In this episode, we have invited Ivy Chen, Principal Consultant of CSA Global and Director of Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy (AusIMM) to the show. Ivy is also a Director at Western Power and Football West. Ivy is a skilled and knowledgeable geologist whose adept at incorporating technologies to various mining projects and excellent at diversified training. Her current role sees her auditig IPS to ensure that they pose a balanced view - a view that is important given that the resources industry leans toward optimism.

Ivy chose an interesting career path out of university. Working with ASIC! A great listen for all.

It was a pleasure to have Ivy with us.

Ivy’s Career Journey

[02:25]

Ivy had always been in Australia but her expertise allowed her to represent as a trainer for the first Australian-Chinese joint venture in Shanxi Province. She taught a group of older Chinese geologist how to use computer-aided mined planning.

[03:26]

Ivy was amazed on how previous generation geologist draws highly-detailed maps and for her to translate them into a modern computer system is challenging yet fulfilling.

Life as Principal Consultant

[05:02]

Ivy’s work, in a nutshell, is a to be a “Bulldust Detector” where she tests the risk disclosure of mining companies and see if there’s a balance between upside and downside. The mining industry are optimist and loves their project, but this love is the reason why companies tend to forget all the good things. It is her job to take detailed technical reports aided with lawyers to help everyone understand where the risk are and how well they are disclosed.

Directorship Learnings

[07:38]

Ivy learned that a non-executive director is vastly different from someone being on operations. As a non-executive director, you are hands-off on the operation—you cannot tell anyone what they should and interfere with what the CEO is doing. All you do is ask questions, challenge their assumptions, and make them think outside the box that would allow them to craft solutions for any situation.

Diversity

[09:02]

The mining industry is headed to the right direction when it comes to diversity. Ivy emphasizes that it should just be about gender, but also age and ability. She thinks that the mining industry is not great at accommodating disabled people who can contribute many things. Inclusivity should encompass everyone, even those who are different from the norm. The mining industry is headed there, but there are still things to improve.

Issues

[11:35]

Ivy felt that the mining industry have not defined any clear solutions when it comes to social license and environmental issues with climate change on the bigger picture. The industry should learn how to measure and quantify reports for these critical issues that people outside the industry can understand.

[12:29]

The mining industry should show to other industry that they are better. With this, investments flows in and offers on lower interest rates. If the industry will not pay attention into this, Ivy thinks that everyone will lose their social license to operate. Everyone should be conscious of it and ensure to avoid it from happening.

Leaders of Tomorrow

[13:07]

Ivy hopes that the leaders of tomorrow should understand social license and not take it for granted. Social license covers everything – family, friends, colleagues – in other words, the society. The mining industry is not separated from the rest. Everyone is a family and that is important for future leaders to understand. Social license is not just a check box for a compliance list—it is something deeper and meaningful.

Learn more about Ivy Chen on:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ivy-chen-06764613/