Mining Talent: Why the Mining Sector Needs Women Now

Women are underrepresented at all levels within mining companies, and account for <17% of the mining workforce globally. But we know that diverse teams are measurably more productive, and tend to have better safety records. Diversity promotes creativity and strategic resilience, and mining companies will need both if they are to successfully meet the broadening challenges facing the industry today. So – what are we to do? This talk will explore ideas, to not only attract more women into the sector, but also to make sure that once hired, women stay, advance professionally, and bring the best of themselves to the companies in which they work.

Hannah Ellix is an Associate Partner in McKinsey & Company’s mining and metals practice. Her focus is typically on major transformations bridging operations, maintenance, and procurement, and has run projects on these themes spanning 18 mining sites and metals plants over the last decade. Hannah is a leader in McKinsey’s Asset Productivity service line, specializing in frontline maintenance execution excellence. She co-led McKinsey’s research in 2021 on Women in Mining, and has been a thought-partner to several major mining companies on how to better support women in their ranks. Hannah studied at the University of Edinburgh, and lives in Toronto.