Barrick responded by augmenting its exploration program. But it went a step
further: it also deployed its strength in relationships. In 1995, it formed an
international advisory board that included former Canadian prime minister
Brian Mulroney, former US president George Bush, and former president
of the German central bank Karl Otto Phl. In assembling this group of
heavyweights, Munk was sending a message to investors: we have access to
international deals at the highest possible level.