He boosted the company's cash on hand from $1 million to more than $10 million while snapping up many properties as far apart as Ontario, Mexico and Turkey.

O'Dea grew up in Canada but after his honours bachelor degree headed to Melbourne's Monash University, earning scholarships and completing his PhD in structural geology in 1996.

Realizing that he wanted to be a geological consultant, he declined professorship offers and became a consultant in Perth with Etheridge Henley Williams. Homesickness struck and the firm drafted him to establish its first North American office in Vancouver.

Two years later he ventured out on his own, founding the geological consulting firm Riftore Consulting.

He won the US$80,000 second place prize in the Goldcorp Challenge, a contest sponsored by Ontario's Goldcorp Inc. to get ideas about how it could best find six million ounces of gold in one of its mines.

As O'Dea basked in his win, mining capitalists Wayne Beach and Hugh Snyder approached him to run their company, a venture that became Fronteer Development Group. The rest was history.

He raised $16 million on the capital markets by boosting the stock's value in part by luring big investors such as Goldcorp and Placer Dome Inc.

"Acquiring outstanding gold and uranium exploration properties helped boost the stock's value," he said.

He and his wife Victoria have a one-year-old daughter named Lily and a dog Blue.

Profession you would like to try: Formula 1 race car driver

Where do you feel most comfortable? Playing guitar at home

Favourite movie: Unforgiven, with Clint Eastwood

Currently reading: Hegemony or Survival by Noam Chomsky

Toughest decision: To go to Australia for university

Car: 2001 Pathfinder

Would most like to meet: Bob Dylan

Birthplace: Cambridge, England

Last CD bought: An Uncut Magazine compilation CD of the month

Education: UBC; PhD at Monash University

What's left to do: Expand my cabin into a dream home