In 2018, Eldorado Gold took another step towards increasing gender diversity and joined the 30% Club Canada. The 30% Club aims to achieve better gender balance at the board level, as well as at senior management levels.
As a member of the 30% Club, Eldorado has a goal to have women represent 30% of our Board and senior management by the end of 2022. Currently, we have 25% female representation on the Board, and 20% in senior management positions.
We recently spoke with Teresa Conway, Eldorado’s newest Board member to get her take on diversity, and some of the challenges and opportunities she has faced over her career.
Name: Teresa Conway
Job title: Member of the Board of Directors
Number of years with Eldorado: I joined the Board in June 2018.
Where are you from? I was born in Dublin, Ireland. My family, including three of my five siblings emigrated to Vancouver, BC. I was only one year old at the time, so I really consider myself Canadian.
Where do you live now? I still live in Vancouver.
What attracted you to the mining industry?
The commodity markets have intertwined within my roles for my whole career.
Early in my career I worked with PriceWaterhouseCoopers in the mining sector and for the last 25 years in the power and gas sector. I find the combination of markets and operations intriguing as they are dynamic and constantly evolving.
Have you had any positive mentors in mining?
Yes, Eldorado Board Members have been very positive mentors in my first year. I have found the mining community in Vancouver and Toronto to be very open and welcoming and more than willing to share knowledge and advice with a newcomer.
What does the industry need, in your opinion, to attract more women in mining?
The industry needs role models and a company culture of challenging our biases. My hope is that promotion and inclusion of women becomes standard, not an anomaly or an afterthought and that decisions around promoting, hiring and recognizing achievements are based on merit.
Where do you hope to see the industry in the next 5-10 years?
The reputation of the industry is strong as the bar was raised with respect to Environmental, Social and Governance issues. Diversity of thought in the sector has greatly contributed to this.
If you could give one piece of advice to your younger self, what would that be?
Seek out mentors and develop networks early in your career. Also take more time for yourself!
What has been your toughest business or professional decision?
The toughest decisions over my career involved decisions around people as it impacts their lives and families.
When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?
I thought about becoming a teacher. I later realized I was thinking more about summers off in Vancouver rather than the job itself. In retrospect, I would have been a terrible teacher.
If you could try any profession for a day, what would you do?
A Park Ranger. I would probably pick North Vancouver as my preferred jurisdiction, as I love to hike the trails.
What main change would you like to see for young girls in the next generation?
Accelerated pace of change for women in the workforce. We have come a long way in promoting women in various professions and trades and we are having more open conversations on the issues, but more focus on the topic is still required to level the playing field.
Actively identifying females’ successes, celebrating their achievements, providing the necessary training and support and actively encouraging women to apply for leadership roles will help organizations achieve better gender balance.
My hope is that my daughters, won’t continue to face the same issues as I did in the workforce 30 years ago.
In case you missed our previous posts, you can find them here: