Planet | People | Mining

How can a mine be the coolest tourist attraction?Lorna Shaw - a connector among governments, communities, mine sites, and tourists - and I dive into how to make mining more understandable - including the value of opening a site up for a public tour. Lorna shares how the industry should come more together to scale up the demystification of mining and the future of mining education through analogies from every day life. Lorna draws on her background from companies (Newmont, Sumitomo, Kinross), government (Alaska state legislature and a U.S. senator), and trade associations (Council of Alaska Producers, Colorado Mining Association, Women's Mining Coalition, Alaska Miners Association) plus her degrees in business from the University of Alaska Fairbanks.

Bryan Eisenbraun, External Relations Manager for the La Plata Project in his hometown of Durango, Colorado brings fresh eyes to the intersection of mineral exploration and the community, having pivoted from finance and accounting roles within the region to his current position. We explore his sharp yet aligned career transition, how his financial background strengthens community engagement, and his journey of viewing his own backyard through new perspectives.Bryan holds an MBA from Drake University and a bachelor’s from Fort Lewis College. Outside of work, Bryan is an outdoor enthusiast and a dedicated soccer coach.

Monique Parker, Chief Sustainability Officer of Elevra Lithium, breaks down the "alphabet soup," treating ESG reporting as a collection of different love languages to connect with diverse audiences. We dive into the "big V word" of leadership, vulnerability, and her experience adapting to different cultures & being comfortable with not knowing, all while building trust with teams.

What has this one-year journey been, and where is it going?Guest host, Beth Borody, CEO of The Femina Collective & co-host of podcast The Rebuild Podcast, helps me reflect on this year, the work of Pacha Associates, who needs it, and what I've learned so far. We then have a live brainstorm of what's to come. Beth's career builds on her years of deep experience in various community organizations, then as a sustainability leader with New Gold at the site and corporate levels. Her expertise led to several successful years as an independent consultant & mining sector lead for IRMA. In 2021, she founded the Femina Collective, a network of bold and ambitious women passionate about changing women's experiences and representation in the natural resource space. She envisions transforming the industry by creating safe spaces where women can collaborate, grow, and push for meaningful change.

What happens when you start listening to those protesting the mine?Kieren Moffat, CEO and co-founder of the firm, Voconiq, left the mine site to focus on the signs posted outside the fence, both supporting and opposing the mine, as he wanted to understand how the two sides could build a better relationship. He led research at Australia’s national science agency, CSIRO, to initially debunk the concept of social license, only to become one of today’s top global experts.  In 2019, he co-founded Voconiq, which provides tools so that companies and industries can listen to community voices, & learn how enabling a fair, transparent & consistent experience can lead to deeper trust. Kieren holds a PhD in social psychology from the University of Queensland.  

How can you empower global careers starting with local employees?Global human resources expert, Iliana Rodriguez, and I talk about the incredible opportunity of developing a local workforce, not just for a single project, but for the global mining industry. Iliana led HR for the first large-scale mining company in Ecuador, initially run by Kinross and then Lundin Gold after years of leading local teams in several countries for the oil sector, including Oman and Libya, and then entering the mining sector with Kinross in Mauritania. Iliana was recognized in 2022 as a top 100 Global Inspirational Women in Mining. She is currently president of Women in Mining Ecuador and an independent consultant. Listen to my first conversation with her on Season 1 of Planet | People | Mining en Español!

How do you recognize and move past trauma in communities?Estelle Levin-Nally, CEO & Founder of Levin Sources, has helped 160+ clients mine, trade, source, invest in & regulate minerals more responsibly since 2010 . We speak about how our understanding of other people’s traumatic experiences have informed our drive and practice, and how as an industry, respecting the traumas that may exist in communities and by stakeholders enables a stronger ability to build trust and accelerate mining. For those who may be triggered from mentions of violence and trauma, you may not want to listen to this episode.

How can we tell mining’s economic development story, one community at a time?Maulik Doshi, Managing Director for the firm, Steward Redqueen & I speak about Steward Redqueen’s experience in helping the mining industry communicate transparently and through clear criteria its local economic impact for projects & operations, and how powerful this knowledge is for building social acceptance. Maulik’s career is a story of transition of how to apply quantitative rigor and technology for  greater positive impacts across different sectors, from mortgage finance at Freddie Mac, to the private equity behemoth Blackrock, and now as head of Steward Redqueen’s US office based in Washington, DC. He is originally from India and calls Northern Virginia home, Maulik holds a bachelor’s degree in Finance from James Madison University and an MBA from American University. 

