The Global Mining Standards and Guidelines Group (GMSG) has announced that Michelle Ash, Barrick Gold Corporation’s Chief Innovation Officer, will become the new Chair of GMSG in May 2018. “The success of the mining industry is dependent on continued collaboration and innovation,” says Ash. “So when I was asked to become Chair of GMSG, whose work on collaboration and alignment is absolutely vital to the mining industry, I was both honoured and delighted.” For the past two years, Ash has served on the GMSG Leadership Council, volunteering her time and expertise by shaping policies and guidelines that will affect the future of mining.

“Michelle has been extremely supportive of GMSG and her work at Barrick and vision for the mining industry mirrors our objective of driving a more open, collaborative industry,” says Heather Ednie, GMSG Managing Director. “She is a leader both in innovation and transformation who doesn’t lose sight of the people and processes that make the technology happen.”

Ash’s international experience and qualifications include more than 20 years in the mining and manufacturing sectors with a focus on business improvement and change management. In January 2016, she joined Barrick, overseeing the company’s innovation program looking both at how innovation can drive productivity in the existing business as well as how it can be harnessed to deliver alternative business models. She was named to the 2016 list of “100 Global Inspirational Women in Mining” by Women in Mining UK.

“As Chair of GMSG, I will be aiming to not only help support the group of companies currently involved, but also expand GMSG’s membership in emerging mining powerhouses such as China, Africa and South America,” Ash says. “Helius Guimaraes, as Chair, has built on the work of those before him, adding his vision and dedication, while supporting GMSG projects that hit at the heart of what is important for our industry as we adopt new technologies and innovations. I hope that I can carry on and expand on that work with a greater emphasis on setting up the industry to successfully navigate the changes in social and technical processes still to come.”

Ash will serve as Vice-Chair, effective immediately, and will succeed Guimaraes, General Manager of Data Strategy at Rio Tinto, as Chair in May. Guimaraes will then serve as Outgoing Chair for two years. “We are grateful to Helius for his dedication and efforts in expanding GMSG’s influence,” Ednie says. “He has been a tremendous help in promoting issues that matter in our industry and recruiting like-minded partner organisations.”

Of his successor, Guimaraes says: “Michelle will truly be an asset to GMSG as we continue to pursue our focus on delivering value to our members, expanding our global footprint and driving innovation and collaboration across the industry. Together, we will continue to boost the level of engagement in our working groups, ensuring value realisation from the guidelines we produce.”