I agree with your comments about Dr Hart. Having worked with Mark and Richard at Cyprus Australia Coal during the 90s, I can tell you that Mark is by no means an egg-head, notwithstanding his incredible academic qualifications. Meeting him for the first time was like being introduced to Captain America. He is a big, barrell-chested, hands-on operator who loves being out in the field problem-solving. He is very creative and has even invented new patentable mining techniques. When there were bushfires threatening one of Cyprus' coal mines in the Lithgow Valley, Mark was down there personally fighting fires alongside the miners, helping the SES and whoever else was involved. I remember him coming back into head office in North Sydney reeking of bushfire smoke and telling me that if the fire knocked out the pump that was removing water from the mine that it would fill up with water. I asked him how long it would take for the mine to fill. He told me it was a good question, grabbed a pencil and piece of paper and proceeded to write out complex calculations to come up with a figure there and then. He has an incredible combination of brainpower, energy and practical problem-solving attention to detail. When you combine that with the laywer-turned marketing/CEO/dealmaker in Richard Cottee, you can see why I call them a dream-team.
AKK Price at posting:
3.1¢ Sentiment: Buy Disclosure: Held
