Inclusive Workplace Design

Allison has worked with local, national, and global leaders to transform the mining and extractive resource sector, with particular emphasis on transparency (Extractive Industry Transparency Initiative) management, systems, laws, regulation, taxation, and effective dialogue. The focus of which has always been People, Planet and Practices.

She has served in organisations at a national and international level, including the World Bank, Foreign and Commonwealth Development Office (FCDO), and the Tony Blair Institute (TBI). She has worked as the lead mining advisor to support many governments, Presidents, and Prime Ministers across various jurisdictions. Most recently, she served as the lead mining advisor in Rwanda over a five-year period and oversaw a series of strategic reforms. 

Allison George is currently the Head of Programs and Initiatives, Development Partner Institute.

Angeles (Angie) Destefano has vast experience with global companies, specialising in Diversity, Inclusion and employee experience. Positions such as Inclusion, Diversity and Engagement Manager at Kinross and HR Consulting Manager at IAE Business School for the LATAM region helped her develop a strong HR background. During the past 15 years, Angeles has led projects for global organisations, delivering DEI, culture change management and leadership program implementations. Also, she has more than eight years in Higher Education positions as a Professor in master programs—author of books and articles on HR diversity and women leadership. 

On a personal note, Angeles deeply believes in empathy and compassion. She’s passionate about humanising the workplace and creating work environments where members can bring all themselves and feel empowered. 

Angeles Destefano is deeply committed to advancing gender diversity and inclusion in the mining industry. She believes that diversity and inclusion is not only an ethical imperative but also a strategic one that leads to better decision-making, more innovation and ultimately, more sustainable and profitable organisations. She has a wealth of experience in the mining industry, including leadership roles, and her skills and knowledge would be an asset to the team. Furthermore, she is passionate about supporting and empowering women in the industry, and she believes that being on the Advisory Council would allow her to make a meaningful and impactful contribution to this cause. Angeles Destefano’s motivation and passion for DEI will make a valuable contribution to IWIM and the community it serves. 

Deirdré de Jager is a seasoned professional with a diverse background in financial services and mining. Originally from South Africa, Deirdré immigrated to Australia with her family in 2017.   With over 10 years of leadership experience in the financial services industry, Deirdré has honed her skills in connecting with people and leading with humility. Her ability to build strong relationships, coupled with her commercial acumen have been instrumental in driving successful outcomes.  

In 2020, Deirdré transitioned to the mining sector and joined Rio Tinto, a leading global mining company. Currently serving as a Procurement Specialist, she brings valuable expertise in change management, project management, and leadership to her role. 

Beyond her professional endeavours, Deirdré is a survivor of breast cancer and serves as a Community Ambassador for the National Breast Cancer Foundation. As an advocate for early diagnosis and fundraising for life-saving research, she passionately supports initiatives that promote awareness and provide support to those affected.  

Deirdré holds a BCom Degree and a Post Graduate qualification in Business Administration. She is committed to continuous learning and staying abreast of industry trends and best practices.  

Deirdré drives diversity and champions equity and equality in the workplace. She believes in fostering an inclusive environment where everyone has the opportunity to thrive. With her strong values and extensive experience, Deirdré is excited about the future of the mining industry and looks forward to making a lasting impact through her work.  

Irene Irazábal is an experienced independent consultant with over 11 years of expertise in development policy and peace matters. She operates at the intersection of the public and private sectors, focusing on the social sustainability aspects of the infrastructure and energy industries. Irene has successfully designed and managed multi-stakeholder programs in Asia, Latin America, and the Caribbean. These programs aim to foster consensus among grassroots and policy-level stakeholders, supporting responsible supply chains and good governance. 

With a background in law and a Master’s degree in International Peace Studies, Irene believes in the value of clear and measurable social performance strategies. She advocates for Human Rights, diversity, and inclusion, recognizing their positive impact on business outcomes. 

Irene actively engages in challenging conversations to promote equity and ensure that diverse voices are heard and valued. She has a keen interest in conflict transformation and alternative justice systems, exploring innovative approaches to foster consensus.  

During her free time, she enjoys practicing sports in nature.  

Country Finance Manager, Thiess. Based in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. Responsible for overall finance function of Thiess projects in Mongolia. 

A CA qualified finance leader with over 20 years’ experience across various aspects of accounting and finance in both profit and non-profit sectors. Over 12 years of hands-on experience in the mining industry within a global organisation. Before joining the mining industry Itgel worked in the non-profit sector for over 7 years, making a contribution to put an end to childhood cancer.  

Itgel is a Member of Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand, holds a Master’s degree from University of New England and Bachelor’s degree from University of Sydney.   

Advocates for Cultural Awareness – Strives to educate herself and those around her about the importance of cultural awareness.  

Jane Yelland has over 25 years of Australian mining experience focussing on health, safety, environment and community disciplines and she holds a Bachelor of Science (Resource and Environmental Management) from Australian National University.   

