Cristian joined Kinross in 2011 as People Services Chief at La Coipa. His outstanding performance and leadership qualities were quickly recognized and in 2018 he was transferred to Maricunga. In 2020, once the La Coipa Phase 7 project was approved, Cristian assumed the position of People Services Superintendent for Chile.
Since rejoining the La Coipa team, Cristian has made a significant impact from both a cost savings and team building perspective. When he arrived at La Coipa, he was tasked with finding efficiencies on site without compromising the quality of life at the camp and, despite challenges associated with the pandemic, Cristian delivered.
In an effort to cut costs, Cristian was fundamental in the negotiations of new service contracts for the camp’s catering, cleaning and maintenance services that will save the Company ~US$2.3 million over five years (2020-2024). He also improved the payment management under the previous supplier and saved the Company US$1 million for the year, facilitating a seamless transition from the old contractor to the new contractor both ahead of schedule and without service interruptions.
When COVID-19 restrictions were at their highest, Cristian led the opening of three dining rooms and 14 living spaces to house employees while maintaining physical distancing and COVID-19 best practices. These initiatives were implemented by Cristian and his team instead of external contractors in an effort to reduce the number of people on site. As a result, they saved the Projects team ~US$166,000. In addition, the team helped set up infrastructure to store equipment for the Project which was done on schedule, and under budget by 30%.
“Cristian has a wealth of knowledge of our Chilean sites and his experience has been instrumental in the success, and cost savings for the project,” said Fabiola Meza, Human Resources Manager, Chile. “When he rejoined La Coipa, we knew he was the right person for the job to not only find efficiencies, but to maintain the quality of life our employees have at the camp. Cristian not only cares about savings, he cares about his coworkers and making the workplace the best it can be.”
