Abstract
I started my career in mining in Australia during the mid 1990s. While I had always been passionate about metallurgy, there were two aspects of the mining industry that long troubled me. The first was diversity related - as a gay man, I was not "out" for the first 20 years of my career, due to the overt and implied homophobia that I experienced in the industry. The second related to environmental performance. As someone who cared about the environment at a young age, I felt concerned about the industry's environmental impact, and whether I could meaningfully help reduce it. While I've stuck with the industry, the journey hasn't always been easy and many challenges remain to demonstrate to younger people that a mining industry career can align with their values and aspirations. I will reflect on lessons and insights from my career and suggest approaches for:
a) Engaging with students and young professionals to help them assess whether a mining industry career might be right for them
b) Defining and communicating mining company commitments to diversity and inclusion (D & I) and environmental, social and governance (ESG) that might improve attactiveness to young professionals
c) Challenging the status quo and lifting the bar on attracting and retaining younger talent