Women are making a difference in mining sector
The presence of women in some of the mining industry’s key positions proves that women can – and do – contribute greatly to this important sector of the Saskatchewan’s economy, despite it often being viewed as a male-dominated industry.
Most recently, Jessica Theriault was appointed to serve a two-year term as Chair of the Saskatchewan Mining Association (SMA). On May 26, Theriault, the Mosaic Company’s Director of Environmental Affairs, became the first woman in the history of the SMA to serve as Chair. The association is an industry-driven organization representing the province’s mining and mineral exploration industry. Its activities include advocating on behalf of members on issues related to provincial and federal regulatory changes and developing and supporting educational outreach programs.
Theriault says her appointment was the natural progression of a rewarding, 19-year career in the potash mining industry. After graduating from the University of Regina as an environmental engineer, she worked in the oil and gas industry for a year and was then employed by Mosaic’s predecessor, known as International Minerals and Chemicals Canada (IMC). She worked for one year as a technical analyst and then took on a role in the company’s environmental department. In 2013, after having advanced within that department, she also began representing the company on the SMA board.
She says that, given the current emphasis on environmental issues, this is a very fitting time for her appointment to the position as Chair. “It’s almost perfect timing that my transition to board Chair is at this point, as we see the global transition to a lower green house gas emission economy. Some of the larger files are concerning environmental regulatory changes, like the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act and carbon pricing,” she said. “That’s where my background is – and my expertise – so it’s a great fit at the end of the day. There is a lot of strategic leadership and mining experience on the SMA board, and I’m excited to be able to add value from an environmental perspective in the chair role.”
The new SMA Chair says she is just one of many women who are part of the Mosaic family of employees, and she’s proud of Mosaic’s record for hiring and maintaining female workers. At 24 per cent, it may seem like a small proportion considering that women make up 47 per cent of the province’s labour force, but, in an industry where female representation was virtually unheard of mere decades ago, the figure demonstrates great progress.
Approximately 27 per cent of the engineering, technical, and environment, health and safety roles are held by females at Mosaic. Of the company’s seven-member potash business team (who lead the Saskatchewan- and New Mexico-based potash operations) there are three females: Senior Director of Public Affairs Sarah Fedorchuk; Vice-President of Human Resources Lisa Poissant; and Director of Strategic Sourcing Services Crystal Steciuk. At the company’s corporate head office in Plymouth, Minn., Mosaic’s eight-member senior leadership team has two females: Corrine Richard, Senior Vice-President, Commercial; and Kim Bors, Senior Vice-President, Human Resources.
“When I review the Mosaic statistics, I look at them in a positive light. I grew up in the mining industry being one of the only females through most of my engineering career and I was used to being the only female in a meeting or in the field, and now that is definitely not the norm.”
Despite being heavily outnumbered by her male coworkers throughout her career, Theriault says she has always felt supported by those she has worked alongside. “I find it odd that there is an assumed perception that male colleagues aren’t supportive of females in the industry, because I can actually admit that I’ve never been exposed to that in my career in the mining industry,” she said. “At the end of the day, I feel that I’ve earned my own level of respect by pulling my own weight, being held accountable, showing that I can be a resource and a team player, and not asking for any special kind of treatment. Maybe I’ve just been lucky, but I think the bottom line is I’ve earned their respect honestly.”
She feels that mining provides excellent opportunities for women because of the variety of jobs available, opportunities for advancement, level of engagement within the companies and safety in the industry. “It’s a great industry to be a part of,” she said, predicting a bright future for the mining industry in Saskatchewan, due to its abundance of high-grade deposits of potash and uranium, and its positive, low-risk environment for investors and developers.
Theriault credits specific programs for the success of Mosaic – and the mining industry in general – in increasing the number of female employees. These measures help workers, especially those who are caregivers at home, to achieve a healthy work-life balance. “Mosaic has great opportunities for what I call ‘schedule optimization.’ We have Earned Fridays Off, examples of job-sharing and transition planning for employees coming back after having a family,” she said.
Theriault is quick to point out that she is not the only trailblazer at the SMA. “There is already an amazing female leader of the SMA, Pam Schwann, who is the association’s President. I am the first Chair of the SMA board of directors, but Pam is definitely the leader of the SMA. She really leads the organization, and she herself is a very strong, well-respected, female leader within the mining industry and throughout the provincial and federal governments. Females in the mining industry look up to Pam and consider her to be a mentor,” she added.
She also notes that the board includes two other females, Alice Wong of Cameco Corporation and Tammy Van Lambalgen of AREVA Resources Canada Inc. Lambalgen is the 2017 Vice-Chair of the organization.
“Are we where we want to be with the number of females employed within the mining industry overall? Maybe not, but this is definitely changing and companies are working to increase the numbers. There are pockets of success and that’s what we should also be celebrating,” added Theriault.