Today, on Employee Appreciation Day, Agnico Eagle is excited to announce the creation of the Larry Connell Award for Collaborative Excellence and our inaugural award winner, Aarón Ramírez Rubio, Manager, Procurement and Logistics from our Pinos Altos mine in Mexico!
This special award was created in honour of our former colleague Larry Connell, who retired from Agnico Eagle in 2017 as Corporate Director, Regulatory Affairs. During his almost 40-year career in the mining industry, Larry earned the admiration and respect of everyone around him for his positive attitude and superior collaborative skills which enabled him to achieve great results.
To ensure this high-performance standard and positive impact continues at Agnico Eagle this award aims to recognize employees who exemplify the key qualities Larry was known for and the winners are selected based on their impact, collaborative network and their ability to support the success of the Company regionally or globally by effecting positive change. Nominees must demonstrate a high degree of collaboration with colleagues at all levels, a positive attitude in the face of obstacles and a high degree of commitment and professionalism.
Selected from a strong field of candidates Aarón’s collaborative approach really stood out, as he constantly pursues unique and creative ways to not only further Agnico Eagle’s strategies and achieve great results, but also to address regional challenges that simultaneously benefit the local communities, including:
- Strengthening sustainability efforts for all three mines in the region, by offering consulting services to people in the local communities to help them create small businesses that can provide valuable services to the mine, such as personnel transportation and supply of goods and services
- Pursuit of commercial partnerships and the establishment of long-term relationships which benefit both the local suppliers and Agnico Eagle
- Resolving equipment supply challenges by working collaboratively with other mining companies
In recognition of his achievement Agnico Eagle is pleased to be making a donation of $5,000 CDN on behalf of Aarón to a local orphanage in Mexico and we were delighted to welcome him to our offices in Toronto recently where he was presented with the award.
Aarón was humbled upon learning he was nominated by not just one, but three general managers. “It’s difficult when you receive an award for simply doing your job,” he commented. “I don’t think I do anything outstanding, but I try to do my best everyday to be happy and make others happy with my efforts.”
The consummate ‘partner’ – our esteemed former colleague Larry Connell, accompanied by his wife Nancy – were also in attendance as honoured guests as the first award in his name was presented. Commenting on his philosophy about how collaboration supports success in achieving goals, at Agnico Eagle and in general, Larry noted, “Collaboration makes life a lot easier – if you trust in each other and are honest and transparent, you’ll always be rewarded.”