Adventurer Murray says tapped for Glencore chair

HONG KONG (Reuters) - Simon Murray, the South Pole adventurer and former Vodafone Group Plc board member, told Reuters on Monday that he's in the running for the chairman role at Glencore International AG , the commodities trading giant planning a roughly $10 billion dual listing in London and Hong Kong.

Murray, who lives and works in Hong Kong, has spent 45 years in Asia and has served on the boards of several major companies. The UK born businessman has experience investing in the mining industry, he said, speaking in an exclusive interview with Reuters from the 36th floor office his private equity firm holds in Hong Kong's Cheung Kong Center.

He confirmed a Sunday Times report that he was among the candidates for the non-executive chair role.

"This is very exciting, but you are talking to someone who has been chased by a leopard. You are talking to someone who has been shot at with a machine gun and missed," Murray told Reuters. "As Mr. Churchill once said, the most exhilarating experience in life is to be shot at without result."

Murray added that he was keeping his excitement at bay as there had been no final decision on who would become chairman of the company. He said there were three candidates on the short list, including himself.

"It's premature to say anything; it will be the board's decision. They may feel I am a bit young for this," the 71-year-old joked.

Baar, Switzerland-based Glencore is expected to release its intention to float document in London this week, which will set the ball rolling for its initial public offering. The deal would be London's largest ever and has seized the market's interest in the last several months given the massive company's nearly four decades as a private company.

Glencore aims to select a chairman before it's roadshow with IPO investors.

Glencore's current chairman, Willy Strothotte, is leaving in part from his dual-chairmanship of Xstrata, of which Glencore owns 34.5 percent.

Murray, wearing a navy blue jacket, collared shirt and no tie, said as Chairman, he'd "be on the phone with Ivan at least once a week," referring to CEO Ivan Glasenberg.

"I've met Ivan, I like Ivan. Apart from anything else, he gave me a very, very long lift to the airport, which was very nice of him. Saved me the taxi money."

(Reporting by Denny Thomas and Elzio Barreto; Editing by Michael Flaherty and Chris Lewis)