At the CIM CONNECT conference in May, many people asked me how I ended up in the mining industry. The simple answer is that my early career opportunities were offered by Inco Ltd. However, that answer doesn’t capture why I remained in the industry, seeking further roles as my career progressed, nor why I am so passionate about Canada’s pivotal role in the energy transition.

The fulsome answer is the people. Interaction with the incredible and diverse workforce is the secret behind my rewarding career in the resource sector. The people who work at the corporate office, the people who work at the mines, the people who work supporting the supply chain, the service providers. The people who live and work in the communities we operate in and the many lives that are impacted by the materials we produce and the income those people earn. People are the face and heart of this industry, not pictures of open pits or large haul trucks.

The resource industry is facing unprecedented challenges—the regulatory breakdowns, lack of available capital, talent shortages and negative public perceptions are merely a few. However, we are also at the beginning of a renaissance opportunity, with governmental agencies and world leaders understanding that extractive industries must play a leading role in the energy transition, supplying critical minerals to build renewable energy generation, storage, transmission and carbon-free transport systems.

The industry has a role to play in identifying and addressing the issues we face. The question I have been contemplating for years is how. How do we come together to collaborate on a large scale to identify the issues and problem solve? How do we facilitate and support ensuring the appropriate experts are in the room together working on the right agenda?

ChatGPT told me “A great leader isn’t just someone with authority—they inspire, guide and empower others to achieve a common vision.”  The industry and CIM members have a common vision to sustainably and responsibly produce the materials required as we transition to a carbon neutral future. CIM is a collection of people who are leaders, who inspire, guide and empower every day.

My question to each of our members is simple, yet incredibly complex. How do we collate and solve the issues the resource industry faces at a large scale? If we can do this effectively, we will be the leaders the world needs right now and we will attract the younger generations to this industry.

Branches and societies by their very design are set up for collaboration and to identify issues facing the industry within specific areas and across disciplines. How do you, as members, see us working together to identify and tackle broad issues?

I want to hear from you on this topic as it is my belief that this organization has the collective knowledge and experience to change the world. Please send me an email at president@cim.org if you have any thoughts on how we may effectively collaborate together across disciplines and borders. I no longer want us to run the individual 400-metre hurdle event. I want us to be in the final heat of the highly anticipated 4 x 100-metre relay event—which I will point out that Canada won at last year’s Olympics, defying all odds.

This is how we, as resource professionals, will be successful leaders in 2025: by working together.