Mining Demand, Innovation & Circular Economy with Kwasi Ampofo

Mining Demand, Innovation & Circular Economy with Kwasi Ampofo

In this episode of Voices of Transformation, DPI Executive Director Florence Drummond speaks with Kwasi Ampofo, a mining engineer and Head of Mining and Metals at BloombergNEF. For seven years, Kwasi has helped clients understand what the energy transition means for mining supply, demand, and investment decisions, bringing both mining expertise and data-driven analysis to the global commodities challenge. Tune in to understand: * The three external pressures reshaping mining * How mining companies solve problems by scaling, not by innovating at the fundamental level - shown by the cobalt demand curve * Why education and perception matter more than mining admits - demonstrated by mining engineer graduates in Australia * The transformational economic impact mining can deliver - from artisanal to large-scale lever, delivering value that reaches communities, not just corporations. Throughout the conversation, Kwasi emphasizes that mining is everyone's responsibility. If you consume metal products, you own an ore body sitting in drawers, garages, and landfills. The industry recovered only 3.5 percent of copper stock in use through recycling. Moving from a mining company to a material company model depends on consumers becoming suppliers in a closed loop system.

Designing Regional Prosperity through Systems Innovation with Doris Hiam-Galvez

In this episode of Voices of Transformation, DPI Executive Director Florence Drummond speaks with Doris Hiam-Galvez, a system thinker who created the design sustainable prosperity method. With over three decades transforming organizations globally, Doris works at the regional system level to help resource-driven economies evolve past boom and bust cycles into resilient regenerative economic systems. Tune in to understand: * Why urgency is real and gradual change is no longer an option. * Where innovation is most needed: upstream design and initial conditions for success, integration of projects within regional economic and social ecosystems, and decision intelligence using data and systems models to reduce opinion-driven bias in evaluating projects and risks * The critical leadership capabilities for navigating complexity: systemic awareness that sees beyond quarterly results, the ability to operate across multiple time horizons, and creating space where people feel safe to take risks and reach their full potential * How regional economic development functions as risk mitigation. * Why infusing the love of science without pushing recruitment would change mining's image permanently.

Systems Thinking and Innovation with Jon Stanton

In this episode of Voices of Transformation, DPI Executive Director Florence Drummond speaks with Jon Stanton, Chief Executive of the Weir Group. As a global technology provider serving almost all major mines worldwide, Weir brings a unique vantage point on transformation across the mining industry. Tune in to understand: * Why different stakeholder groups are at different stages of transformation—and what that means for collective progress. * How innovation extends far beyond technology into regulation, capital efficiency, and stakeholder collaboration. * Water consumption as a critical, granular challenge requiring system-wide solutions. * The "great tsunami" of retiring talent leaving the industry, combined with urgent needs for data scientists, software engineers, and mining engineers. * Why mining needs to be braver about its purpose. Throughout the conversation, Jon emphasizes that awareness exists across stakeholder groups, but progress requires getting granular. Leaders need to tackle specific challenges, build system-wide thinking, embrace uncertainty and risk, and figure out how to collaborate on connected solutions rather than working in isolated silos.

Creating Mining's Future Workforce - Lessons from Ecuador with Iliana Rodriguez

In this episode of Voices of Transformation, DPI Executive Director Florence Drummond speaks with Iliana Rodriguez, President of Women in Mining Ecuador and former VP of Human Resources at Lundin Gold. Drawing from decades of experience across South America, North America, the Middle East, and Africa, Iliana offers critical insights into building mining's talent pipeline in a country new to large-scale mining. Tune in to understand: * Why high school students in Ecuador's mining regions aren't choosing mining careers—and what this reveals about communication failures across the industry * The difference between listening to be present and listening with the purpose of understanding, and why that distinction matters for long-term community relationships * How Ecuador's first indigenous woman mining engineer is changing conversations by speaking both the technical language of mining and the cultural language of her community * Why Women in Mining networks have evolved from addressing particular regional needs to forming a global movement of horizontal leadership and shared learning * The importance of early regional investment—like building a community museum before the mine reaches peak production—to demonstrate respect for culture, history, and local identity * How transformation requires leaders to get close to where conversations actually happen, break down silos, and continuously retrain themselves rather than relying on outdated business models

Building Mining Projects from Day One - Lessons in Innovation and Community with Allison Coppel

In the first episode of Voices of Transformation, DPI Executive Director Florence Drummond sits down with Allison Coppel, CEO of Pacha Associates and co-founder of Maven Exploration. Allison shares her unique perspective spanning consulting work, a women-founded exploration startup, and direct experience advising projects across the mining value chain. Tune in to learn about: * The shift in the US mining sector toward proactive social performance, moving beyond legal and permitting frameworks to build genuine long-term community relationships * Maven Exploration's innovative model that considers land, people, and natural resources holistically from day one—before deciding whether a mineral deposit should even be developed into a business * Why the most challenging stakeholders are often inside the company, and how organizational culture directly affects the ability to build strong external relationships * The power of values-based leadership under pressure, and why defining company values isn't just "flowery language" but the foundation for navigating complex stakeholder relationships * How Gen Z is reshaping mining's narrative through authentic digital presence—and what established leaders can learn from mentoring the next generation