Jacques van Tonder, executive director and COO of Vedanta Zinc International
Full Name: Jacques van Tonder
Position and Company Name: Executive director and COO of Vedanta Zinc International
Main Activity of the Company: Mining
Date and Place of Birth: March 27, 1972, Kempton Park, South Africa
Schools and Tertiary Education: Master’s degree in asset and maintenance management, Central Queensland University; MBA (Project Management), Australian Institute of Business; Graduate, Australian Institute of Company Directors; Unrestricted Quarry Manager, Western Australia
First Job: Nondestructive testing technician (industrial radiography) at the Mossgas project, in Mossel Bay, in South Africa’s Western Cape province
Size of First Pay Packet: R10 an hour
Career Path to Date: I started my career at Rio Tinto with the Palabora Mining Company, overseeing maintenance, after which I went on to lead port operations at Cape Lambert, before being promoted to operations manager of the Robe Valley openpit iron-ore mine, in Western Australia. By 2010, I had assumed the role of GM/mine manager of Rio Tinto’s Hope Downs 4 mine and climbed the executive ladder to head of the group’s Asset Management Centre of Excellence. After more than a decade with Rio Tinto, I moved on to Oyu Tolgoi, in Mongolia, as the chief development officer from 2020 until March this year. I joined Vedanta Zinc International on April 1
Value of Assets under Your Control: Not stated
Number of People under Your Leadership: The total number of employees is 5 000 to 5 500
Management Style: A situational/coaching leadership style
Personal Best Achievement: Personal – 1 Parachute Battalion; professional – delivering the $7.6-billion Oyu Tolgoi underground project to sustainable production for shareholders in Mongolia and negotiating a new power import agreement for the business with the Inner Mongolia government as interim CEO and chief development officer
Person Who Has Had the Most Influence on Your Life: My mother
Person Who Has Had the Most Influence on Your Career: Rob Atkinson and Bold Bataar – they provided me with opportunities for career growth
Person You Would Most Like to Meet: The Dalai Lama
Business Person Who Has Impressed You Most: Tom Palmer, from Newmont
Philosophy of Life: A candle loses nothing by lighting another candle
Biggest Ever Opportunity: The Oyu Tolgoi project and my current role, where I am part of a team that is growing one of the largest zinc businesses in the world
Biggest Ever Disappointment: Any injury that ever occurred on an operation or project I was accountable for
Hope for the Future: That South Africa reclaims its dominance in the mining industry globally by attracting direct foreign investment, securing power certainty and fixing our rail network so we can become globally competitive in terms of resource supply
Favourite Reading: I am an old Wilbur Smith fan
Favourite TV Programme: I don’t watch much TV but, if I do, I like to watch real-life documentaries
Favourite Food/Drink: Laksa soup/sheep head, and Lemon Lime and bitters
Favourite Music: It depends on my mood, but I listen to R&B when I want to relax
Favourite Sport: Adventure sports or ultra-endurance activities (including running, swimming and cycling), and rugby
Hobbies: Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, vintage cars and motorbikes, and gardening
Car: A 1972 Volkswagen Beetle
Pets: A Staffie named Zeke
Miscellaneous Dislikes: Self-important and judgmental people
Children: Wessel Alexander, 26
Clubs: Mongolian Rugby Union (board director); Garuda (Mongolia); and Pride Fighting Academy (Cape Town) – Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu