Swedish-Canadian businessman Lukas Lundin, the co-founder and former chairperson of the Lundin Group of Companies, has died at the age of 64, following a two-year battle with brain cancer.

Lukas was the driving force behind the success of the Lundin Group, having started his career in the international energy and mining sectors in the early 1980s working side-by-side with his father, the late Adolf Lundin.

Under the leadership of Lukas and his brother Ian Lundin, and in close cooperation with the rest of the family, the Lundin Group has grown into a globally recognised group of energy and mining companies, with operations around the world, employing more than 15 000 people.

The 11 companies that make up the group have a combined market capitalisation of $11-billion.

Lukas founded Africa-focused diamond miner Lucara, along with partners Eira Thomas and Catherine McLeod-Seltzer in 2007, and served as a director and chairperson of the board until May this year.

“Lukas will be remembered as a visionary, a man of true conviction who was never afraid to swim against the tide once the value of an opportunity became apparent. His critical financial sponsorship of the acquisition and development of the successful Karowe diamond mine in Botswana, which has operated continuously since 2012 and generated over $2-billion in revenues to date, is a testament to this vision,” said McLeod-Seltzer and Thomas in a joint statement.

Business successes aside, McLeod-Seltzer and Thomas hailed Lukas as a partner and friend whose energy and passion for living life to its fullest touched and enriched the lives of so many people in the company and within the local communities of interest in Botswana.

“Africa was indeed one of Lukas’ favourite places and through his work with Lucara and the Lundin Foundation, he leaves a lasting legacy of positive economic development that will benefit generations to come. We will deeply miss our intrepid and legendary leader, who will forever inspire us to be bold and think big.”

Lundin Gold president and CEO Ron Hochstein commented that Ecuador-focused Lundin Gold was the epitome of the fundamental principles of Lukas' and the Lundin Group's success.

"It was his keen view of a great asset in Fruta del Norte and the sense of timing to go to Ecuador, a country that many had deemed high risk and unworkable, that led to Lundin Gold. Through Lukas' vision and perseverance, the construction and operation of Fruta del Norte has changed thousands of lives in Zamora Chinchipe and changed Ecuador to be a new frontier for the responsible mining sector."