optima INTERVIEW

DAVid WOOLFALL; all other photos anglo american unless otherwise stated

04 | Optima | september 2010 Thriving under pressure In three years, Cynthia Carroll has turned the tide. Initially not seen as the obvious choice for the number one job, she now has results to back up her ambition – from delivering significant cost savings and operational performance to a much improved safety record and more women coming in to the organisation. Exclusively for Optima, Kim Fletcher asks the chief executive how she really measures success.

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t’s early Monday morning head office and other corporate offices, paces to her desk to grab a shoulder bag, and Cynthia Carroll’s week challenging it to share around the pulling out files about new shift is already in full swing. The business the mining and other expert patterns, better extraction techniques, Collahuasi copper mine knowledge it has accumulated over single or dual global-supplier deals for I(44 per cent owned) in Chile has the years. tyres and lubricants, and for conveyor returned to normal working, Carroll explains the point of the equipment – where around a hundred though some of its sub-contractors reorganisation: “We need to get as close suppliers have been reduced to six... continue to strike; miners at as we can to where the action is associate , in South Africa, happening and where the decisions are ynthia Carroll was not an are threatening to walk out over taken. How do we become as efficient obvious fit when she arrived pay; and, in Australia, a big as we possibly can? What does the HQ C from the Canadian aluminium argument is raging between the look like? What is the most efficient business Alcan as chief executive mining industry and government way to organise ourselves, given that three-and-a-half years ago, at the age over the proposed imposition of a we have decided to divest some of of 50. Anglo American was very South so-called resources ‘supertax’. these businesses?” African, very male and liked to look But in her top-floor office at Anglo inside for its leaders. Here was an American’s headquarters in London, “People talk to me. They tell me American, a woman and an outsider. the company’s chief executive is What did she find? “A company upbeat. She’s recently back from their concerns. In the past, it wasn’t with outstanding capabilities and talking to investors in Miami, at the culturally acceptable to tap the people, and a desire and a willingness Merrill Lynch Global Metals & Mining manager on the shoulder and tell to do great things – that was all on the Conference in May 2010: “I couldn’t him what you think. When it was the positive side. Where it was clear that believe the crowds of people who CEO, it was completely unheard of.” we had to improve was in safety. No wanted to listen to our story, the kind matter how much some people talked of people who a couple of years ago just about it, there wasn’t consistency, there weren’t interested in us.” Alongside those changes, the weren’t universal standards and there Cynthia Carroll talks with the air of company is energetically sweating wasn’t a clear objective of safety being a woman who has the company assets and saving money on its supply number one.” structured and organised as she wants chain. It set itself a target of $2 billion She talks passionately on this subject, it. In the past year, Anglo American has uplift by 2011 and, ahead of evidently proud that fatalities last year resolved to concentrate on the seven expectations, achieved $1.6 billion last were 29 per cent down on the year commodities it believes to be most year. Now, Carroll is confident it will before – and a 55 per cent reduction on attractive – copper, iron ore, platinum, make that $2 billion extra from its core January 2007. Some in the industry still metallurgical coal, diamonds, nickel business alone, without taking into argue that mining is inherently and thermal coal – and sell off other account any contribution from the dangerous and that safety is a peripheral bits of the business. businesses it intends to sell. She’s issue; she believes it goes to the heart of Now the management teams for justifiably pleased: “It’s an absolutely the business: “To put care and respect each commodity business sit in the phenomenal result. It’s amazing if you on the table and say that is a commodity’s core geographical area just mobilise people – give them the fundamental value for us is a big shift and take responsibility for operational framework, give them the training, tell from what it was a few years ago. That performance, project delivery and them what they need to do and give means care and respect for everyone in reducing costs. As part of changes them leeway to make the right decisions our organisation. We are going to make saving some $120 million a year, Anglo and apply the right judgement.” sure that people are being looked after.” American has stripped away divisional How does a miner find efficiencies Those who wondered what her layers of management and pruned the on such a scale? Carroll leaps up and words would mean in practice soon

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01 Cynthia Carroll, June 2010, shortly after returning from the Merrill Lynch Global Metals & Mining Conference: “I couldn’t believe the crowds who wanted to listen to our story.”

