Dear Women in Mining,
Can you believe that January and February have already flown by?
With renewed dynamism in virtually every aspect of the mining industry, activity levels and enthusiasm are reaching all-time highs; it’s also “conference season”, culminating in Toronto’s PDAC next week after a very lively Indaba in February: of course Women in Mining is on trend, progressing briskly! Since our last newsletter, we have focused a lot of our energy on laying the foundations for Women in Mining’s future. We are working to create a structure that will allow the network to continue to grow sustainably and a website that will deliver the services and information you deserve: read all about it in WIM News below!
To support all this growth, we are still working on raising sponsorship. We are delighted to continue our relationship with Anglo American plc, our Platinum Sponsor, and looking forward to establishing positive partnerships with other sponsors. If you think your company could support Women in Mining, please get in touch!
Upcoming WIM Events
16 March 2011 — WIM Seminar — Simmons & Simmons
The Bribery Act 2010: Implications for the Mining Industry
When it comes into force later this year, the Bribery Act 2010 will be the toughest anti bribery law in the world. Unlike the US Foreign Corrupt Practices Act it will apply both to public and private sector corruption; there will be no exemption for facilitation payments and there will be no defence for marketing and promotional expenditure. In these respects, it is no different from current UK laws. The main change (and it is a fundamental one) is the introduction of a new corporate offence. This new offence imposes a vicarious liability offence on UK companies and partnerships and overseas companies carrying on a business in the UK. There will only be one statutory defence: for the organisation to show it has adequate procedures in place to prevent bribery. To find out more, click here.
An invitation for this WIM Seminar will be circulated to all Women in Mining members by email from Simmons & Simmons. Please contact Julia Collison (julia.collison@simmons-simmons.com) with any further queries about this event.
13 April 2011 — WIM Informal Drinks — Deloitte
We look forward to seeing you there: this is a great opportunity to catch up and meet other WIM members in the relaxed atmosphere of evening drinks. To register, click here.
Other Events
8 March 2011 — International Women’s Day
Each year International Women’s Day is celebrated on March 8 in many countries around the world. It is a day when women are recognised for their achievements without regard to divisions, whether national, ethnic, linguistic, cultural, economic or political. It is an occasion for looking back on past struggles and accomplishments, and more importantly, for looking ahead to the untapped potential and opportunities that await future generations of women.
The United Nation’s theme for IWD 2011 is “Equal access to education, training and science and technology: Pathway to decent work for women”. To find out more about the history of International Women’s Day and the many initiatives and events world-wide, click here.
23 March 2011 — Mayer Brown Mining Industry Seminar
More than ever, the mining industry is subject to legal and regulatory requirements imposed by foreign governments as well as UK laws that are extraterritorial in scope. A further element of risk is often inherent in the territory in which the asset is held; many natural resource deposits are located in emerging markets where the local customs, rule of law and the approach of the government may be regarded as challenging when judged against western standards. This afternoon seminar hosted by Mayer Brown will look at some of the risks that need to be considered when making investments in remote regions, where the geopolitical environment is often challenging. To find out more and register, click here.
WIM News
WIM Structure
Our network is growing, and it’s important to put in place a structure that will allow it to develop into a strong and sustainable organisation serving women in the mining industry.
The recent Call for Volunteers was a first step; we are now coordinating with the renewed committees to map out the tasks and projects to deliver the strategy you approved last spring; we are working on the upcoming survey to confirm our mandate and evaluate your satisfaction with recent progress and expectations for tomorrow; and we look forward to organising the first of what we hope to become semi-annual meetings of all the volunteers in a “Steering Committee”. There is always more to do, so if you have ideas and a little time, please get involved!
The other key development of Women in Mining is the recruitment of our new administrator, Lorna Thomas: we are delighted to have her on board and welcome her to WIM!
Lorna is a Qualified Commercial Dispute Resolver with over ten years experience working in Dispute Resolution in both the United Kingdom and Europe. She is the Lead Tutor in Mediation at The Academy of Experts, Gray’s Inn, London, delivering public courses in mediation and dispute resolution. In 2002 she founded a consultancy specialising in organising and maintaining administrative processes on behalf of a variety of clients. Lorna’s role as Administrator of Women in Mining is to centralise administration of the network and support the directors and Committee members in conducting its projects and activities.
WIM Website — New Members’ Zone
We have also worked on perfecting the tools and services of Women in Mining, and in particular the Website (localhost/women-in-mining): following the launch last November, we received a lot of positive feedback as well as suggestions to improve the Members Zone.
In coordination with the Membership Committee, we have just completed an improvement project and are delighted to re-launch the Members Zone. To access the Members Zone, you will need to register if you have not already done so. The Members Zone includes an interactive Directory: we are continuing the transition online and aim to soon use the website’s Directory as our main line of communication with you: each of you will need to register in order to remain on WIM mailing lists.
In case you missed it, we report on…
WIM Seminar — 19 January 2011 — World Gold Council: Stimulating Gold Demand
In the context of global economic turmoil, gold has enjoyed a spectacular renewal of interest from investors looking to preserve their wealth and hedge against inflation or dollar weakness, as well as those wishing to capitalise on the positive price outlook: the gold price has risen every year since 2001 from its low of $250 to around $1400 since November 2010. Simultaneously, demand in growth markets such as China and India has soared with the increase in purchasing power. We wanted to go beyond the hype and understand what really drives this special commodity: the World Gold Council, market development organisation of the gold industry, was the perfect place to start. Read more…
You read it here
Making an Impact in the Workplace
Many women struggle to communicate powerfully and effectively in a male dominated workplace. It’s not uncommon for a woman to make a point in a meeting, and then hear a colleague make the same point several moments later – and have it appreciated and applauded! Deirdre McBurney shares several key points, from her own career years as a female technologist in Merrill Lynch and JP Morgan and her work as Executive Coach. These strategies are designed to help you maximise your impact in the workplace. Read more…
Mining Indaba 2011 — Press Review
Click here for a selection of articles capturing the enthusiasm or reflecting the views expressed by key speakers at the Investing in African Mining Indaba Conference 2011.
Mining Industry Reports
In a third annual report, Tracking the Trends 2011, Deloitte once again identified ten of the top issues mining companies will face as they attempt to meet burgeoning demand from emerging nations.
In its annual dealmaking report for the sector, Ungeared for Growth – Mining and Metals Trends and Outlook, Ernst & Young said that it expects deals will be “bigger, bolder” as confidence grows and companies repair their balance sheets.
Read more about these and other News and Information on our “Other News” page!