Upon acquisition - how do you undo the predecessor's poor relationships? Todd Clewett, global external relations expert, speaks to me about how in the current global fight for critical minerals, the winner controls tomorrow,  and how this increased macro pressure will complicate even more company - government - community relations. From Australia to Papua New Guinea to Panama, Mongolia, and now Washington, DC, Todd's global career builds on his economy & government degree plus Masters in Urban and Regional Planning from the University of Sydney and Masters in Public Administration from Harvard University. 

Which perspectives are missing in strategy?Siri Genik, Founder & Principal of Bridge Consulting, and I discuss how her experience across 4 continents, multiple disciplines, major miners, consulting & engineering firms, and law firms have shaped her approach to guiding companies through strategy. She speaks about how change in the industry is constant - especially today - yet how sustainability and people have to be at the center of organizational responses. Siri holds a BA in Political Science and Economics from McGill University and a law degree from the Université de Montréal.

How can people & land be at the center of tailings innovation?Dr. Priscilla Nelson, professor at the Colorado School of Mines, and I discuss the future of tailings, where people and land are at the center of holistic design, engineering, and management. Her curiosity and creativity are contagious - especially as we imagine the mine site as a complex human body system.

How do you consistently achieve sustainability performance?Andrea Vaccari, VP of Responsible Production Frameworks & Sustainability at Freeport McMoRan, empowers teams to drive consistent, sustainable production while encouraging innovation.

How much land and new community relationships does the energy transition require? Katie Fergusson, Group Head of Sustainability at Anglo American, shares how to integrate sustainability - including voices of the community and consumer - into strategic planning. She draws from her experiences living in the UK, Argentina & Peru, reflecting on the power of storytelling and listening to uncomfortable truths.

How do you translate complex human rights principles into practical applications, even in countries with robust legal systems? Claire Larner demystifies how companies need to be thinking about human rights, based on her deep experience with the International Council on Mining & Metals (ICMM), leading the Human Rights Standard roll out for Newmont, and today as an expert with the Pillar Two consultancy firm.

How do you teach colleagues how not to offend the neighbors? Dr. Chris Anderson speaks with me about how the behavior of everyone at the site impacts social acceptance, reflecting on his earlier motivations from Australia, West Virginia, & Ghana. He has a love for helping companies be better neighbors to communities. Chris is head of the consulting firm, Yirri Global, formerly with Rio Tinto & Newmont & affiliated with University of Queensland and the Colorado School of Mines.

How can board-level decisions - from ethics to country entry strategies - be better? With Geralda Wildschutt, board member of public companies & CEO of Maisha Social Solutions, we talk about it's when they’re informed by deep field expertise working with communities.

Why are people absent from the maps that companies use for exploration and mining? I speak with Social Performance expert Sharon Flynn, head of Artara Consulting, and formerly with Rio Tinto, OceanaGold, Bechtel, and Conservation International, on how she integrates community perspectives to improve company decision making. Music:⁠https://soundcloud.com/emotionetoile/keys-of-moon-the-success-no-copyright-music-90⁠Podcast art: Sylvana Hochet - BritoEditing: Justin at ReliableSounds.com

In this episode, I chat with Norman Gridley, whose journey as Sustainability Manager for Anglo American's Quellaveco Project in Peru and General Manager of an underground mine in Chile has redefined community engagement. Norman shares his unique perspective on the practice of seeing through the eyes of local communities, revealing how genuine connection can transform mining projects. Music:⁠https://soundcloud.com/emotionetoile/keys-of-moon-the-success-no-copyright-music-90⁠Podcast art: Sylvana Hochet - BritoEditing: Justin at ReliableSounds.com

Who is a Social Performance professional? In this episode, we dive into the transformative work of Ana Maria Esteves, founder of the Community Insights Group. After years of helping companies navigate social impacts, Ana Maria is shifting her focus to the individuals sparking the positive change. Music:https://soundcloud.com/emotionetoile/keys-of-moon-the-success-no-copyright-music-90Podcast art: Sylvana Hochet - BritoEditing: Justin at ReliableSounds.com

Good community relations start from within a company. Join Beatrice Opoku-Asare, a culture and talent expert in the mining industry, as she reveals how living intentionally can transform companies. Discover how purpose and kindness pave the way for long-term social acceptance. Music: https://soundcloud.com/emotionetoile/keys-of-moon-the-success-no-copyright-music-90 Podcast art: Sylvana Hochet - Brito Editing: Justin at ReliableSounds.com