Gregory Charles Wilkins (February 2, 1956 – December 16, 2009) was a Canadian businessman and chartered accountant.
Career
Wilkins originally joined
Barrick Gold Corporation
Barrick Gold Corporation is a mining company that produces gold and copper with 16 operating sites in 13 countries. It is headquartered in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It has mining operations in Argentina, Canada, Chile, Côte d'Ivoire, Democrat ...
in 1981, rising to the post of
chief financial officer
The chief financial officer (CFO) is an officer of a company or organization that is assigned the primary responsibility for managing the company's finances, including financial planning, management of financial risks, record-keeping, and financ ...
. He left in 1993 to become president and chief operating officer of Horsham Corp., a public company that was the controlling shareholder of Barrick at the time. ''Horsham Corp.'' later became ''TrizecHahn Corp.'' and Wilkins remained with the company until the planning of its conversion into a U.S. real estate investment trust had been completed and the company relocated to the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
.
Wilkins assumed the position of President of
Barrick Gold Corporation
Barrick Gold Corporation is a mining company that produces gold and copper with 16 operating sites in 13 countries. It is headquartered in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It has mining operations in Argentina, Canada, Chile, Côte d'Ivoire, Democrat ...
, the world's largest
gold
Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au (from la, aurum) and atomic number 79. This makes it one of the higher atomic number elements that occur naturally. It is a bright, slightly orange-yellow, dense, soft, malleable, and ductile met ...
producer, in 2003, when he replaced then president & CEO Randall Oliphant. He was instrumental during his tenure at Barrick in the takeover of rival
Placer Dome
Placer Dome Inc. was a large mining company specializing in gold and other precious metals, with corporate headquarters in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
In August 2005, the company had interests in 16 gold mining operations in 7 countries ...
for some US$10 billion. Wilkins was a director of the company for twelve years.
Personal life
Gregory Wilkins was also an avid
motor sports
Motorsport, motorsports or motor sport is a global term used to encompass the group of competitive sporting events which primarily involve the use of motorized vehicles. The terminology can also be used to describe forms of competition of tw ...
enthusiast. In 2004, along with his son Mark, they competed and placed 3rd in their class at the Rolex
24 Hours of Daytona
The 24 Hours of Daytona, also known as the Rolex 24 At Daytona for sponsorship reasons, is a 24-hour sports car endurance race held annually at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida. It is run on the Sports Car Course layou ...
at the Daytona International Speedway. The pair also travelled to Germany where they completed 5 laps at the
Nürburgring
The is a 150,000 person capacity motorsports complex located in the town of Nürburg, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It features a Formula One, Grand Prix race track built in 1984, and a long "North loop" track, built in the 1920s, around t ...
race course.
Wilkins was diagnosed with
brain cancer
A brain tumor occurs when abnormal cells form within the brain. There are two main types of tumors: malignant tumors and benign (non-cancerous) tumors. These can be further classified as primary tumors, which start within the brain, and secondar ...
in March 2008. He returned to work at Barrick's headquarters assuming the position of vice chairman.
Peter Munk
Peter Munk (November 8, 1927 – March 28, 2018) was a Hungarian-Canadian businessman, investor, and philanthropist. He was the founder and chief executive officer of a number of high-profile business ventures, including the hi-fi electronics co ...
, the founder of Barrick, is quoted as saying: "This is the loss of a dear friend who played a vital role in Barrick's growth. He worked alongside me building Barrick for almost thirty years. ... He was a leader who listened. He possessed an entrepreneurial spirit and an analytical mind. He produced results from considered decisions. Greg inspired confidence and respect in me, in our shareholders, in his colleagues, in everyone who met him."
He died in
Toronto
Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the ancho ...
, Ontario Canada on Dec 16, 2009 at the age of 53. He is survived by his wife Vera and two children, Mark and Lauren.
References
1956 births
2009 deaths
Canadian accountants
Canadian chief executives
Chief operating officers
Chief financial officers
{{Canada-business-bio-stub