AusIMM elects first female president

Mining industry consultant Alice Clark has been elected the first female president in the 117-year history of The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy (AusIMM). Ms Clark will take up her new role in January 2011.

The AusIMM was founded in 1893 and represents more than 10,000 professional members who work in the global minerals industry.

Ms Clark has worked in the minerals industry for 25 years in a range of roles in both small and large companies. Prior to setting up an international consultancy in 2002 specialising in the assessment of exploration and mining activities, she was Chief Geologist at the Mount Isa copper-silver-lead-zinc operations.

Ms Clark is a Director of The AusIMM and Deputy Chair of the Joint Ore Reserves Committee (JORC), which sets the standards for reporting exploration results, mineral resources and ore reserves to the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX) and the New Zealand Stock Exchange (NZX).

In her acceptance speech to AusIMM’s annual general meeting in Wollongong on Sunday 16 May, she noted the importance of self-regulation and the maintenance of high professional standards in the mining industry.

“The AusIMM Code of Ethics and the JORC and VALMIN Codes are at the core of the institute and professionalism. I am particularly passionate about our institute’s codes, their effective application, and communication of their importance within the institute and to the broader industry and the community,” she said.

In congratulating Ms Clark on her election, current AusIMM President Greg Chalmers said that in appointing a leader with extensive commercial experience, and a longstanding dedication to continual improvement of professional practices, the institute had shown that professionalism remained its core value.

“Like our industry as a whole and the Australian communities who rely on mining for their wellbeing, the Board and members of The AusIMM face many challenges and we have enormous confidence in Alice as someone who will capably represent our members to governments and the community.”