The latest Global Business Report – Mining in Ontario and Toronto’s Global Reach 2020 showcases an interview with CSA Global’s, Partner-Business Development, Stan Wholley on growth through consolidation.
In the consulting space, world-leading environmental and sustainability advisory group ERM (Environmental Resources Management) acquired mining consultancy CSA Global in July 2019. “Both companies were looking to grow and diversify their services,” said Stan Wholley, president of the Americas at CSA Global, who mentioned that the synergies and shared culture between the two organizations made the merger seamless. “CSA Global was undertaking more study work as we transitioned but had to outsource services, such as environmental, social license and permitting.
At the same time, ERM had recognized a shift in the mining industry where investors were demanding stronger requirements for environmental, safety and governance. Reflecting this change, ERM was searching for a group with an excellent reputation in the mining market that could assist them in growing in this area,” explained Wholley, who mentioned that 2019 was CSA Global’s best year to date, pointing to increasing demand for hydrogeology services as one of the company’s global growth drivers. “Access to water is always an issue and it is getting more scrutiny as it becomes a scarcer resource globally in light of people’s fears about climate change,” he concluded.
“We feel the brand of mining is at a tipping point. It is fighting an ambition to be seen as attractive to its customers, investors, employees and wider society – while facing the reality of tailings failures, fatalities, and sometimes questionable practices, or jurisdictions that put profit before people,” reflected Louise Pearce, global mining lead at ERM, who spoke of the “mining trust gap” – a growing divide between what companies do and what they say, and the perception of how our stakeholders interpret that. “The wider the gap, the harder it is to rebuild trust – especially when it comes to ESG related issues,” she added.
Click on the link below to download full article.
Stan Wholley
Partner – Business Development
Stan is a geologist and a manager with 25 years’ experience in exploration and mining geology. As Partner in the Americas, Stan is focused on ensuring that our network of staff and associates across the globe work collaboratively to achieve best outcomes for our clients. As a principal-level consultant, Stan provides high-level advice on a diverse range of topics from project management, valuations and geo-corporate strategy relating to ASX, TSX and LSE/AIM reporting and compliance. He has strong experience in iron ore and base metal geology, together with demonstrated expertise in delivering high-quality outcomes from discovery through to resource development and training.