Executive Search & Leadership Advisory

As a provider of employment, the essential minerals, mining and metals are integral to global economic growth and social development.  Despite its connection to almost all industry value chains, the mining and metals industry faces significant challenges and uncertainties. From the pressure to operate in a sustainable manner to technological advancements, the sector is subject to considerable disruption caused by several factors.

The most fundamental issue facing the mining and metals industry is the question of physical availability of metals and minerals from the Earth. Despite increased production of various metals and minerals over the past few decades, the reserves have remained virtually unchanged; however, the sector’s key opportunity is still productivity. Although many have made some improvements in this area, the critical next wave of gains needs a strong focus on loss elimination, with digital being a key enabler.  Mining companies will be compelled to invest in the latest technologies that can be used to discover, define, and mine deposits.

The metals and mining industry faces significant social pressure to act more sustainably and rightly so. The environmental costs of the exploration and extraction process remain extremely high with 3 to 5 percent of the total global energy supply used solely to crush rock for mineral resource extraction. To offset this, mining companies will be required to invest heavily in new low-carbon extraction technologies that can help them reduce their carbon emission and environmental impact.

The need for skilled human resource is an ongoing challenge for the mining industry. Because of the cyclical, long-term nature of the work, mining companies consistently compete for talent, even during market slowdowns. To further add to the challenge, mining jobs are culturally specific — that is, a mining professional trained in the US may not have the language skills and cultural training to work in an Asian country.

As a leading retained executive search firm, Allen Austin is uniquely positioned to fulfill the talent needs of the metals and mining industry. Utilizing our deep industry knowledge and our extensive experience, we assist mining companies to find the best executive-level talent.  We can devise a tailored strategy to attract, develop, and retain the best leaders who can drive a business’s long-term success.

Our ability to deliver superior-quality results to every client lies in our deep understanding of global industry trends. We use this knowledge to help our clients identify and exploit opportunities by anticipating and fulfilling their talent needs in a proactive manner.