Full Name: Shirley Ann Hayes

Position and Company Name: Founder and CEO of SHiP Copper

Main Activity of the Company: Copper mining and exploration

Date and Place of Birth: Springbok, Northern Cape, South Africa, December 18, 1967

Education: Matric

First Job: Casual worker in a retail store

Size of First Pay Packet: I honestly cannot remember

Career Path to Date: Admin clerk, magazine master, learner miner, miner, mining entrepreneur

Value of Assets under Your Control: R1.6-billion

Number of People under Your Leadership: 180

Management Style: Visionary leadership. I see the potential of how the world should be and then take steps to get there. To ensure that my vision becomes reality, I set clear goals, strategy and objectives with a team that is equipped and empowered

Personal Best Achievement: Self-knowledge, which refers to understanding one’s own mental state, processes and dispositions, including one’s inherent qualities of mind and character. It is the single most important thing one needs to master

Person Who Has Had the Biggest Influence on Your Life: My parents – the biggest lesson from them was to be self-reliant

Person Who Has Had the Biggest Influence on Your Career: The smartest person in every room. I like to surround myself with people that are smarter than me

Person You Would Most Like to Meet: Robert Friedland

Businessperson Who Has Impressed You Most: Robert Friedland and Elon Musk

Philosophy of Life: Be bold and have big dreams

Biggest Ever Opportunity: The Mineral and Petroleum Resources Development Act, 2002, which came into effect on May 1, 2004; it gave small miners opportunities they never had before

Biggest Ever Disappointment: I don’t focus on disappointment. Every coin has two sides. I work with the other side of the coin to make sense and search for the benefit and opportunity

Hope for the Future: The world is starting to shift away from unsustainability, cruelty and exploitation. It is a slow shift, but it gives me hope

Favourite Reading: I love to read about people and philosophies that inspire me

Favourite TV Programme: Survivor

Favourite Food/Drink: Fine Dine, Happy Water and Espresso

Favourite Music: I am all over the genres, but an always favourite is jazz diva Karen Souza

Favourite Sport: QiGong and Yin Yoga

Hobbies: Reading and research on topics of interest, and I paint when inspired

Pets: Klara the naughty Lab and a few cats

Miscellaneous Dislikes: Loud noises and bright lights

Clubs: None