Shawn joined Kinross in 2010 as an exploration geologist and later transferred to the Manh Choh project in Alaska where he became the Field Geology Supervisor. Since joining the Manh Choh team, Shawn has become the face of Kinross for surrounding communities.
The Manh Choh deposit is located on the Tribal land of the Tok and Tetlin communities. From day one, Shawn made it his priority to build a strong relationship with the communities by acting as a main point of contact for questions and feedback and thoroughly explaining the business of mining. Through his interactions with the communities, Shawn became more familiar with their culture and shared his learnings with his team to ensure our representatives were both respectful and sensitive when interacting with all stakeholders.
Beyond building relationships, Shawn was committed to creating economic opportunities for members of the Tok and Tetlin communities and hired local employees to be part of the Manh Choh project team – approximately 1/3 of the workforce!
Shawn is a great example of an Outstanding Corporate Citizen both in his community and in his role as a supervisor. Over his time at Manh Choh, Shawn has faced a variety of challenging conditions by working in a remote location and through a pandemic, however despite these challenges he puts his team’s health and safety at the forefront while building a strong team dynamic.
“Shawn is a true leader and ambassador for Kinross’ values,” said Jeremy Brans, Vice-President and General Manager, Kinross Alaska. “During a transitional period and in a time when all eyes were on Kinross in the community, Shawn’s ‘people first’ approach to stakeholder engagement shined through and helped us build a strong path forward for the future of Kinross and Manh Choh.”
