Monday Opening Keynote & Plenary

MONDAY OPENING KEYNOTE & PLENARY

Monday, May 1 | 8:30 | Room 710

The Convention theme this year is "Building Trust to Decarbonize the World".

KEYNOTE: Mitch Warner

Managing Partner, Arbinger

KEYNOTE Mitch Warner is a bestselling author and Arbinger managing partner with a background in healthcare and organizational turnaround. He joined Arbinger from Plum Healthcare, where he was an administrator and heavily involved in operationalizing Arbinger’s work into the fabric of Plum’s culture. Author & Thought Leader Mitch is the co-author of Arbinger’s latest bestseller, The Outward Mindset. He writes frequently on the practical effects of mindset at the individual and organizational levels as well as the role of leadership in transforming organizational culture and results. Mitch is an expert on the topics of mindset and culture change, leadership, strategy, performance management, organizational turnaround, and conflict resolution. Speaker Mitch is a sought-after speaker to organizations across a broad range of industries, bringing his practical experience to bear for leaders of corporations, governments, and organizations across the globe. Specific clients include NASA, Citrix, Aflac, the U.S. Army and Air Force, the Treasury Executive Institute, and Intermountain Healthcare. Mitch carries his first-hand perspective as a proven leader into his speeches and facilitation, dynamically bringing Arbinger’s concepts and tools to life through his powerful stories and hands-on experience. His audiences leave inspired to improve and equipped with a practical roadmap to effect immediate change. Managing Partner In his role as managing partner, Mitch directs the development of Arbinger’s intellectual property, training and consulting programs, and highly customized large-scale organizational change initiatives. He has been instrumental in Arbinger’s rapid growth, including its expanding international presence in nearly 30 countries. Mitch received his B.A. in philosophy and is a licensed nursing administrator. Trained in fine art at the Art Students League and the National Academy, he spends much of his free time painting. His work hangs in organizations nationwide

Our opening keynote will address the importance of building trust and changing our mindset to adapt to different cultural communities.

KEYNOTE: Mitch Warner

Managing Partner, Arbinger

Our opening keynote will address the importance of building trust and changing our mindset to adapt to different cultural communities.

PLENARY: BUILDING TRUST

The relationship between miners, communities, governments and the planet. How to be humble regarding the past, transparent about future plans.

PLENARY: BUILDING TRUST

The relationship between miners, communities, governments and the planet. How to be humble regarding the past, transparent about future plans.

Panelists:

David Cataford

CEO & Director, Champion Iron

PANELIST

Chief Executive Officer and Director
Mining engineer by training, David joined Champion Iron in 2014 and was appointed to the position of Chief Executive Officer on April 1, 2019. Prior to his appointment as Chief Executive Officer, David held the role of Chief Operating Officer at Champion Iron where he played a key role in the management team. David completed the acquisition and delivery of the successful restart of the Bloom Lake Mine by managing its construction, its commissioning, and building a team composed of more than 900 top mining talents. In addition to his successful performance history in executing acquisitions, David held several management positions in the Labrador Trough including his tenure with Cliffs Natural Resources Inc. and ArcelorMittal.

Philippe Couillard

31st Premier of Quebec

PANELIST

Born in Montreal, Philippe Couillard received his medical degree ( MD) in 1979 and completed his specialty training in neurosurgery in 1985. After 20 years of medical practice he became Quebec’s minister of health during 5 years, left politics in 2008, only to return as Quebec’s 31st Premier between 2014 and 2018. During his term, M. Couillard developed, in addition to public policy, finances, healthcare and life sciences, a strong interest in energy transition and electrification, leading to an ongoing consulting and corporate activity in these sectors.
He is currently a senior business advisor at Strategy Corp and a director of private and non for profit organisations.

Ken Rock

General Director, Société de développement économique Uashat Mak Mani-Utenam

PANELIST

Ken Rock

Ken Rock holds a degree from the joint EMBA program of McGill University and HEC Montreal. Ken Rock is the Executive Director of the Société de Développement Économique de Uashat mak Mani-utenam (SDEUM) since 2016. The SDEUM is the economic arm of Innu Takuaikan Uashat mak Maniutenam. He currently directs and manages the business entities that fall under the SDEUM and the community’s partnerships. From 2013 to 2016, he served as Director of Legal Affairs for Focus Graphite Inc. and Grafoid Inc. Prior to that, he was the Director and Chief Negotiator for the Office of Rights and Land Protection within the Innu Takuaikan Uashat mak Mani-utenam Council. Under his leadership, Impact Benefit Agreements (IBAs) were signed with ArcelorMittal, Tata Steel and Labrador Iron Mines Inc.

Nadja Kunz

Assistant professor, The University of British Columbia

Panelist

Dr. Nadja Kunz

Nadja Kunz is a Canada Research Chair in Mine Water Management and Stewardship at The University of British Columbia, and an Assistant Professor where she is jointly appointed across the UBC School of Public Policy and Global Affairs, and the Norman B Keevil Institute of Mining Engineering.

Within her research, Nadja develops tools, frameworks and models to better conceptualize, measure, assess and communicate water-related risks to diverse stakeholders including companies, investors, indigenous rights-holders, communities and governments. She is also interested in how to improve the contribution of the global mining sector towards sustainable development in a way that minimizes environmental impacts and leaves positive long-term legacies for host communities. Nadja leads an interdisciplinary research team at UBC, bridging the fields of engineering, hydrology, social science and operations research.

Prior to joining UBC, Nadja gained engineering experience in a range of industries including mining, alumina refining, oil and gas, and paper manufacturing. She also has experience as a consultant for the International Finance Corporation within the World Bank Group. She holds undergraduate and PhD degrees from the University of Queensland, where she specialized in chemical engineering, business management, and interdisciplinary engineering, and spent two years as a postdoctoral fellow at the Eawag Aquatic Research Institute in Switzerland.

MODERATOR: Angelina Mehta

General Manager, Joint Ventures at Rio Tinto Aluminium

Mederator

Angelina Mehta

Ms. Angelina Mehta is a registered professional engineer in Quebec and a founding member of Women in Mining (WIM) Montreal. She is the General Manager of Joint Ventures at Rio Tinto Aluminum and has served on the Board of Directors of Azimut since 2018.

Ms. Mehtah has over 20 years of experience in finance and engineering and currently works as General Manager of Joint Ventures at Rio Tinto Aluminium.  Previously, she was a Director of Mining Investment Banking at Laurentian Bank Securities Inc. and a Senior Mining Advisor at Paradigm Capital Inc. in the investment banking sector, as well as Vice President of Operations for North American Nickel. Over the years, she has been an investment manager for Sentient Asset Management Canada and has held various operational positions with several mining companies, including Rio Tinto’s subsidiary, Iron Ore Company of Canada.

Ms. Mehta holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Mining Engineering and an MBA from McGill University, as well as a Master of Laws degree from Osgoode Hall Law School at York University. Ms. Mehta has served on the Board of Directors of several publicly traded junior mining companies including Pershimco, Meridian Mining, Stornoway Diamond and Falco Resources. She also served for five years on the Board of Directors of Women in Mining Canada and is currently a member of the Board of Directors of the Foundation of Greater Montreal.