Women in Mining - An Interactive Plenary

HR Strategies that work: Attraction, Retention and Advancement for women in the mining industry

The 6th annual CIM Women in Mining Forum is a showcase plenary-style event for Women in Mining Canada and its affiliated local branches.

Mining companies are strategically focusing on recruiting and retaining a highly competent workforce. Human resources policies that provide women and future generations of mining professionals with career and family balance are being multiplied, encouraging a sustainable female workforce in mining. This edition of the Forum presents a moderated interactive plenary where five leading women will share human resources success stories. Panelists will share their experiences and best practices as they invite delegates in the room to do the same.

Moderator

CIM is proud to welcome Leanne Hall, VP Human Resources, Noront Resources Ltd. as moderator at this interactive plenary.

Leanne is a true leader in human resources issues and opportunities as they relate to our industry and women in mining. She is vibrant, outgoing and is sure to inspire.

Panelists

Lisa Blackham, Manager Human Resources, Hunter Dickinson Inc.

Lisa Blackham has more than 10 years of progressive Human Resource experience working internationally in the exploration, mining, oil, and gas industries. She has been a member of the BC Mineral Exploration and Mining Sector Labour Shortage Task Force since 2008 and is the Chair of the Women in Mining Subcommittee, who published the report "Women: An Unmined Resource" in November 2011.

Amy Grace, Vice President, Global Talent Acquisition, Kinross Gold Corporation

Among Grace’s responsibilities are the development, implementation, management and delivery of a global staffing infrastructure as well as strategic human capital planning for the enterprise. Grace also oversees the University Affairs function.

Before joining Kinross, Grace held a similar role at Halliburton, dually based in Houston, Texas, and Dubai, UAE. At Starbucks, Grace was the International Staffing Strategy Manager, where she was responsible for establishing and launching the company’s staffing strategies and store presence throughout Asia Pacific and China. Her experience also includes consulting independently, serving as director of recruiting at PricewaterhouseCoopers, and university and executive recruiting at Ernst and Young.

Grace holds a bachelor of arts in English, a bachelor of science in psychology and a master’s degree in psychology. She holds a certification as a Global Professional in Human Resources from the HR Certification Institute, and she earned an International Human Resource Management certification from the Society for Human Resource Management.

Grace is a board member of the Monster.com Advisory Group,numerous academic advisory boards, International Women’s Forum, Junior League of Toronto, and is involved in a number of arts organizations.

Rachel James, Environmental Specialist, Golder Associates Ltd.

Rachel was awarded her MSc in the field of environmental geoscience at the University of Toronto, Canada. She is currently working as a mine waste environmental specialist at Golder Associates in Mississauga Ontario. Rachel has extensive experience with both laboratory and field environmental monitoring and experiment design in exciting and adverse conditions. Highlights include a 450m-deep mine in Sweden, a hydrothermal sea vent 1000m below sea level on the Hawaiian archipelago, and a helicopter fly-in project in the James Bay lowlands. Future goals include applying the principals of microbial geochemistry to the characterization, mitigation and reclamation of heavy metal contamination.

Why mining? I was first captivated by the opportunity to travel and work in remote natural areas of the world. Next, I learned that mining is an industry that allows me to make a difference. In the future, I hope to contribute to the advancement of passive remediation technology in the mining industry, as a natural and economic solution to environmental challenges.

Carol Plummer, General Manager, Agnico-Eagle Mines Ltd. – Division LaRonde

Carol Plummer graduated from Queen’s University in 1988 with a B.Sc. (Honours) in mining engineering.

Carol has been with Agnico-Eagle since October 2004 when she was appointed Project Manager for the feasibility study on the Laronde II ore deposit for Agnico-Eagle Mines Limited. In May 2005, she became Mine Superintendent for their LaRonde Mine before being transferred to the Lapa project as Mine Manager in October 2006. In September 2008 Carol was promoted to General Manager at Agnico-Eagle’s Kittlä mine in northern Finland. After completing her two year expat contract in Finland she returned to Canada where she is currently General Manager of Agnico-Eagle’s LaRonde Division.

Prior to joining Agnico, Carol worked for Noranda Inc for 16 years in various positions, including underground supervisor, planning engineer, chief engineer, and mine superintendent, at several mines.

She was a member of SOREDEM, the R&D committee of the Quebec Mining Association, from 2002 until 2009 and was the 2005-2007 president. A CIM member since 1986, Carol has held several positions on the Metal Mining Society’s executive committee and is currently vice-chair. She was actively involved with CIM’s MEMO conference in Val d’Or in 2008 as co-chair of the organizing committee.

Tabetha Stirrett, WIM Director and Business Development Manager, North Rim

Tabetha is a professional geologist registered with the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Saskatchewan (APEGS). In 1997, she graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Geology from the University of Saskatchewan. Mrs. Stirrett has over 15 years of experience in both the mining and oil and gas sectors.

In November 2008, Tabetha joined the North Rim team as a senior geologist and has been part of over 20 potash and coal projects. Among her most recent experience is the management of an extensive potash exploration and delineation program for Encanto Potash in Saskatchewan and another in the Holbrook Potash Basin in Arizona. She has worked on the Athabasca Potash “Burr Project”, for a client in the Brazilian Amazon basin and on the Boree Salt Deposit in Queensland Australia.

Tabetha is North Rim's Business Development Manager responsible for developing a diversified portfolio of new sustainable clients for North Rim.

Mrs. Stirrett specializes in the interpretation of wireline geophysical logs in both Petroleum and Potash environments. She gained this experience while working at Weatherford Wireline for nearly 10 years. Initially Tabetha worked in the field as a Wireline Engineer, then was promoted in 2002 to Assistant Manager of the Edmonton Open Hole Wireline Division. For nearly 8 years she managed and mentored a group of approximately 20 geologists and engineers. Tabetha was responsible for the day to day operations and safety of an around the clock, busy service company.

In addition to her oil and gas experience, Tabetha has worked in Northern Saskatchewan as a gold exploration geologist for two junior gold mining companies. As the Project Manager she was responsible for the overall geology, organization, and supervision of exploration projects.

Tabetha is the Chairperson of the Saskatchewan Women in Mining chapter, a newly organized group that helps bring people from the mining industry together to network and create industry awareness. She is a director on the Board of Women in Mining Canada.

Melanie Sturk, Director, Attraction, Retention, and Transition, MiHR Council

As Director, Attraction, Retention, and Transition, Melanie Sturk is responsible for the initiatives that encourage new workers, particularly those from underrepresented groups, to engage in mining careers that support the industry by enhancing workplace diversity.

In 2012, Melanie was elected to Women in Mining Canada’s Board of Directors. Melanie holds a bachelor's degree in Recreation Management from Acadia University and a Professional Certificate in Management Skills from the Sprott School of Business, Carleton University.

Melanie has managed and presented on multiple development and research projects on the inclusion of under-represented groups in mining.