DiscovEx Resources (ASX:DCX) – Bradley Drabsch

Bradley Drabsch is the Managing Director of DiscovEx Resources (ASX:DCX), a mining company that is focussing its exploration efforts towards the discovery of new gold deposits in regions that have been underexplored and yet are highly prospective. Its team of expert exploration professionals are dedicated to discovery through sensible, thoughtful gold exploration.

What’s your journey in becoming a Managing Director?
I’ve been very lucky throughout my career as an exploration geologist to have worked with teams that have been involved in some major discoveries, both globally and onshore in Australia. Whilst I can’t claim any responsibility for the discovery of Oyu Tolgoi by Ivanhoe Mines nor Tropicana by Independence Group, I certainly saw what happens to a small resources company when major discoveries are made. Being able to potentially be at the helm of a company and lead a team from zero to lofty heights would be fantastic!

Tell us a bit about your business and how you are commercializing?
Like all small cap exploration companies, our strategy towards monetisation is simple – find a mine! My co-Director, Toby Wellman, and I are implementing a “back to basics” approach to our exploration effort with a particular emphasis on exploring systematically and deliberately. We see too often, in our opinion, a focus towards trying for an easy win without putting enough of an emphasis on proper target preparation and evaluation before drilling and therefore unnecessary wasting of precious capital. The best way to achieve these goals is the tried and true strategy of putting dirt in bags and sample, sample, sample. We believe that by doing the work, the results will follow.

How are you managing with the current COVID-19 pandemic on both business and personal front?
The effect for us on our day to day activities has been relatively minimal as we maintain a very small office with an already established “working from home” protocol. Our field work is obviously remote and so social distancing and risk reduction around crowds etc. is not an issue for us. Our biggest challenge is maintaining funds during a time of uncertainty in the markets and to that end, our Directors have all taken substantial voluntary fee reductions to push our all-important funds further during this difficult time.

What’s the most exciting thing about running your business?
The absolute best thing about mineral exploration is the anticipation and wonder of a discovery around the corner. We know the thrill of seeing an assay sheet returned with a string of numbers that indicate substantial mineralisation and this drives you through the more difficult times. Being able to be part of team that makes a potentially significant discovery that will benefit our employees, our shareholders, the community in which we operate and the broader community is a great motivation.

How do you measure success?
Success for me is measured simply through the satisfaction of knowing that you have done your best in any given situation. It is foolish to expect that every time you do something that you will always succeed, you can’t necessary control that, especially in mineral exploration. Sometimes, no matter how well you execute a programme, if the shiny stuff isn’t there, it isn’t there! What you can control is your effort and your processes, if you can hold your hand on your heart and say that you did your best, in my book, that’s a success. The discoveries will follow if the rocks are the right ones.

What do you think is the most important quality of being a Managing Director of a listed company?
From my experience, the most important thing about being the Managing Director of a listed company is being resilient and surrounding yourself with people who are smarter than you are and cherishing them. You have to deal with so many things day to day, some negative, some positive, that you need to be able to ride out the tough times and go with the good ones. Having the right people around you to assist with this, is critical.

What is your favourite book?
A book that really captured my imagination many years ago was The Power of One by Bryce Courtney. The way that Courtney describes the journey of one boy through the challenges of life and mixes that with the beauty of the African landscape is essential reading.

What message do you want to send to our readership in Asia?
Australia is now and will remain one of the best places on earth to invest in the mineral exploration sector. Major discoveries are still being made here and with hard work, dedication and systematic exploration, we believe that success could just be around the corner for DiscovEx. There are few guarantees in this world but if you take this approach and you are fortunate enough to be in the right geology, the rewards are fantastic!

How can people connect with you?
Email:
Website: http://discovexresources.com.au/