management

I'm just interested to know how many people on this forum talk to management (CEO/MD or CFO or COO) and or directors of companies they invest in? These days I usually (not always though) talk to management (or sometimes the chairman) when I invest in micro-cap, small-cap and mid-cap companies...

As an investor, what do you look for in an investment company other than history of stock performance? I hold stocks with VTM and have always been of the belief that the way the company is run managerially influences its success... anyone else the same?

There's allot of books and articles out there explaining that the management's performance (historical) is important when investing in a publicly listed company. I've read it dozens of times. How does one assess management quality/performance/history? Is this just a matter of getting a...

Any suggestions for gold explorers or soon to be producers with decent reserves and good management? Haven't researched this myself but with the gold price looking like it might accelerate upwards soon I'll be on the lookout. Grateful for any pointers.