Catherine Raw was interested in the mining industry early in her career. “A combination of a curiosity about the world around me, a love for the outdoors and a desire to put these two passions to practical use led me to geology and subsequently mining,” Raw said. After graduating from University of Cambridge, Raw pivoted and joined Merrill Lynch Investment Managers (MLIM) as a mining analyst.
After 12 years at MLIM/BlackRock, Raw was offered an opportunity at Barrick Gold Corporation. “Having been a vocal critic of the gold industry and Barrick in particular, the chairman of Barrick invited me to join the company in 2015 and help fix it,” Raw said.
In 2016, Raw became the CFO of Barrick. In 2018, she was chosen to join the World Economic Forum’s Young Global Leaders Class of 2018. In 2019, Barrick merged with Randgold Resources, and Raw took over as COO for North America. Later that year, they formed Nevada Gold Mines with Newmont in Northern Nevada to create the single largest gold mining complex in the world.
“As COO, I am responsible for ensuring the North America business is performing,” Raw said. “It is not just about delivering production but keeping our people safe, acting as a custodian of the environment, working with our partners including our local communities, businesses, regulators and governments to honor our commitments, as well as helping to define our future to deliver shareholder value.”
Raw is proud to be treading relatively uncharted territory for women in the mining industry and hopes to lead by example and inspire others. “Barrick and now Nevada Gold Mines supports programs such as the Women In Science and Engineering Learning Living Center and introduced STEM scholarships for women at UNR,” Raw said. “We also support the Science and Math camp for girls aimed at inspiring girls to get involved in science and engineering-based careers.”