Douglas Thompson brings a unique perspective on the power of working in partnerships – the Australian COO of metallurgical coal giant Coronado Global Resources has seen firsthand that sharing strengths and resources can mean success for every partner.

Douglas Thompson grew up near Cape Town, studying mechanical engineering with the intent to get into farming – a nod to his family’s mining and farming background.

“I loved farming. It taught me to respect nature, the value of our natural resources and the strength within people. Working on the farm with my dad and the team is why I loved farming. It was in the dust, dirt and sweat of the paddocks that I learned a lot of my leadership skills from the people I worked with,” he says.

While he was studying, Douglas worked in a deep-level gold mine. The Australian COO of Coronado Global Resources tells The CEO Magazine that it was here, probably 1,000 metres underground, where he realised this was the place for him. “The size and complexity of the engineering was intoxicating for a young engineer,” he recalls.