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Leadership

Our Philosophy

Our strength comes from our people – combining our broad perspectives and expertise results in novel thinking and practical solutions. This is how we make meaningful progress, everyday, across our operations.

The diversity, integrity, and ingenuity of our people enhance our ability to make sound judgements. We get to know each other and we recognize each other’s contributions. We engage in respectful debate and value each other’s ideas.

We deliver on our commitments by having a bias for action and tangible progress, by caring about the quality of our work, and by always striving for excellence. We believe that by improving the processes of today, we can define the best practices of tomorrow.

Leadership Profiles

Image description: Profile image of Luc-Bernard Denoncourt
Luc-Bernard Denoncourt, ing., PMP  
Project Manager

Côté Gold is a flagship project for IAMGOLD, and it’s a privilege to be leading this team. Greenfield mining projects like Côté are rare, and this one incorporates all the diverse challenges one could expect when building a new mine. I enjoy the teamwork involved in my role. It’s important to me that we problem-solve together. I prefer a team approach to decision making and strive to keep everyone informed and updated.

My consistent focus is always on health and safety. I also believe we can build a sustainable operation that delivers opportunities for the community. We aren’t only building a mine; we are building the team that is going to shape what this operation becomes. Côté will be a part of northern Ontario mining for decades to come, and it’s the Project team’s responsibility to give this mine the best start.

I am a mining engineer with 20 years' industry experience. My focus for the past several years has been project management. I am a Project Management Professional (PMP) and have a master’s certificate in project management. Before joining IAMGOLD, I was a project manager at SNC-Lavalin. Within IAMGOLD, I have managed the plant expansion at Rosebel Mine in Suriname and implemented the project management office at Essakane Mine in Burkina Faso.

Image description: Profile image of Mathew Wilson
Mathew Wilson, BEng, BCom, MAusIMM 
Mine Manager

Working at Côté Gold, we have the privilege to build a mine the right way from the start. I'm particularly excited about our use of autonomous machinery, which will allow us to mine as safely and efficiently as possible. Autonomous technology has been deployed with excellent results elsewhere, and I’m proud to be involved in delivering those results in northern Ontario.

As a leader at Côté, I value collaboration. Developing a project of this scale requires contributions from a broad range of people and organizations. To use a sports analogy, a good team needs excellent athletes and well-rounded team players, and people aren’t always both.

Recognizing talent diversity and bringing the team together towards a shared goal is important. I also value the willingness and courage to ‘have a go’, improving as we learn.

The support that Côté has received from our First Nation partners, our investors, the local community, and government stakeholders has been vital to our progress so far. It is my hope that our success will also be theirs in the years to come and that we can reward their trust.

In my 17 years in the mining industry, I've held engineering, operations, project, and management roles. I've worked in underground and surface operations in Western Australia, Ontario, Quebec, Tanzania, New Caledonia, and Suriname, in both gold and base metals. I studied at the Western Australian School of Mines – Curtin University and hold bachelor’s degrees in mining engineering and commerce.

Image description: Profile image of Hugues Bergeron
Hugues Bergeron, ing., PMP
Construction Manager

I am excited to be working on a greenfield project, and I find my work at Côté Gold constantly interesting, challenging, and changing. I am a leader who likes team alignment, and I will make the tough calls when needed. Through structure and systems, I am able to empower my team to work consistently and with accountability.

The day-to-day changes at site are very exciting to see; I enjoy monitoring the progress daily. The build in front of us is titanic but, with teamwork and a step-by-step approach, we are up to the challenge.

I graduated in mechanical engineering from Université du Québec à Chicoutimi and have worked in chemical plants, oil and gas, and mining and metallurgy, in Canada and abroad.

Image description: Profile image Simon Beaulieu
Simon Beaulieu, ing.
Construction Manager

I view the Côté Gold Project as the ‘Stanley Cup finals’ of project execution. This is a once-in-a-career opportunity, the largest industrial project in Ontario right now, and a transformational project for IAMGOLD. I am proud to be a part of it, and I am determined to succeed.

Having been involved in mining projects for 20 years, Côté gives me the opportunity to apply all the project management best practices and systems. And having worked overseas for many years, it’s fun to be able to work on something so big in Canada. Another factor in my decision to join Côté was the team – we have the A-team on this project, and we support and learn from each other. We are united in our drive to succeed. 

As a leader on this Project, I aim to set a good example; I am results-oriented with a focus on the logical paths forward. For me, uniting our team around a common goal, making a plan, then executing, is the best process. 

My ultimate goal is to complete the Project with an excellent safety record. I want all workers to go home without getting hurt on our site. I also want to make sure we complete the Project with as few impacts to the environment as possible. Another priority is creating benefits for our local communities and Indigenous partners and ensuring that they can benefit from the training opportunities and infrastructure. 

I have a bachelor's in geological engineering from Polytechnique Montréal and started my career in Sudbury working for INCO. Since then, I have worked in tailings management and then mining project management for SNC-Lavalin. Within IAMGOLD, I have worked at our mines in Africa and Suriname and joined Côté in 2020.

Image description: Profile image of Jackie Lamothe
Jackie Lamothe
Human Resources Manager

I am a northern Ontarian and have been Human Resources Manager for Côté Gold since 2018. Côté Gold is a project I’m excited about because it presents a unique opportunity to build a new mine while benefiting from previous experiences. With more than 20 years in the mining industry, I have seen many ways to operate and I want to bring the industry’s best practices to Côté. We want to build a diverse team that shares our passion and drive to define the future of mining.

