We are excited to welcome back our ‘Best Mining Story’ column on Kinross World! The column is an opportunity for employees to share their favourite memories, experiences and stories in mining.
Hélène Timpano, Senior Vice-President, Operations, kicks-off our relaunch by sharing her journey into the mining industry and her exciting new role as Senior Vice-President of Operations.
“Although I studied engineering in university, I have to admit that mining was not an industry on my radar when I graduated with a combined degree in Business and Integrated Engineering from the University of Western Ontario. Instead, early in my career, I focused on business strategy at Bain & Company, where I worked in Toronto, Singapore, Hong Kong and Boston. I eventually completed my MBA at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management.
About a year and a half after graduation, I was looking for a new challenge so I joined Kinross’ Operations Strategy team and next thing I knew, I was in mining! I was eager to get back to Canada and work in the resource industry, which is so important to our country.
Operations Strategy is an exciting function of the Company. Our job is to work cross-functionally with corporate and regional teams and develop strategies to make us operate more efficiently. One of our key roles is managing Strategic Business Planning (SBP) – which culminates in two annual events that bring together corporate and regional leaders to align our overall company goals and share best practices.
In my new role as Senior Vice-President, Operations, I have two main sets of responsibilities. First, I lead five global functions: Supply Chain, Maintenance, Human Resource Operations, Continuous Improvement & Innovation, and Strategic Planning – this involves a mix of both governance and site support. Second, I work closely with our Chief Technical Officer, Paul Tomory, to enhance collaboration between Operations and Corporate Functions and ensure that we operate as “one Kinross” such that we can maintain our operational record, culture and strong cash flow.
One of my favourite memories at Kinross comes from my first trip to our Russia operations. I was fascinated to see the way the team operates in such a remote region – all the complexities of mining are inflated with these challenges, but the team has found numerous efficiencies to operate successfully. It was an eye-opening, motivating experience for me.
I’ve found it very rewarding to work with such wonderful people over the course of the last seven years. Regardless of what operation you are at, I find the Kinross culture remains the same, from the Americas, to West Africa, to Russia, we all share the same values that help us be the best Company we can. I am excited to see what the future holds for Kinross.”
Do you have a Best Mining Story you want shared on Kinross World? Send your submissions to KinrossWorld@Kinross.com for a chance to be featured! Submissions can range from operational achievements, to exploration adventures, safety shares or inspirational moments. We look forward to your stories!
Hélène Timpano, Senior Vice-President, Operations, at our Kupol mine
Hélène goes underground at Kupol
Members of the Technical Services team at the Toronto office holiday party.
From left to right: Luke Jalsevac, Senior Director, Project Value Assurance, David Eden, Director, Technical Strategy, Mark Hannay, Manager, Business Optimization, and Hélène Timpano, Senior Vice-President, Operations
