The real risk to projects in the extractive industries are typically not below the ground… If we are going to be able to differentiate ourselves and produce a strategic competitive advantage the skill set is in operating in difficult environments.

Tom Mills Works with Two Oceans Strategy

Tom Mills is a geographer, adventurer and political scientist specializing in managing the above-ground risks facing the mining and energy sectors. He’s worked extensively in developing nations, conflict zones, and emerging markets supporting governments that are working to better manage their natural resources, and investors assessing political risk.

Tom and I met years ago during a job interview (he was interviewing me!) and have stayed in touch ever since. Today Tom works with Two Oceans Strategy, and he’s the first person I call when I’m assessing projects in challenging jurisdictions or when I need to better understand political risks.

In this podcast we discuss:

• How a Master’s degree from Oxford and a month in Northern Scandinavia set Tom on the path for adventure.
• The wrong way to manage check points in Zimbabwe.
• Tom’s early military experience and the skillsets that have served him throughout his career.
• What it’s like to lead a project in a war zone.
• How Tom is helping investors make better decisions in challenging jurisdictions.
• The growing importance of looking beyond the bottom line.
• What companies need to know when facing corruption in challenging jurisdictions.
• The problem with using sheep to trim a rugby pitch.

This podcast is long, but there is so much useful info in here I couldn’t bring myself to cut it down.

Tom provides a master class for any investor looking to understand the risks that companies face in emerging jurisdictions, and for leaders looking to make better decisions in challenging environments.

Cheers,
Jamie Keech

PS: You can also check us out on iTunes here.