The Globe and Mail reports in its Thursday edition that Barrick chief executive officer Mark Bristow says the gold sector is in desperate need of fresh young blood to rejuvenate what has become a "dinosaur" industry. The Globe's Niall McGee quotes Mr. Bristow saying, "The industry needs to grow and be more relevant." The CEO stressed the need for mining companies to both attract younger employees with fresh ideas, and a sprier set of investors. Attending the annual Prospectors & Developers Association of Canada conference in Toronto, Mr. Bristow said, is like "walking into an old age home." It has been a little more than a year since Mr. Bristow took over as head of Barrick, and he has made a big imprint on the company during his brief tenure. In 2019, Barrick generated $1.1-billion in free cash flow, compared with only $364-million in the previous year, as the miner cut reams of head office staff and made productivity improvements across many mine sites (all figures U.S.). Rising bullion prices are pushing up profits again across the gold mining industry. Yesterday, Barrick reported a net profit of $1.38-billion for the three months ending Dec. 31, 2019 -- much better than the comparable period a year earlier.