Among the few women in mining, especially during her early years, Catherine McLeod-Seltzer often found herself in rooms full of grey-haired men named John. Yet, she has shattered glass ceilings in the industry, leaving an indelible mark on the global mining landscape.

As the independent chair of Kinross Gold (TSX: K, NYSE: KGC), one of the world’s gold majors, her story recounts perseverance, vision, and a passion for geology and exploration, The Northern Miner’s Canadian Mining Symposium heard Friday in London. Instead of seeing it as a hurdle, she turned it into an opportunity to be heard.