Shari Mogk-Edwards

Could you please tell me about yourself?

Catharine Farrow

I am a bit of a vagabond! I have been working in the mining business for over 25 years and my career has taken me in many different directions. For five years, I was the CEO of TMAC Resources Inc. and we built the fist gold mine in Western Nunavut in the high Arctic. It was 650 km NNE of Yellowknife on the Arctic Ocean. Prior to that I was the COO of a subsidiary of the largest Polish mining company. Before that I held a variety of executive positions with FNX Mining and Quadra FNX. And earlier in my career I held a variety of technical positions for both Inco and the Ontario Geological Survey. I retired from TMAC in late 2017 and decided to take a bit of a break. Currently I am focused on the multiple boards that I lead or participate on, for instance I’m Chair of two Boards – Exiro Minerals (a mining exploration private startup),  and the Advisory Board of the Mineral Exploration Resource Centre.  I also hold positions on the Board of Franco-Nevada Corporation, the world’s leading precious metal streaming and royalty company, the Advisory Board of the Mineral Exploration Resource Centre and the Advisory Board of the Goodman School of Mines – both at Laurentian University in Sudbury.

I am also an executive coach and run my own consulting company.

I am with Gord Morrison at the Morrison Copper Mine in Sudbury, named after him. Gord is my business partner and one of the most storied mine-finders in Sudbury mining history. We co-led the team who discovered the mine in 2005 and it went into production three years later.

SME

Wow, what a resume!  I’m amazing you can remember it all! Can you tell me how you found your passion for the mining industry?

CF

I studied geology at University. After my undergrad I pursued my Masters and then a PhD. I was well underway to becoming an academic. Then I changed my mind. I thought I should get a “real job” and was hired by the Ministry of Northern Development and Mines in Sudbury which kicked off a new direction for me. I started off as a technical person in the industry and eventually switched to operations.

I am holding the first gold bar to be produced at the Doris Mill in February 2017, from the Hope Bay Project, Nunavut. As the CEO, this was a huge event in my career and this photo is my most popular post on LinkedIn.

SME

Being a woman in the mining industry seems rare to me. What are some of the unusual experiences you have had?

CF

I have worked a lot in Arctic communities. It is nothing like Toronto! There is no infrastructure. I go where the rocks are and I have done some pretty cool things in places that can be difficult to work in.  As CEO, I was adamant all people were welcome and felt safe in the mining camps. As many as 83% of women in the North have suffered physical or mental abuse in their lives, and I wanted to promote an environment of inclusion. I often asked Inuit women working for us or our contractors how they were feeling. Some actually felt safer in the camp than at home. That said, the Canadian Arctic is an amazing place. The Inuit people are intelligent, resilient and funny. I used to sit with the elders and have tea with them. These memories will always have a special place in my heart.

Standing at a vista, in -40C, overlooking the Hope Bay Project in Nunavut in January 2017. I am very proud of what my team, with the support of the Inuit land-owners, accomplished at Hope Bay.

SME

Did you experience a pivot point in your career?

CF

When I left Inco, I decided to move away from the technical side of things, to change my focus and to start in the business side of the mining industry. That was the beginning of a big change for me.

SME

What do you love about what you do?

CF

I love the crazy mining industry! We do things most people won’t do in places most people won’t go. This leads to a lot of camaraderie. I have been to the Arctic, Africa, the northern USA, China, Europe, South America.  I’ve seen a lot and have had a lot of fun! I love the challenge of exploring and building mines, and putting people to work. I enjoyed being a female in this male dominated industry. And guess what? In my experience, it is women who are the great heavy equipment operators.

SME

You have had an incredible and challenging career. What are a few of the lessons you learned from along the way?

CF

I learned many different lessons from many different people along the way. The biggest lesson for me was, you can’t and don’t know everything. The people you manage know their jobs. So I learned to stop and listen. People rub off on you. You take something from all your interactions and that makes you better. Good leadership transcends gender, race and sexual orientation. Good people are good people. Period.

SME

What are some of the challenges you have faced?

CF

The hardest challenge was maintaining a marriage and a family. I was always on the road, so my husband had to do everything, including raising our son. I was very fortunate to have such a strong supporter. I missed out on a lot too which means I have a lot of catching up to do, and I’m  focused on that now. I think it is a big challenge for women to balance their family and career. Support is critical.

SME

What would you tell your younger self?

CF

Technical skills are very important – but they are not everything. You need to shut up and listen! When I look back at my early career, I was too stubborn to take no for an answer. I must have been very annoying! However, it helped me that I was 5’10” and that I spoke my mind in such a male-dominated environment. The truth is I often had to elbow my way in. You will never be successful as a wallflower.

Taken in a helicopter at the Cobre Panama Mine, Panama.

SME

What do you like to do in your spare time?

CF

I love hanging around with my son and husband because I have missed so much over the past 10 years. I drive my wonderful son to hockey and try to keep fit. I play hockey a couple of times a week.

SME

Switching gears for a moment, do you have a favourite travel destination?

CF

Travel is hard for me. I don’t find it glamorous like many people. I have been stuck in many dingy lounges, drinking terrible beer and crossed too many time zones too many times! I have a million mile replica jet from Air Canada, but the travelling was not fun. I would like to stay home more now. I live in downtown Toronto now and have a house on beautiful Lake Nippissing. I love relaxing there. I do love the Atacama Desert in Chile. It is a wild, weird and wonderful place. I’ve also had some great experiences climbing parts of the Alps. The villages are beautiful and the area is breathtaking. However, I have to say Canada is the most beautiful place I know. The climate isn’t the best and the bugs can be bad, but they don’t kill you! There is such diversity here.

Catching Arctic Char on the shores of the Arctic Ocean, just west of Cambridge Bay, Nunavit

SME

And the final question tonight. Do you have a favourite wine?

CF

I am a fan of what I call big and dirty reds. I have a soft spot for Carmenere from Chile. But to be perfectly frank, I am more of a beer girl. I love IPAs and lagered ales. I like a local beer called Muskoka Detour for something a little lighter. My current favourite is from Flying Monkeys Craft Brewery called Hoptical Illusion. I should mention I’m a fan of Scotch Whisky. I love Islays, particularly Lagavulin. And every now and then I like to indulge a glass of aged rum.

To reach Karen, please contact her: cegfarrow@gmail.com

Cheers!

Shari 🥂