Lucy Potter, general manager, technical at Rio Tinto, kicked off the Wednesday lunch keynote at the 2025 CIM CONNECT Convention and Expo on May 7, where she explored the transformative power of communication and transparency in the mining industry. 

Potter opened the session by identifying that one of the biggest barriers to progress in the mining industry is the frequent lack of the right skills or approaches needed for effective communication. 

“Communication challenges, both internal and external, are costing us huge value losses in the tens or hundreds of millions of dollars due to misalignment, inefficiency and loss of opportunity,” she said. To preserve value, Potter emphasized the need to understand key value drivers, quantify risks and share those insights across the entire value chain—from exploration to production. 

Potter went on to note that “mining, like any industry, depends on investor confidence ... because when it’s lost, it can be very hard to recover. We’ve all seen how high-profile failures can cast a long shadow over our sector.” She added that if the kind of risk and opportunity investors are signing up for is not properly communicated, “we can’t expect them to stick with us through the ups and the downs.”  

She also explained that a large majority of retail investors do not always read NI 43-101 reports but instead may now turn to X or ChatGPT for answers. To earn and maintain trust, Potter urged mining companies to refine what and how they communicate—while staying within regulatory guidelines. 

Potter explained that investors may not always know about comminution or may not have a “gut feel” for the right cutoff grade of an underground gold mine, “but they do want to know about your decarb strategy and your water usage and your relationships with the community.” She added that, “to earn and maintain trust, we must [organize] how and what we communicate while staying within the guidelines that exist to protect investors.” 

Potter’s keynote also addressed the lengthy timelines for mine development, now averaging 28 years from discovery to production. Potter attributed this to stricter environmental standards and the increasing importance of social licence to operate. Unlike the 1990s, when projects often bypassed key steps, today’s communities demand greater transparency and accountability. 

Potter also discussed how adopting an open-door policy for mining projects can foster community pride and enhance public awareness and engagement. One example of this that she offered was Rio Tinto’s U.S. Borax mine visitor centre in Boron, California. She explained that even though it’s a very old mine, “they’re not hiding anything. Instead, they have this incredible visitor centre ... anyone from the public can drive up and look out over the active, open pit [mine] and processing facility.” 

Following her keynote, Potter welcomed several panellists to the stage for the Iron Ore Panel to discuss the ever-changing role of technology, such as artificial intelligence, in improving operations and reducing environmental impact in the iron ore sector. Panellists included Zonika Ramsey, chief financial officer for the Iron Ore Company of Canada; Graeme Weeks, chief operating officer (COO) for ArcelorMittal Mines and Infrastructure Canada; and Alexandre Belleau, COO for Quebec Iron Ore. Echoing Potter’s keynote, the panel underscored the importance of clear and consistent communication as essential to building trust across the mining industry.