02 Making a point at Dawson Central coal mine in Australia, February 2007

03 Reviewing mining plans during a visit to Mantos Blancos in Chile, April 2009 01 safety trend, not only within the Anglo American Group, but across the South African mining industry, where fatalities have declined by around 25 per cent. “I like to think that I opened people’s eyes to the possibility that mindsets can be changed as far as safety is concerned. With Anglo American’s annual fatality figure down more than half over the past three years, and with really big underground operations such as our platinum mines 02 03 going for long periods fatality-free, found out in South Africa when, in the it would put pressure on us internally people are starting to believe that zero first few months of her being in charge, to deliver, it would expose us and put harm is achievable.” Carroll brought up 28,000 miners from pressure on the competition.” Carroll believes the latest the Rustenburg platinum mines’ She laughs, making light of what improvements in productivity are underground operations to instigate a must have been a tough battle: “Initially, directly related to care of the safety training programme. In case I was quite unpopular in certain areas of workforce: “For me, safety affects anyone remained in any doubt about the business. And we had some people – what goes on in all aspects of the change, she involved the mining trade mine managers, supervisors – who put business in terms of people’s mindsets, unions and the South African their hands up and said, ‘I can’t do this. their approach, the degree of government in tripartite talks: “People I can’t live by these standards.’ We said, teamwork that they have, how they asked: ‘Are you sure you want to do this? that’s fine, thank you very much. We look after one another – that You are going to be exposing Anglo both need to go our own way.” consistency of standards flows American, you are going to be exposing And it’s Carroll’s way that has helped through to every other aspect of the industry.’ I said I was absolutely sure: bring about a significantly improving the business.”

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There were other changes of style. ast year, Forbes magazine named remain controversial. Many 01 Cynthia Carroll Cynthia trained as a geologist before Cynthia Carroll as the fourth environmental groups have Anglo goes underground with employees going to business school. She knows L most powerful woman in the American in their sights. The American at Thermal Coal’s her way around a mine: “I’m going to world. It’s a power that sees her in online magazine Grist is typical; it Goedehoop colliery in South Africa, two coal mines next week and I’m discussions with presidents and prime refers to the chief executive as ‘Cyanide February 2007 going to a couple of concentrators on ministers – and state governors and Cynthia’ in its coverage of Pebble, 02 the platinum side.” Is that unusual for mayors. Some have been taken by , where the company is On the platform of one of the huge a CEO in the mining business? She surprise: “I had one individual who investigating a large copper, gold and ore-carrying trucks laughs again. “It probably is.” told me he wasn’t accustomed to my molybdenum deposit. It’s the usual at Los Bronces

