“I loved the case studies and was fortunate to be part of the team competing in the John Molson
International MBA Case Competition, one of the biggest and longest-running competitions of its kind.”
Chantal Gosselin knows her industry inside out, from the depths of mines to high-rise boardrooms. She is currently an independent director at Wheaton Precious Metals Corp., Lundin Gold Inc., Reunion Gold Corporation and Windiga Energy. Wheaton, Lundin and Reunion are three important players in mining globally, while Windiga is developing renewableenergy plants in western Africa.
After completing her degree in mining engineering, Gosselin worked in the development of mines in Canada, Peru and Nicaragua. Wanting to be more involved in the financial aspect of the industry, she decided to complete an MBA at Concordia.
One thing keeps Gosselin pushing forward: “A genuine love of the mining industry. When you enjoy what you do, you want to feel good about it and you want to get better at it.”
Biggest obstacle while at Concordia
“Learning the language as I was completing an MBA. English was my third language after French and Spanish, so reading and writing was tedious. Eventually, I developed techniques using a dictionary and keeping a cheat notebook of words while reading papers and the news.”
On being a woman in finance and mining engineering
“Being a minority in a male-dominated industry has not been an easy ride. It required a lot of patience and guts to push the boundaries. I was fortunate to meet exceptional people along the way who supported me and believed in my capabilities. “Some progress has been made over the past 25 years. However, more needs to be done not only to encourage women to pursue a career in the sector but also promote them within the mining operations and up to the executive team. As great as it is to acknowledge the lack of women in our industry and on boards, change doesn’t happen overnight. Having more women on boards starts from the bottom, not the top.”
On returning to school after 10 years
“It was definitely a game changer. The teachers and the environment made it a wonderful experience. I loved the case studies and was fortunate to be part of the team competing in the John Molson International MBA Case Competition, one of the biggest and longest-running competitions of its kind.”