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Hearts & Mines

Not just another mining podcast… Hearts & Mines won’t be reporting on share prices, production guidances or the latest advances in mining technologies. Instead, we’ll be showcasing the achievements, practices and insights of company directors and executives who are passionate about improving the human experience within the industry.

Join us as we explore this often underrated but critical aspect of mining. Our guests will share personal stories and experiences that are rich in substance and instructive for our own development. These are the captivating stories of mining people who understand the value of leadership in engaging stakeholders and improving workplace culture.

With your hosts Alana Bray–White & David Beilby, stay tuned for insightful discussions and inspiring stories! Also if you would like to tell your story and join the conversation, please contact us at info@ivyandgecko.com.au to register your interest.

Episode 52

Back yourself, back your team & build the culture: Nick Anderson’s view on mining leadership

In this episode of Hearts & Mines, David is joined by co-host Nathan Giglia to speak with Nick Anderson, Managing Director and CEO of ASX-listed gold explorer Golden Horse Minerals and board member of Green 360 Technologies. Raised on a cattle farm in Tumbarumba at the foot of the Snowy Mountains, Nick trained as a chemical engineer, moved through mineral processing and banking, and now leads a company built from 20 separate transactions across 1,800 square kilometres of WA’s Southern Cross region.

This is a fun conversation about leading without micromanaging, why constructive conflict and psychological safety lead to better decisions, and what changes when you move from the executive suite to the boardroom. Nick also shares the leadership failure that taught him when to step in, the mentor advice “stop telling me why it won’t work and tell me how to make it happen”, and why attracting more women into STEM roles is the industry’s easiest win on the people shortage. A refreshingly down-to-earth conversation with one of the junior gold sector’s most distinctive leaders, horse puns included.

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Episode 51

Old friends, honest stories & 50 conversations: David and Stuart’s view on Hearts & Mines

In this special mini episode of Hearts & Mines, the tables are turned as David is interviewed by his longtime friend and colleague Stuart Chandler, Senior Client Partner at ivy & gecko. Having worked together for more than 20 years across executive search, the pair reflect on why David and Alana Bray-White, ivy & gecko’s Managing Director, started the podcast, why vulnerability sits at the heart of every conversation, and what sets Hearts & Mines apart from more technical mining podcasts.

David then turns the questions back on Stuart, exploring what makes a candidate truly memorable, why strong executives can struggle when a company’s growth phase doesn’t match their experience, the people who have shaped his career, and the lessons from Patrick Lencioni’s Getting Naked. The conversation also looks ahead to ivy & gecko’s future as a boutique firm, the upcoming magazine celebrating 50 Hearts & Mines conversations, and Stuart’s plans to launch a podcast of his own. A warm and genuine conversation between two old friends who clearly enjoy working together.

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Episode 50

The leadership skills mining executives miss with Dominic Piper

In this episode of Hearts & Mines, David is joined by first-time co-host Nathan Giglia to speak with Dominic Piper, editor of Australia’s Paydirt and Gold Mining Journal. A multi-award winning journalist with more than two decades covering the international resources sector, Dominic has built his reputation on the junior and mid-tier end of the market, writing without fear or favour and travelling to the places most people would never put on an itinerary.

This is a rare look at the industry from the other side of the microphone. Dominic talks about growing up working class in the northeast of England, the screenplays he has been quietly writing for years, and why the junior sector runs almost entirely on force of personality. He is candid on the Peter Principle in mining, why brilliant geologists are so often set up to fail as leaders, the two decisions he got wrong and what they taught him, and why permitting gridlock is really a problem created by the majors.

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Episode 49

Identity, trust & authenticity: Julissa Shrewsbury’s view on mining leadership

In this episode of Hearts & Mines, David sits down with Julissa Shrewsbury, founder and managing director of New Work Consulting, to explore a side of mining leadership that rarely gets airtime: identity. Julissa helps leaders and organisations close the gap between the brand a business claims and the way its people actually show up, and she works closely with the resources sector.

This is a thoughtful, wide-ranging conversation about what leadership brand really means, why so many technically brilliant mining leaders struggle with the human side of the role, how AI slop is quietly eroding trust, and why the leaders of the future will need to be, in Julissa’s words, demonstrably human. A warm and insightful discussion about authenticity, self-awareness, and the power of showing people what they are truly capable of.

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Episode 48

People, progress & not confusing speed: Matthew Allen’s view on mining culture

In this episode of Hearts & Mines, David is joined by Matthew Allen. A self-described “reformed oil and gas guy” and accountant by training, Matthew has spent his career deliberately stepping out of big-company comfort and into junior explorers and developers across oil and gas, rare earths, lithium and now silver, working on every continent along the way. He currently leads the restart of the historic Cerro Bayo silver-gold mine in southern Chile. This is a candid conversation about what genuine leadership looks like in small companies where there are no egos and everyone has to row in the same direction. Matthew and David explore why failure is the best teacher, why humility and authenticity matter more than authority, the challenge of selling mining as a career to the next generation, operating responsibly in remote South American communities, and where AI is genuinely reshaping how a small-cap miner works. A warm, generous and thoughtful discussion from a leader who has never been afraid to take on a challenge.

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Episode 47

Vulnerability, vision & values: Brendan Tritton’s view on leadership that lasts

In this episode of Hearts & Mines, David is joined by co-host Stuart Chandler to speak with Brendan Tritton, MD and CEO of Valiant Gold. A country kid from WA turned mining engineer, Brendan has moved from underground crews to the private sector and now into the public arena, leading the restart of the Comet and Reedy gold operations spun out of Westgold. This is a candid, wide-ranging conversation about what genuine leadership looks like at the helm of a newly listed junior, why connecting with people as humans comes before strategy, and how to manage complexity and uncertainty when you are building systems and culture from scratch. Brendan shares the “prove you wrong” moment that shaped his drive, the value of vulnerability and servant leadership, and why 80% is sometimes good enough to keep momentum. A genuinely warm and insightful conversation from one of WA’s emerging mining leaders.

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