She states firmly that she feels very approach. ‘We don’t know how to deal debate: jobs and tax revenues versus 03 During a visit to connected to the operational side. with you, we are so used to putting the threat to a pristine wilderness, Los Bronces copper “I understand it very well and, because boxing gloves on and fighting. You want particularly to local fish populations, mine in Chile in 2007 of my years of experience visiting to talk, you want to sit down and try and if mining effluents escape. other mines or operations, I know work out a solution together. This is so She addresses the point without when things are going well and when completely different.’ rancour: “No question about it, they can 03 they’re not. It’s the only way I can “That’s definitely something I’ve make a lot of noise and I think there’s touch the people on the ground and brought – transparency and openness, going to be even more noise they can tell me what’s going on. I also no hidden agendas. We’re not going to surrounding companies in the know the issues, I know where things always agree, but as long as we extractives industry. And if such a could crop up and I know where understand the reasons and make an company gets things wrong in a big way things are going exceptionally well. effort to engage, that’s what’s going to and mistakes are made… then there are “People talk to me. They tell me lead ultimately to success. going to be that many more NGOs and what their concerns are. That’s a very environmental groups coming out difficult thing. As you get further up “I like to think that I against national resource development. the line, it’s even harder because you “We have to engage first and are that much more removed from the opened people’s eyes foremost with the representatives and guy mining the platinum on the to the possibility that potential future employee base and ground in South Africa. In the past, mindsets can be the people we are going to impact it wasn’t culturally acceptable to be changed as far as most directly. At Pebble, the local tapping the manager on the shoulder mayor has requested that we continue and telling him what you think – and safety is concerned.” doing development work, so that we when it was the CEO, it was can all take a view when the facts are completely unheard of.” “I’m really encouraging people in our on the table. She may talk to anyone, but organisation to connect, to engage, to “We won’t ever be in a position to beneath the smile there’s a hint of the understand what the issues are so that satisfy everybody. There will always be steel that has brought her to where we know what could be in terms a degree of scepticism and opposition she is: “Of the two mines I’m visiting of policy and regulation. We work to mining development. On the other in South Africa, one of them has had together to do the right thing for the hand, the people whom we really have a very poor performance over the countries and communities where to be listening to are those people in last six months and one of them has we operate and, ultimately, for the regions where we are operating. had a very impressive performance. Anglo American.” “You have to be working with the So I want to go to one mine and It should be said that this is not a governments, from the president congratulate them, and I want to go description of the business that is or prime minister all the way down to the other and remind them where recognised by its detractors. The through ministries, local governments, we need to be.” activities of big mining companies mayors and all the levels at which we

08 | Optima | september 2010 01 Timeline Cynthia Carroll’s career

1956 Born, New Jersey, US

1978 Graduates from Skidmore College, Saratoga Springs, New York, with a bachelor of science in geology

1982 Gains a masters of science degree in geology from the University of 02 Kansas, before joining Amoco, now part of BP, as a petroleum geologist, working in gas and oil exploration across the US

1989 Completes an MBA at Harvard Business School. In the same year, she joins aluminium company Alcan Inc., based in Montreal, Canada

1996 Appointed managing director of Alcan’s Aughinish Alumina division, based in County Limerick, Ireland

2006 Leaves Alcan as president and chief executive officer of the company’s Primary Metal Group, which, by that time, had become Alcan’s biggest and most profitable division

2007 Joins the board of in January, becoming chief executive two months later. Appointed a non-executive director of BP in May

2008 Appointed a member of the Business Council for Britain

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operate. Engage with them, get them to understand what we are about, what we stand for, what we are going to do, not only for Anglo American but for the employee base and the community, and how we can build on a sustainable basis for the long term. “When I think about going into a particular location, I’m thinking not about 10 or 20 years out. I’m thinking about generations – and the impact and the legacy that we will leave in those places. That’s the way we all have to think about things if we are going to be welcome, if we are going to build a relationship that is one where we all feel that we are adding and benefiting from the presence of the mine and that people feel that they want us. That 01 takes hard work.” 01 Listening to a basis on acreage that we are impacting local resident’s views in the area we are likely to mine. It’s a on the proposed s evidence in support of her Pebble project – very interesting and innovative thing proposition, she describes the Alaska, 2008 that we are doing there.” work that Anglo American has Is there a danger that she pursues A 02 During a visit been doing in South Africa: the Zimele to Australia in public good at the expense of enterprise development programme September 2009, shareholders’ profit? “Well, there is a Cynthia Carroll that will see the development of 25,000 delivers the keynote balance. We also have to have priorities. new jobs in 1,500 new businesses; speech at the We have to know where the value is. We Brisbane Mining Club pioneering work on HIV/AIDS; awards can’t do everything, but we can do a 03 for workplace programmes. 03 Peruvian great deal. We’ve got to do the right “We need a lot more women. I think “You have to think whether you can President Alan things, day in, day out, year after year, women do support a different mindset Garcia and Cynthia actually improve the current situation, Carroll meet in the decade after decade.” and maybe a different culture, as opposed to having a negative impact Presidential Palace, And to what extent has she particularly around safety. Caring for Lima, June 2008 on it,” muses Carroll. “On the Witbank approached this job differently one another, prompting people to think coalfield, in South Africa, we’ve because she is a woman? “I’m not very differently, is one thing that women do developed a $44 million water recycling preoccupied with being female. I am particularly well.” plant. Together with BHP Billiton, we what I am. I’ve always worked in a The number of women working in are recycling mine water into drinking male-dominated environment – starting Anglo American has increased fast water – 80,000 people from the local with oil and gas, then moving into since she took over. In South Africa, community now have drinking water alumina; I ran an alumina refinery in women now occupy about 20 per cent every day. That’s fantastic – and we are Ireland. I think that was a big shock of the management ranks, while many now planning to expand the facility.” on the ground when it was first now work underground in jobs And in Brazil, the company is announced, but after a couple of weeks formerly reserved for men. In Australia, working with NGOs: “We will create a I don’t think anybody was thinking any where managers were initially too farm environment on a like-for-like more about it. embarrassed to discuss the absence of

