In this episode, we chat with Robert Eckford, CEO of Rua Gold who are a junior mining company that specialises in gold exploration and discovery and have two highly prospective land packages in New Zealand.  With a Chartered Accountant designation and a Master of Science in Mineral Economics, Robert began his career as a mining industry auditor and consultant at EY, before moving on and becoming a founding member of two successful mining ventures, before talking the helm as CEO of Rua Gold. We talk about Rua Gold, New Zealand as a mining jurisdiction and the new permitting laws that have been introduced to fast-track permitting, the junior market space, and much more so don’t miss it. KEY TAKEAWAYS The journey into the mining industry can be diverse, with backgrounds in finance, geology, or engineering all leading to successful careers. Continuous learning and adaptability are crucial, as demonstrated by the transition from auditing to hands-on mining operations. Recent political changes in New Zealand have led to a more favourable environment for mining, including the introduction of a fast track approval bill that significantly reduces permitting times from years to months, encouraging investment in the sector. The emphasis on high-grade gold projects is critical for success in the current market. High-grade assets are more economically viable, especially in inflationary environments where low-grade projects may struggle to maintain profitability. The junior mining sector faces funding challenges, with many companies struggling to deliver on their promises. Successful fundraising often hinges on a company's reputation and the ability to demonstrate tangible results from investments. BEST MOMENTS "The CEO role is all-encompassing... you never have the same day twice. You're always dealing with different issues in the business, different challenges to overcome." "New Zealand is open for business and we want mining in New Zealand... the fast track approval bill aims to take permitting down to six months." "The worst thing to have in a high inflationary environment is a low grade asset... you want to be moving as little as possible." "If you want to be a smart mining investor... look at the margins, look at the grades, and grade is always king." VALUABLE RESOURCES Mail:        [email protected] LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rob-tyson-3a26a68/ X:              https://twitter.com/MiningRobTyson YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/DigDeepTheMiningPodcast  Web:        http://www.mining-international.org https://ruagold.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/rua-gold/about/ Subscribe to their newsletter: https://ruagold.com/contact/ ABOUT THE HOST Rob Tyson is the Founder and Director of Mining International Ltd, a leading global recruitment and headhunting consultancy based in the UK specialising in all areas of mining across the globe from first-world to third-world countries from Africa, Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and Australia. We source, headhunt, and discover new and top talent through a targeted approach and search methodology and have a proven track record in sourcing and positioning exceptional candidates into our clients' organisations in any mining discipline or level. Mining International provides a transparent, informative, and trusted consultancy service to our candidates and clients to help them develop their careers and business goals and objectives in this ever-changing marketplace. CONTACT METHOD [email protected] https://www.linkedin.com/in/rob-tyson-3a26a68/ Podcast Description Rob Tyson is an established recruiter in the mining and quarrying sector and decided to produce the “Dig Deep” The Mining Podcast to provide valuable and informative content around the mining industry. He has a passion and desire to promote the industry and the podcast aims to offer the mining community an insight into people’s experiences a