My broad HR experience includes leading teams in talent acquisition, talent management, policy development, IBA negotiations, as well as community, labour, and government relations. Côté challenges me to use the skills developed over my career in all these areas and apply them to this new operation.

Previously, I have worked for Vale in Sudbury and St. John’s, Newfoundland, and for Glencore (Kidd Mine) in Timmins. I hold a Bachelor of Law and Justice and Political Science from the University of Western Ontario and a post- graduate degree in human resource management from Seneca College.

Image description: Profile image of Francis Letarte-Lavoie
Francis Letarte-Lavoie, P.Eng.
Operations Manager

There’s no other project in Canada right now that is as interesting as Côté. Starting a mine from scratch is one of the greatest adventures you can have. I have been working on Côté since the design phase. I am excited about the scale of the work and also about some of the processes we will be using that are unique to Canada. As the leader of our operations team, I am working to ensure my colleagues participate in the process to develop this mine. We are a stronger team when people’s diverse experiences are shared and used as a foundation to develop our best practices.

Ultimately, my goals are to achieve commercial production and nameplate capacity while remaining on schedule, on budget, and guided by our Zero Harm® vision. The Operations Readiness Team will oversee the commissioning phase of the plant, so we are working on robust plans and ensuring the systems – health, safety, security, and environment – are solid and in place.

I studied metallurgical and materials engineering, specializing in mineral processing, at Université Laval. My career started out in operations, but in the last 14 years I have focused on industrial processes in base, precious, and industrial metals across sites in Canada, Africa, and New Caledonia.

Image description: Profile image of Simon Girard
Simon Girard, P.Eng.
Maintenance Manager

Côté Gold is a greenfield project and will be the company's next flagship. Expectations are high, but so is the stakes for the company, as this will be a transformational mining project for IAMGOLD, one that is on the cutting edge of technology in the mining industry. Everything has to be designed from scratch and we have the opportunity to use our past experiences to make the right decisions and establish the right processes from the beginning.

I want to set the new standard for the company and implement the most optimal maintenance system that Iamgold ever had. I want to make sure that we will be able to maintain the integrity of our equipment right from the start of operations and to achieve the planned ramp-up. To ensure that we have the right maintenance strategy in place based on a risk management approach.

Starting an operation from scratch takes a lot of work and commitment, but it is the size of the challenge that makes it exciting. I feel privileged to be part of such an adventure and the greatest reward we will have is the sense of accomplishment once it is over and the mine is in stable operation.

I am a mechanical engineer with 12 years of experience, and I have been working for IAMGOLD for the past 11 years. I started with IAMGOLD on the Essakane project Phase 2 in 2011, followed by a multitude of roles in the IAMGOLD universe such as Chief Engineer – Mill and projects (Essakane), Maintenance and General Services Superintendent (Westwood) before joining the Côté Gold team in April 2021 as Maintenance Lead.

Image description: Profile image of Werner Venter
Werner Venter, CA(SA)
Finance Manager

A few things attracted me to Côté Gold. I have never joined a mining company while it was still in the project phase, with many of the organizational and work structures, policies, procedures, way of work and culture still needing to be developed and implemented.

It is exciting to join the team at this stage and be part of the journey to success. I was also attracted by the dynamic, energetic and agile team – I recognized it as a team that works well together, collaborates, challenges each other, is focused on solving problems and most of all, delivering results.

If you like to be part of an agile, dynamic team that is focused on solving problems, working together rather than against each other and on delivering results, then Côté Gold is for you.

I hold a post-graduate degree in Accounting from the University of Pretoria in South Africa and am a member of the South African Institute of Chartered Accountants. I have worked in the mining industry for over eight years. I spent six years at Mutanda Mining Sarl in the Democratic Republic of Congo, joining as a Business Analyst and ending my time there as the Chief Financial Officer of the mine. Prior to joining Côté Gold, I was the Head of Finance, North Atlantic for Vale Base Metals in Canada.

Image description: Profile image of Ben Stinson
Ben Stinson, CRSP
Sustainability Manager

It goes without saying that everyone at Côté is excited about building a “state of the art” autonomous operating mine.  Although that is exciting, this is not what drove me to Côté.  The thrill for me, is the opportunity to help build a safety culture. How often does someone get the opportunity to build a culture from the ground roots?  We can define our own safety culture, and we have started; “People First”.

Working at Côté is like being on an NHL all star team.  Our team is “stacked” with the best in the industry.  Almost every single person in every department is one of the best in their field.  I truly believe that in order to build this “best in industry” mine, that you need the best resources to do it.  If you’re on the Côté team, feel proud to be one of the best!

I truly believe in people first and that has been my philosophy from the start of my career.  Money isn’t the only driver that motivates people to do their best!  People need and want to feel part of a team that cares, trusts and supports each other.  The safety team and leaders of Côté will demonstrate “Visible Felt Leadership”.  We will be out in the workplace engaging our leaders and workers to help them work safely and go home with “Zero Harm”. I want our workforce to truly care about their own personal safety and the safety of their co-workers.  The only way to truly achieve Zero Harm is when we all care for each other’s safety.

I graduated from the University of Waterloo with an Honors Bachelor of Environmental Studies degree, majoring in Environmental Science.  In addition, I am a certified lead auditor (OHSAS 18001) and hold a black belt in Six Sigma.  My latest achievement was receiving the Canadian Registered Safety Professional (CRSP) designation last year.

JOB OPPORTUNITIES

For those seeking employment opportunities at Côté Gold, we are currently accepting applications online via our jobs portal.

WORKING AT CôTé

At Côté Gold, we offer a supportive and empowering environment where we are challenged to do things differently.

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