The latest Global Business Reports – Mining in Ontario and Toronto’s Global Reach 2020 showcases an interview with CSA Global’s, Partner-Business Development, Stan Wholley and ERM Global Mining Lead, Louise Pearce.
How did the purchase of ACA Howe International expand CSA Global’s North American presence?
CSA Global purchased ACA Howe, a well-known Canadian consultancy firm, in 2016 and used it as a platform to expand our business in North America. We transitioned from a junior exploration focus to mid-tier production assets-focus and diversified our services in geology, exploration and mineral resources to include technology, data analytics and mine engineering, which has enabled us to reach a broader selection of the mining community.
Can you elaborate on the recent acquisition of CSA Global by ERM?
CSA Global was recently acquired by ERM (Environmental Resources Management) in July 2019, a world-leading environmental and sustainability advisory group. CSA Global was growing rapidly and had expanded our service offering beyond our core strength in geology, mineral resources and mining into hydrogeology/hydrology, technology and more corporate facing roles. The company 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 recognised 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.
Has the recent strong performance by the Australian mining industry been reflected in CSA Global’s business?
In terms of financial performance, our year ending June 30, 2019, has been the best year in our history at CSA Global. We have spent a lot of effort making this happen – restructuring the business in the period 2013 to 2015, focusing on high-quality staff, making sure we have an excellent service mix that matches our client base and looking to expand that client base.
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.
Have you noticed increased attention to ESG issues in the mining industry?
Trends around climate change, technology transformation and global interconnectedness, coupled with recent catastrophic mining disasters, have put pressure on the mining and metals ecosystem to operate and use resources
more efficiently, safely and responsibly. As a result, the sector is under close scrutiny from all its stakeholders. We feel the brand of mining is at a tipping point. It’s 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. We have labeled this growing divide ‘the
mining trust gap’. It’s that difference between what we do and what we say, and the perception of how our stakeholders interpret that.
Can you provide examples of innovations utilized by ERM that are contributing to more environmentally-friendly mining practices?
ERM’s ‘The Mine We Want to See’ is a model focused on sustainable mining practices developed in consultation with the industry and stakeholders. Through our service lines, we help our clients incorporate sustainable practices into their business – at both a site and corporate level. Examples include: Providing expert support to the G20 Financial Stability Board’s Task Force on Climaterelated Financial Disclosures (TCFD); helping clients to understand their water risks from a catchment-wide perspective; contributing to the development of international and local mining benchmarking standards.
Has the recent strong performance by the Australian mining industry been reflected in CSA Global’s business?
The addition of CSA Global’s services, including their core geology and operational performance, provides enhanced capabilities for us to address our clients’ issues and challenges across the full life cycle of their business. Other recent acquisitions such as The Fifth business, a change management consultancy and the think tank, SustainAbility have also significantly enhanced our service offering to mining clients.
Louise Pearce
Global Mining Lead – ERM
Louise has over 25 years of international consulting experience, she concentrates on developing corporate strategy and risk management programs, alongside managing global due diligence and post-merger integrations for the mining sector.