The First Female To Appoint  Manager At Goldfields Ghana

The First Female To Appoint  Manager At Goldfields Ghana

Catherine Kuupol Kuutor, is a Mining Engineer and has been the first female to occupy the position of Manager at the Tarkwa Mine and also more than qualified to hold a position as the Chief Inspector of Mines at the Minerals Commission.

According to Mr Martin Kwaku Ayisi, Chief executive officer of the Minerals Commission who appeared on the Ekosii sen afternoon program show on Accra-based Asempa FM, he commended Catherine for reaching that far which has opened the door for her to occupy such a very high position in Goldfields Ghana.

Vice President and Interim Managing Director Elliot Twum has been appointed as Vice President and Interim Managing Director for Gold Fields Ghana Limited. His appointment is effective 1 May 2024. Reporting to the Chief Operating Officer, his responsibilities cover both Tarkwa and Damang.

Catherine Kuupol Kuutor, Tarkwa Mine Manager and Sampson Arthur, Operations Manager, Damang, will both report to Elliot. His appointment as Vice President and interim MD aligns with the exit of Michiel Van der Merwe, Vice President of operations, who will be officially handing over to Elliot later this month.

Elliot was the Engineering Manager for both Tarkwa and Damang, and he has acted as General Manager for both operations on several occasions. Before then, as the Engineering Manager at Takwa, Elliot and his team implemented several industry landmark projects which have contributed immensely to the reliability of the plant and world-class asset performance.

As a culture ambassador and a champion of diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging, Elliot has contributed to and supported the Gold Fields’ Way, including the development of talent and encouraged the participation of women in engineering practice.

Elliot joined Gold Fields in 2014 from AngloGold Ashanti, where he was the Senior Manager of Engineering for the Sadiola and Yatela mines in Mali. He had previously worked at AngloGold’s Siguiri mine in Guinea and spent some time at Kopanang, Savuka and Mponeng in South Africa.

He holds a degree in Electrical Engineering and is an alumnus of London Business School’s Accelerated Development Programme. Elliot is pursuing a Master of Science Degree in Mining and Management at the Colorado School of Mines. He has completed a Post Graduate Diploma in Mining Engineering from the University of Mines and Technology, Tarkwa.

We’re confident that Elliot’s leadership skills, combined with his deep understanding of our operations, will position him to make a significant positive impact.
Tarkwa Mine Manager Catherine Kuupol Kuutor has been appointed the Tarkwa Mine Manager, effective 1st May 2024. Reporting to Elliot, Catherine will be responsible for the day-to-day management and operation of all mine areas, by Minerals and Mining Regulations.

Catherine, a Metallurgist with over 20 years of experience in the gold mining industry, is the first female in Ghana to be appointed a manager of a mine. This is a significant step for gender equity and inclusion. Before her appointment, Catherine was the first female Metallurgical Manager for the Tarkwa Mine, with oversight of the Damang mine. She has on several occasions acted as the General Manager at Damang and Tarkwa. She also became the first female Metallurgical Manager for Damang Mine, when she was appointed to the role in 2017. She joined Damang in 2013 as a Metallurgical Superintendent and was promoted to Unit Manager in 2015.

Catherine is passionate about team building and encourages innovative ideas from team members and colleagues. An accomplished mining professional, Catherine has led business improvement processes and projects that have resulted in increased gold recovery, as well as improvements in processing costs and efficiencies. She also led the optimisation of the Damang mill throughput from 4.2Mt mill capacity to the current 4.8Mt and Tarkwa achieved 14.1Mt mill throughput capacity in 2023.

Catherine is a culture ambassador and a champion of the Gold Fields’ Way, which promotes one team, respect, diversity and inclusion in the workplace. She is an advocate for women’s involvement in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) careers, providing mentorship and coaching to students and new entrants.

Catherine has received several industry awards, including Female Mining Professional of the Year at the 2019 Ghana Mining Industry Awards, organised by the Ghana Chamber of Mines.

She is a PhD candidate in Mineral Engineering at the University of Mines and Technology, Tarkwa, and holds a Master of Science Degree in Mineral Engineering from the same university. She also holds a Diploma in Mineral Engineering from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology. She is a member of the Ghana Institution of Engineers, West Africa Institute of Mining, Women in Mining Ghana and Ladies in Mining and Allied Professions