在国际矿物行业服务了超过13年之后，许寰峰（Johnson）觉得是时候回来新加坡继续发展事业了。他决定成立一家咨询公司，为亚细安国家的矿物业提供相关的专业咨询服务。2015年12月，他成立了InProved，一家专门为矿业领域提供投资者沟通、商业联系、估价、合规性服务等咨询的公司。许寰峰现年37岁，在成立这家公司之前，曾经服务于几家大型矿物机构，参与多个开采矿物的大型项目，包括在KSA、内蒙古、澳洲伯斯等的磷酸盐、煤矿和金矿。Johnson累积了多种矿业类的经验，包括矿物勘探、开采、生产、扩充等的财务策划和技术性的知识。最近和Johnson沟通的过程中，我们为这个年轻人的自信和充满激情的工作热情所感染，为更好地配合我们的专访工作，提交满意的答卷，他不分昼夜，和我们保持沟通。 在谈到他对矿业的这份热忱的时候，Johnson讲到： 他的出发点是为矿业资产取得最高的定位。他最近正在与一家TSX公司合作，对他们的“解锁资产价值”方案十分有信心，希望很快见成效。后生可畏，我们希望他能够实现自己的人生梦想。通过《讲述海外矿业人自己的故事》的平台，分享自己在实践中不断寻求对矿业工作的兴趣点，激发自己对矿业工作的热情，坚定不移地追求自己的理想，希望激励更多年轻的矿业人。以下是Johnson给我们分享的关于他成长及创业的经历故事，希望读者们可以从中感受到Johnson对矿业的热爱以及年轻矿业人蓬勃的朝气！
I grew up in Singapore and my exposure to the mining industry came after I graduated from Engineering in Adelaide. The mining boom in Australia has brought along a demand for engineers. So I stayed after graduation to work for WorleyParsons in Structural Engineering of Coal and Iron Ore screen structures. Most of my Singapore friends rarely hear about mining as there are no natural resources here. However I was constantly exposed to roles in the Mining Sector, Inc. Project Management, and Business development for both Up and downstream industries.
I decided to attain some financial accruement and studied MBA at HKUST. At the time I graduated the job market was weak, so I decided to work for an Independent Corporate Advisor who services Mining clients then. While doing NPV, IRR, and resource estimations, I found a love for the business side of the mining business and that further intensified when I worked for an Exploration Company listed on the ASX. We were actively acquiring then, and I worked on the Due diligence of an acquisition of Mongolian Coal Mine.
Following university Johnson went on to work in several roles such as process development, contract management, operations planning and business development.
On my first job, I was trained to operate structural models on the roof structure of IKEA Perth by an old-timer Engineer. He was extremely patient with me considering I’m “wet behind the ears”. He then started me on a job designing a 7-storey Iron Ore Screen Structure for BHP. From then, I gradually gained more exposure to design more mining-related steel structures for Coal, Gold and Phosphate.
My Landmark project was when I worked in Saudi Arabia for 7 years in the design and site office for a 3MTPA Phosphate Mine to be transported to a USD5Bil Chemical complex located in Ras Az Zawr. I was with Worleyparsons, the client’s engineer, and my role was to Project Manage the 3MTPA Phosphate mine (and beneficiation Plant) till its operation in 2010. Being the only project management executive on the project, I was tasked with managing every façade of the development, got my hands dirty and learnt a lot of lessons.
I returned to Saudi to work in upstream oil and gas projects after my Masters Graduation in 2011. I was appointed Proposal Manager of Wengfu Group (a State-owned Fertilizer Company in Guizhou) and managed the tendered for a phosphate beneficiation in Queensland. My experience with minerals came after 2013 when I worked with TianPoh resources, an ASX-listed company, with Coal and Copper Assets in Mongolia. It was then my role expanded from exploration management, due diligence, technical advisory, to participating in Feasibility Studies.
However my main interest was in mineral economics when I worked for a boutique Investment Bank in Beijing during my MBA years in 2011. As a stock investor, I was passionate about NPVs, IRRs, etc. I see myself capturing the essence of financial due diligence instantly when doing jobs for the Investment Bank as I was familiar with the operational side of the Mining Industry.
Along with my interests in technology, and my attainment of the AusIMM membership, I found it a natural progression to set up an advisory specific to the sector.