10 | Optima | september 2010 stu ri stu l ey

number of ‘megadeals’ fall through, and there are all sorts of challenges for companies, not least from an anti-trust point of view, in trying to reach even less formalised arrangements than a full-blown merger or takeover.” So where is she going to spend the $1.3 billion Anglo American has just made from the sale of its zinc business? “We’ll see. That’s the next step. It’s about delivering on our commitments, bringing our significant near-term projects on stream, driving that performance and ensuring it’s sustainable. Not just in 2010, but year after year. Then we’ll think about organic growth and how the upside 02 looks relative to other investments. women with her, there are now women “I’ve brought transparency and “I don’t want people to be involved in all aspects of the business. openness. One individual told me he distracted by having money through Carroll’s been looking after global the door and wanting to get on to businesses for the past 12 years. With wasn’t accustomed to my approach. something else. We always have to be four children, aged between 10 and 16, He said: ‘We are used to putting boxing aware of what is out there and what she’s grateful to have an accountant gloves on and fighting. You want to sit an investment – an excellent husband who works from home. “It’s down and work out a solution.’” investment – looks like compared to a matter of having someone who growing organically.” is enormously supportive and willing and the Kolomela iron ore project in How, exactly, will she measure to do these sorts of things. South Africa. It is these projects that success? The business has announced “I also have a lot of energy, and sleep will be driving production growth over its ambition: to become the investment, well – if not enough! It helps.” the next three years, beginning with the partner and the employer of choice Barro Alto early in 2011. in the mining industry – in short, to be n 2009, reflecting the impact of the Having fended off Xstrata’s the leading global mining company. global downturn on commodity approach to the company – “We’d Is that realistic? “The biggest I demand and prices, Anglo done our homework and had a very doesn’t translate necessarily to being American’s operating profit halved to complete fact base. We knew where the most profitable. The aim of our $5 billion, with underlying earnings of they sat relative to us in the industry. investment strategy is to outperform $2.6 billion. Crucially, however, it kept It was very clear in terms of the offer the competition on a sustainable basis, faith in its project pipeline – one of the on the table that it was a non-starter” and that is an achievable goal. strongest in the industry. In 2010, it – does the chief executive expect “I am fairly modest, but there’s no is investing $4.2 billion on its major further consolidation? “I’m not sure question we are seen as the company growth projects, notably the that I do see that much. The small on the move in the industry.” Minas Rio iron ore and the Barro Alto miners, the junior miners, will be And with that, it’s time for her to nickel projects, both in Brazil, the picked up, along with some of the be on the move. She has a business Los Bronces copper expansion in Chile mid-sized players. But we’ve seen a to run.

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