London – 19 November 2020: Women in Mining UK is delighted to present the 2020 Edition of the “100 Global Inspirational Women in Mining” (WIM100), which highlights the wealth of female talent within the global mining industry and identifies role models for future generations. This fourth edition has been kindly sponsored by BMO Capital Markets, Boston Consulting Group (BCG), IBM and Heidrick & Struggles.
This year a record 626 nominations were received from 60 countries around the world. The 100 women featured in this edition were selected due to their inspiring contribution towards a stronger, safer and more sustainable mining industry. This includes making positive and impactful changes, advocacy and a desire to empower others, perseverance in the face of adversity, and an ability to find solutions to challenges.
The WIM100 tells the stories of their accomplishments, their struggles, their careers, and their advice for creating a mining industry fit for the future. Overall, this book is about women who champion equity and fairness, and through these stories we hope readers will see a reflection of themselves which will inspire them to forge careers in mining.
Carole Cable, Chair of Women in Mining UK, said: “What is striking about this edition is the increase in women working in the fields of ESG and sustainability. But regardless of roles, almost all the women talk about the need to modernise mining and point out that mining’s future needs to look different from its past. It is no longer good enough to say “we’ve always done it this way,” we need diverse thinkers to be part of the solution and these women are stepping up to the challenge.
“Having visible role models is critical if we are going to attract and retain more women to help solve the challenges of global development and the responsible supply of resources for future generations. Congratulations to all the WIM100. Thank you for your stories, your achievements, your leadership, and your inspiration. We see you and are inspired!”
Managing Director of WIM, Alex Buck, said: “Stereotypes about women in mining can be stubborn but this book shows the breadth of roles and careers women are occupying and the diverse ways in which they enter the industry. Through these amazing stories, we hope to inspire more women to seek a career in mining, celebrate the contributions women are already making and demonstrate to companies, large and small, the value of diversity to the long-term success of their business for every stakeholder.”
William Smith, Head of International at BMO Capital Markets, commented: “As BMO works to create a society with zero barriers to inclusion, we recognize the value of highlighting gender diversity within the metals and mining industry. While there have been great strides in this area, there is still more work that can be done to ensure inclusivity and opportunities for women across this sector. Celebrating the contributions of women through the WIM100 is one way the industry can continue to be a leader in driving gender equity and diversity, and we are honoured to sponsor this initiative for the third time.”
Marc Schmidt, BCG Managing Director and Partner and Mining Global Co-Leader, said, “Through our own research, we know that having visible role models is a key driver of advancement in women’s careers. We are pleased to support Women in Mining UK and celebrate the successes of these 100 women in the global mining industry. It shows that inspiration can come from across all levels, regardless of role, seniority or geography.”
Sonia Van Ballaert, Global Client Director and Sustainability and Diversity Lead, IBM Energy, Resources and Manufacturing Industries, confirmed, “We congratulate every woman who has made it into the pages of this and previous editions of the WIM100. They have all worked towards the goal of creating a diverse and inclusive workforce, which is something that IBM, since the early 20th century has strived to do. Today’s world is full of complex problems and an urgent need to become more sustainable. These challenges will only be solved by creative and resilient teams. Female talent and leadership are integral ingredients.”
Tim Jensen, Mining Practice Leader, Americas at Heidrick & Struggles, added, “We’re proud to support Women in Mining UK and its efforts to promote and recognise female leadership and achievements in the industry. Creating an environment that promotes diverse perspectives is key to addressing many of the challenges the sector faces. We are delighted to see such a broad group of leaders and organisations in this edition of WIM100 and applaud the 2020 cohort of inspirational women.”
Download the 2020 edition of the “100 Global Inspirational Women in Mining” here.
Notes to Editors
2020 Edition of the “100 Global Inspirational Women in Mining”
First launched by Women in Mining UK in 2013, the biennial “100 Global Inspirational Women in Mining” (WIM100), now in its fourth edition, highlights the incredible diversity of talent in mining and celebrates inspirational women and their stories across all roles and seniority.
This year’s search was launched March 2020 and nominations closed June 2020, with a more than 1,100 nominations for 626 women in mining working at 356 companies across 60 countries. This edition of the WIM100 is kindly sponsored by BMO Capital Markets, Boston Consulting Group, IBM and Heidrick & Struggles.
The 100 women featured in the 2020 Edition were selected due to their inspiring contribution to a stronger, safer mining industry. This includes, making positive and impactful changes, advocacy and a desire to empower others, perseverance in the face of adversity, and an ability to find solutions to challenges.
Previous editions of the “100 Global Inspirational Women in Mining” are available here.
About Women in Mining UK
Women in Mining UK is a volunteer non-profit organisation dedicated to promoting the employment, retention and advancement of women in the mining sector. Women in Mining UK offers a strong international network to progress professional goals and career aspirations and hosts numerous networking, educational and mentoring events to support personal development. Membership is free and everyone is welcome, regardless of gender or location.
For more information about joining Women in Mining UK, please visit our website: www.womeninmining.org.uk.
About BMO Capital Markets
BMO Capital Markets is a leading, full-service North American-based financial services provider, with approximately 2,800 professionals in 33 locations around the world, including 19 offices in North America, offering corporate, institutional and government clients access to a complete range of investment and corporate banking products and services. BMO Capital Markets is a member of BMO Financial Group (NYSE, TSX: BMO), one of the largest diversified financial services providers in North America with US$727 billion total assets and approximately 44,000 employees as of July 31, 2020.
About Boston Consulting Group
Boston Consulting Group partners with leaders in business and society to tackle their most important challenges and capture their greatest opportunities. BCG was the pioneer in business strategy when it was founded in 1963. Our diverse, global teams bring deep industry and functional expertise and a range of perspectives to spark change. Today, we help clients with total transformation—inspiring complex change, enabling organizations to grow, building competitive advantage, and driving bottom-line impact. Visit us at www.bcg.com.
About IBM
For more information about IBM Industry Solutions, visit https://www.ibm.com/industries/metals-mining. IBM works with the world’s most complex industries and systems, helping clients down their next chapter of transformation as they build agile organizations fuelled by data, guided by AI insights for seamless interoperability across any software platform, infrastructure or cloud(s) of choice. Industry expertise is our key advantage as we help clients respond to their customers’, markets and operational needs to stay nimble in the face of continuous technological change for a sustainable future. For miners around the world, IBM is a trusted partner in their end-to-end digital transformation journey. International Data Corporation (IDC) – the premier global provider of market intelligence – recently named IBM as a leader in mining professional services. This helps guide our strategy, partnership cultivation and co-creation efforts to continue to earn your trust in our expert advisory.
About Heidrick & Struggles
Heidrick & Struggles (Nasdaq: HSII) serves the senior-level talent and leadership needs of the world’s top organizations as a trusted advisor across executive search, leadership assessment and development, organization and team effectiveness, and culture shaping services. Heidrick & Struggles pioneered the profession of executive search more than 60 years ago. Today, the firm provides integrated leadership solutions to help our clients change the world, one leadership team at a time. www.heidrick.com.
Women in Mining UK Contact
Ariadna D. Peretz
Head of Communications
T: +44 (0) 7488 495969
E: ariadna.peretz@womeninmining.org.uk