Last week, Yvonne, a 17-year-old high school student from Ottawa, stepped into Paul Rollinson’s shoes and became “CEO for the day” as part of Plan International Canada’s #GirlsBelongHere initiative to celebrate International Day of the Girl on Oct. 11, 2017.
The #GirlsBelongHere initiative enables girls to experience their dream job, to help break down barriers and stereotypes, and to show that they belong in positions where their voice can be heard.
The challenge is part of a global mass initiative led by Plan International (#GirlsTakeover), with more than 600 participants in 60 countries stepping into roles, including the Prime Minister of Finland, Vice Prime Minister of Belgium, and the Mayor of Dublin. In Canada, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau also accepted the #GirlsBelongHere challenge.
Yvonne accompanied Paul throughout the day and met with Kinross senior executives, Board member Ave Lethbridge, and a key investor. Yvonne actively participated in these meetings to learn more about the company and experience what it is like working in the global mining industry.
Here’s what she had to say about her day as CEO:
“Spending the day at Kinross was an amazing experience. It was truly an unparalleled opportunity to see what being the CEO of a global company like Kinross Gold entails.
My day as CEO started with an early morning meeting with Paul, where he briefed me on his daily tasks and gave me some background on the company. I knew this day was going to be a challenge, but I was excited to take it on and learn new things.
I then met with some of the technical team at Kinross. It was fascinating to learn about the complexity of the mining process, from finding suitable mining sites by drilling core to ensuring a mine’s long-term environmental, social, and economic sustainability within its community. Mining is a huge industry that can create both positive and negative impacts in the areas in which they are built, so it was great to see all the analysis and engineering going on in the background. My passion is science, so being able to learn about the inner workings and facets of the process was my favourite part of the day.
To get the full experience and see all parts of the company, I also met with the Finance team to learn more about that side of the business. It was also interesting to hear about Government Relations in terms of mining, particularly learning about the nuances and challenges that come with having mines all over the world.
I then met with Kinross Board member Ave Lethbridge and sat in on a call with a key investor. I also participated in the Human Resources Town Hall with Gina Jardine!
Being CEO for the day showed me what it takes to become a senior executive. I really enjoyed seeing the different aspects of a global mining company as well as witnessing the company’s commitment to diversity and inclusion. It was wonderful to see all the amazing female role models at Kinross, to receive so much encouraging advice, and to be part of the #GirlsBelongHere initiative.
I think it is important to bring more attention to gender diversity and equality to show that women really do belong in these leadership roles.
Thank you to Kinross for taking on this challenge and to Plan International Canada for making this day possible!”
In the lead up to the #GirlsBelongHere day, employees were asked to share their thoughts on “What can you do to promote gender equality?” by posting a #hashtag sticker on a banner. A bake sale was also held to raise money for Plan International Canada.
Yvonne sits with J. Paul Rollinson, President & CEO and reviews the monthly schedule
Yvonne meets with board member Ave Lethbridge
Yvonne with technical team member Luke Jalsevac, Director, Business Optimization to learn about the complexity of the mining process
The bake sale in the Toronto Staff room to raise money for Plan International
Baked goods and #hashtag sticks to be placed on the employee banner representing gender equality