After starting her career as an environmental science graduate at North Parkes Mine, Jane has gone onto hold a number of technical and leadership roles with Newcrest, North Mining Limited, MIM, Xstrata and Peel Mining.  Providing opportunities for others and giving back to the community are pillars that Jane has held firm throughout her career – this has enabled Jane to blend her passion for mining with a commitment to supporting the development of competent and enthusiastic mining professionals to help meet the future needs of local communities and mines alike.

Katie is the SVP, Sustainable Impact at De Beers responsible for overseeing the development and implementation of the Group’s Building Forever sustainability framework, including working with operational, functional and marketing and retail teams across the business to integrate Social Impact, Biodiversity and Equity, Inclusion & Diversity policies, programmes and partnerships. She is passionate about increasing diverse representation within the mining sector and has led the development of multiple partnerships in this space including with UN Women’s HeForShe Alliance and with WomEng focused on building the STEM pipeline for women and girls from schools through to early career.  

Prior to De Beers, Katie worked for Anglo American based in South America across multiple countries on capital project development, socio-political risk, social performance and community development as well as in KPMG’s Global Risk & Sustainability team based in London supporting clients from multiple sectors on sustainability strategy, management systems and assurance. 

Kevin is a distinguished professional and visionary thought leader with nearly three decades of direct experience in Environment Social & Governance (ESG) and more recently Equity, Diversity & Inclusion (ED&I) related issues in mining. His career has focused on creating sustainable business value, combined with social purpose, through informed ESG strategic planning, and real tactical operational implementation for value protection and creation. He has conscientiously overseen the recruitment, development, and retention of multi-cultural and diverse talent in company-wide HSEC and security functions. He has led teams in multiple company processes, including acquisitions, restructurings, turnarounds, consolidations, and divestments whilst navigating unique ESG-related due diligence, and host country permitting and regulatory requirements. 

Kevin has gained wide-ranging knowledge, and both strategic and operational experience, in a variety of consultancy, managerial, and senior/executive leadership roles from remote exploration camps, construction sites, and operational mines, to Corporate and even Ministerial offices. He has expertly led, guided, and collaborated with multi-cultural and multi-disciplinary teams to address and resolve conflict; reach consensus to secure and maintain local and Indigenous community acceptance (social license to operate); and the creation of sustainable socio-economic value and robust environmental performance.

Kevin has amassed direct operational experience in over fifty countries worldwide, especially in developing countries and fragile post-conflict areas. He is known for his strong cross-cultural competency and deliberate relationship-based approach, He has also worked extensively as a strategic advisor on extractive industry-related developmental programs for major NGOs and with International Funding Institutions (IFIs), including the World Bank, DFID, ILO, and several UN agencies supporting emerging market Governments on policy reform and investment programs. 

Kevin has overseen multi-level government relations and regulatory permitting in numerous jurisdictions coupled with meeting stringent international level financing conditionality for both strategic and tactical ESG-related performance requirements. He has proactively met Board, investor, lender, and key stakeholder expectations and the requirements of numerous ESG related performance and disclosure standards including (ICMM, RGMPs, IFC, EBRD, GRI, TCFD, SASB, etc) through the development of strong internal oversight controls and robust reporting procedures. 

With over 20 years of experience, Marie-Claude Halle is a subject matter expert in mining value chain optimisation and extraction optimisation.  Her operational experience spans across the mining value chain and includes front line and senior operational roles in commodity such as diamonds, aluminum, base metals, lithium, and potash.   In the recent years, Marie-Claude’s focus has shifted to advisory and consulting. As CEO and Principal Consultant of her own consulting company, she specializes in the areas of organizational and digital transformation, new technology and product development, commercialization, and de-risking.  

As innovation and diversity champion, Marie-Claude is involved as Board Advisor to cleantech start-ups, and as Mentor for various women in mining and STEM mentorship programs. Involved in grassroot entrepreneurship, she has worked with organisations supporting tech start-up companies such as the Canadian Manufacturing and Digital superclusters as project assessors.  Well regarded in the industry, Marie-Claude has contributed to several webinar and podcasts, especially on the topic of technology for pre-concentration in mineral processing using sensor-based technologies.  

Marta Mussacaleca is a Partner in our Toronto office. She serves mining clients focusing in operations.  

Leads McKinsey’s approach to diversity and inclusion in mining and leads since 2020 McKinsey’s research into the experiences of women and diverse talent in mining.  

Prior to McKinsey, Marta worked at The Boston Consulting Group. Before that, she worked in exploration and production in oil and gas for Encana and Cenovus. 

She has a Masters in geological engineering and an MBA from Harvard Business School. 

