Metaliko Resources' James Searle (pictured) is a man with a plan.

Metaliko Resources managing director James Searle is in the first year of a five year plan to bring its exploration targets in Western Australia’s Eastern Goldfields into production.

It is a difficult task but James has a treasure trove of experience from Australia and abroad and it would not be wise to bet against him making a success and transforming the company.

He sums up his attitude to life and work perfectly: “Life is too short to be bored, ski the black runs”.

From his early years it was obvious James would be working in the resources industry and he has certainly made a long and successful career for himself.

“My father was an early oil and gas exploration geophysicist. I can recall sitting in the observation truck watching the squiggles on the seismograph and realising even as a 6 year old this represented something interesting and deep in the earth,” he said.

Eleven years later his mind was made up.

“At 17 in 1969 I was working at the Blue Spec Gold Mine in the Pilbara region of Western Australia and decided then that mining and exploration was going to be a lot more fulfilling than anything else I could think of.”

With his informal education well underway, the next step was the University of Western Australia to put in the groundwork.

James’ studies led to a double major BSc hons in hard and soft rock geology and later a PhD in marine geology.

James said his studies prepared him “as well as any academic training can” but it was out in the field experiencing the life of an exploration geologist where the learning experience can only ever be completed and even then there is always something new to deal with.

“Like most young graduates early exposure to real field work and exploration team management meant a steep learning curve,” James said.

“However the experience of developing a gold mine in sub-Arctic Sweden in 2000 to 2004 was one that taught me lot about what is really needed to be a successful exploration and
mining company."

Having predominantly worked in Australia and Africa, the Swedish winter conditions were a shock to the system.

It was not just the -35°C temperatures which it had to contend with but was also the first mine to be developed in Sweden under new European and Swedish environmental regulations, as well as being the first foreign-owned mine to be developed in Sweden in 100 years.

James said he came out of the experience “a little beaten around the edges” but stronger for it.

Considering his decades in the industry, it is not surprising that some of the most valuable knowledge James has picked up along the way has come from the huge variety of people he has encountered along the way.

“I have been fortunate to work for and with a number of inspirational people. Early on I learnt from an exceptional geoscientist that one can be intellectually bold without
having to be arrogant,” he said.

“Later in my career I was fortunate to work with people who I believe demonstrated that good geology can also be good business.”

Good business acumen will be invaluable for James as he takes on the challenge of growing Metaliko to its full potential.

“I am currently at the end of year one of a five year plan to grow Metaliko Resources from an ASX gold exploration junior to a mid tier producer that will be regarded as a leader in the sector for what it does and how it does it.

“We’re focused on what we call advanced stage exploration which means we’re following up on leads."

The company plans to start with small scale mine, truck and treat (MTT) projects which will see the development of easily accessible ore extracted and sent for processing at a nearby  facility.

“The first of our MTT projects are going through the regulatory process and we hope to have them being mined, trucked and treated by the second half of next year.”

Once the cashflow is building the company is looking to build on its success, which could be prove a tricky path and is one which James admits he will need help with.

“We need a strong but not unsustainable gold price, the continued efforts of the Metaliko team and a little bit of luck.”

James Searle: Career highlights

1977-1978 Research Officer University of WA Geology Department
1981-1988 Marine geology consultant around Australia
1982-1988 Exploration and mining consultant in Australia,

Africa, and the former Soviet Union.
1988-1992 Chief geologist Black Swan Gold Mines
1994-1997 CEO and director Crest Resources
1998- 2006 CEO and director Dragon Mining
2010- Managing director Metaliko Resources
2011- Director Kinetiko Energy