respect my instincts. They serve as an inner compass, alerting us to risks or opportunities even before we consciously analyze a situation. The older I get, the more I’ve learned to trust these gut feelings.  

Q: What’s your next task?  

A: Taking Wheaton to the next level, for Wheaton to reach 1 million gold equivalent oz. of annual production!

Print

Be the first to comment on "Mining some tales with. . . Randy Smallwood"

Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published.


*


By continuing to browse you agree to our use of cookies. To learn more, click more information

Dear user, please be aware that we use cookies to help users navigate our website content and to help us understand how we can improve the user experience. If you have ideas for how we can improve our services, we’d love to hear from you. Click here to email us. By continuing to browse you agree to our use of cookies. Please see our Privacy & Cookie Usage Policy to learn more.

Close