Over time, Johnson has experienced various cultures differences in the Mining business.
Moving from a built-up area to a complete remote area in the middle of the Arabian Desert has prepared me to be flexible to different environment and job function. In Australia, I was deeply trained by the old-timer to be precise when I was doing design calculations, so as to save costs and time during construction. However there is less focus on costs and more on time in Saudi. As many of the Projects we did were on a fast track basis. But the lessons I took away from the engineering process of the Phosphate mine was that more tests and review sessions are most important as we can never do enough of them. As the met tests at the Phosphate Mine were not done as to standard, we had to make drastic equipment changes to the Primary Crusher and introduce an intermediate screener to the process. We still proceeded as the urgency to go ahead with the project outweigh the Financial impacts.
Through his project experience in mining projects, experience in Finance and completion of an MBA, Johnson sees himself in a positon to help Mining Investment Funds and Exploration Companies unlock the market potential of their assets.
Using the project experience I’ve gained, I am able to help an investor bring out the value proposition of their asset. I view mining as a global business which requires a holistic and global approach. I have developed a scrapping system to extract relevant information about a particular mineral asset and an in-house proprietary system to create responsive newsletters, live feeds of actual exploration, concise investment material and precise investor targeting, I am able to know the asset compositions of the institutional investors and lenders specific to the mining industry. By creating anticipation through sending regular RSS Feeds only to the “interested” audiences, I am able to increase the profile of the mining asset within 3 months.
One of the very difficult things that we see impacted by these downturns is the unwillingness to spend on due diligence and external consulting. Singapore is doing its best to prop up the sector through incentive schemes and capability grants to offset the cost of work such as Feasibility Studies. My role in Singapore is to help these companies progress their projects by assisting them to tap onto these financing grants.
As with due diligence, one of the first things companies cut is Exploration, which results in shortage of good quality projects in the pipeline for future mines. Trade and Development departments of government agencies (such as Western Australia) provide subsidies to support companies continue their exploration programs. Part of my role is to make exploration companies aware of this grant.
On a personal level I would say that I have been very fortunate to be back in Singapore and contribute to build its position as financing hub of the Mineral Sector in this Region. and the mining industry. Three years ago I was inspired to gain more experience in this sector as I was fortunate to join an exploration company. Previously I have been very fortunate to live outside Singapore to experience the development and operations of Mining Projects. I am using this experience now to facilitate investments and build more awareness to the sector.
最后，我们还有一个关于Johnson创业公司的问题。
问：请问贵公司的市场定位对矿业领域能做出什么贡献？
答：
我认为矿业界的挑战需要采取一种整体性、环球化的途径去充分发掘矿业资产的真正潜在市场价值。我们能够为这些矿主和投资家提供高科技的解决方案，从而为其矿业价值“解锁”，争取最高的定价。
随着世界各地不断兴起新的经济中心、革新发展正在世界各地推行，股票交易所在吸引外国企业方面常遇到困难。我们的宗旨是提供您一个快捷有效的对比工具，让您衡量在不同司法管辖区上市的利与弊 (包括： TSX、ASX、 SGX、 BRVM、HKEX 等)。
我们意识到一家公司必须应付股东、资产、债务等方面的需求。在提高股东收益和实现公司倡议目标之间，可能形成一把“双刃剑”。为减轻企业的困扰，我们评测企业的结构，了解其资金的迫切用途后，将根据现有的风险承担范围，为私人或投资机构制定出一份“资金结构倡议书”。议书主要是制定一个最有效的融资方式。
我们以技术性的方法去释放产值， 这是一种内部的行销与商业联系模式。主要功能是 制作高水平的宣传材料和信息。我们的优势是拥有完善而广泛的行销联系网，受众涵盖全世界的矿业投资者。
我们开展一个“内部所有权机制”，为的是：
• 提供即时性、有见地的宣传材料。
• 记录商业历程以便提供投资者充分的利益信息。
• 寻找资料、网站等以便分析哪个领域是投资者最感兴趣的。
• 同步跟进正在进行的勘探、发展、生产进度。
• 量身定做的行销策略，协助投资家寻找投资项目。
“讲述海外矿业人自己的故事”系列活动由加拿大华人矿业协会主办，金堆城加拿大资源公司协办并统稿。