Miia Mikkonen (MSc in Geography, Regional development and politics; MBA in International Business Management) 

I started my career in the mining industry working on ESG in a mineral exploration project, long before social license to operate and good corporate citizenship were called by that name. I have spent the most of my career on the service and technology provider side of the table by commercializing and internationalizing geophysical and geochemical products. Furthermore, I have been the CEO of the Mining Finland association that promotes Finnish mining services, technologies and education to the global mining market before joining my current company. 

I am dedicated to having an impact on a more sustainable, diverse, and socially acceptable mining industry. As part of that I have been participating in the Women in Mining association as a board member and active member in Finland, and now I’m excited to continue this work with the International Women in Mining.

Director, Non-operated Joint Ventures, Brazil – BHP  

Nelly Pazó León is a resources industry professional with 16+ years of experience in law and mining, who is interested in inclusive leadership and innovation. Currently, Nelly represents BHP (BHP.AX) in Brazil, acting as board member of Samarco SA. and the Renova Foundation. Ms. Pazó is actively involved in Diversity & Inclusion initiatives. Nelly has prior experience as an accomplished international in-house counsel, with proven track record in M&A, environmental and social reparation and ESG projects, in the U.S. and Latin America. I  

Nelly Pazó joined BHP in 2011 in Santiago, Chile. She served as in-house counsel for the Base Metals division, working with Portfolio Strategy & Development and Exploration business clients. In such capacity, Nelly advised BHP on a variety of corporate law matters (incl. joint venture management), exploration arrangements in Chile, Peru, Ecuador and Arizona U.S., community engagement and government affairs, regulated markets (Chilean power market), commodity transactions and related legal affairs, HSE management (including safety incident investigations), and capital investments for the company’s Latin American portfolio. From 2017 to 2019 Nelly acted as in-house counsel for the global Acquisitions & Divestments team, based in London and Houston, Texas. She has been based in Brazil since 2019, working on BHP´s environmental and social remediation activities in Minas Gerais. 

Prior to joining BHP, she practiced law for five years as a corporate attorney for international clients at Carey y Cia, based in Santiago. 

Nelly was admitted as Chilean attorney in 2006, and as foreign legal consultant in Texas between  2017-2019. Nelly holds an LL.M in International Law by the University of Heidelberg, Germany, and Universidad de Chile. She graduated suma cum laude in 2004 from Universidad Adolfo Ibanez in Viña del Mar, Chile. Nelly is fluent in Spanish, English, German and Portuguese.  

Olusola Olaniyi is a diligent Researcher, Regional/Exploration Geologist. She is the CEO of Berillos Proconsultants. A person of high integrity having excelled in the mining industry for over 3 decades, working in senior/upper management and directorate positions. She is a former Deputy Director Regional Geology and Liaison Officer, Nigerian Geological Survey Agency (NGSA), a Research Agency of Federal Ministry of Mines and Steel Development where she was actively involved in the general office management, geological data collections, production of maps and geological reports for the Agency’s Publications. She has also worked in Niger River Basin Development Authority and UNICEF Rural Water and Sanitation Project. 

She holds two Masters degrees in Geographic Information System (MGIS) and Business Administration (MBA) with a Bachelor of Science (BSc) in Geology, Certificates in Gender and Mining Governance, and IGF Guidance for Governments: Local content policies.  

Olusola is an ambassador, Delve Exchange Anglophone Africa Forum (Online knowledge exchange and support network of Artisanal and Small-scale Mining associations/communities and quarry workers), member of Women In Mining Nigeria (WIMIN) and Nigerian Mining and Geosciences Society (NMGS), and Certified member Council of Nigerian Mining Engineers and Geoscientists (COMEG).   

She is the Co-Author of Delve Country Profile – Nigeria (Artisanal and Small-scale Mining Data). She has a keen interest in equity, improved welfare and empowerment for all, most especially for women, young adults and children. 

Highly experienced professional with over 20 years of expertise in the fields of anti-corruption, energy, and environmental sectors. She has worked with esteemed organisations such as the World Bank, UNDP, UNICEF, OSCE, and the U.S. Department of State. As a co-founder of Kosovo Women in Energy and Mining, she has played a key role in promoting gender equality and empowering women in these industries. Currently, Shqipe imparts her knowledge and expertise as a faculty member, teaching energy policy at the American University in Kosovo/RIT Kosovo. She actively contributes her insights and perspectives for various platforms and magazines.  

Shqipe holds a double MA degree in Public Administration & Public Policy, with a strong focus on the energy sector, from the Central European University in Hungary and the University of York in the UK. She completed her BA degree in Management & Entrepreneurship from the American University in Kosovo/RIT Kosovo. In addition to her professional engagements, Shqipe mentors students and mid-career professionals from various countries through Erasmus Mundus, Global Women’s Network in Energy Transition (GWNET), and Global Engineer Girls Kosovo mentoring programs. She also serves as a country representative for the Erasmus Mundus Alumni Association.