Mark Bristow

Mark Bristow is a South African geologist and mining executive who served as President and CEO of Barrick Gold Corporation, the world's second-largest gold mining company, from January 2019 until his sudden departure in September 2025. He assumed the role following Barrick's $6.5 billion acquisition of Randgold Resources, the company he founded and led since its incorporation in 1995. His career spans over three decades of building and operating gold mines across Africa, making him one of the most influential figures in the global gold mining industry.

A geologist by training with a PhD from the University of Natal in South Africa, Bristow built Randgold Resources from a startup into a FTSE 250-listed gold mining powerhouse. His pioneering exploration work in West Africa provided the foundation for Randgold's success, which included the discovery and development of major gold deposits in Mali, Côte d'Ivoire, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Under his leadership, Randgold developed and operated world-class assets including the Loulo-Gounkoto complex in Mali and the Kibali mine in the DRC, which became Africa's largest gold mine.

At Barrick, Bristow pursued an aggressive strategy of portfolio optimization, divesting non-core assets and focusing on tier-one gold mines. He championed the concept of partnership-based mining, most notably negotiating a landmark joint venture with the government of Tanzania to resolve a long-standing dispute over the North Mara and Bulyanhulu mines. He also oversaw the creation of the Nevada Gold Mines joint venture with Newmont Corporation, the world's largest gold mining complex. His approach emphasized sustainable value creation, host-country partnerships, and operational discipline.

Bristow was known for his straight-talking, no-nonsense approach to the gold business and was a regular presence at major mining conferences and investment forums. He frequently spoke on the importance of real discovery, reserve replacement, and the dangers of gold miners destroying value through poor capital allocation. His abrupt departure from Barrick in September 2025 raised significant questions across the industry, given his outsized influence on the company's strategic direction and his role as one of the gold sector's most recognizable leaders.