We are delighted to announce that Marjorie Simard, Assistant Superintendent Geology – CSD in the Abitibi region of Quebec is the fourth recipient of our annual Larry Connell Award for Collaborative Excellence.
Marjorie was chosen from a strong group of nominees for her exceptional mentoring and teamwork skills, her deep commitment to a job well done, and her strong sense of responsibility – all qualities championed by Larry Connell, our retired Corporate Director, Regulatory Affairs.
The award in Larry’s name, which was established in 2018, recognizes an Agnico Eagle employee who is a consummate partner and respected peer, and who fosters our core values of Respect, Responsibility, Equality, Family and Trust. The award also recognizes the employee for their impact, sphere of influence, and for supporting the Company’s success with a high degree of commitment and collaboration.
According to her colleagues, Marjorie knows how to guide, motivate and support her team in critical moments, demonstrating a positive attitude in the face of obstacles. She constantly shares her knowledge, even improving her Spanish in order to better communicate with her Mexican counterparts. Marjorie organizes lunchtime conferences and offers Leapfrog geo-modelling training, always going the extra step to help develop and improve employees’ skills. She is active in her profession and in her community –giving presentations at mining/geology conferences and at the primary school level.
“This recognition is not only a great motivator about collaborating with others, it’s an important reminder not to work in silos and to share your expertise. As a mentor, success is not about me, it’s about my team,” said Marjorie. “It also highlights Agnico Eagle’s ‘open door’ mindset and its culture of trust and respect for others. Through teamwork and collaboration, we are building projects, we are building mines and we are building the future of our Company,” she added.
Marjorie began her career at Agnico Eagle in 2006, working as a PhD student to improve our understanding of the Lapa deposit. She officially joined the Val d'Or Exploration Division in 2011 and participated in the success of the Amaruq project. Marjorie joined Technical Services in 2017 as a member of the Geology team and in 2020, she was appointed Modelling Team Coordinator. In 2021, Marjorie was promoted to her current position of Assistant Superintendent Geology. In this capacity, Marjorie works closely with our different divisions in several countries across multiple geology projects, collaboratively leading various technical projects and committees.
Throughout her career, Marjorie has shown a great capacity for value creation: she breathed new life into the Hammond Reef project, bringing together a multidisciplinary working group to help develop a new model, one of the critical factors that led to the deposit undergoing a pre-feasibility study.
In recognition of her achievement, Agnico Eagle will donate $5,000 CDN on behalf of Marjorie to the initiative of her choice, the Maison d’hébergement Le Nid de Val-d’Or – a shelter that welcomes women and their children who are victims of domestic violence.
We are also pleased to announce our regional finalists for this award:
- Birgitta Brusila, Finland
- Jerome Gamache, Exploration, Abitibi
- Damien Helie, Meliadine, Nunavut
- Ivan Montiel, La India, Mexico
“Respect, responsibility, and trust all come with collaboration, but it also represents to me, family. It is working together that is not only smart from a business perspective, but it also makes our environment a more enjoyable place to work”, said Ammar Al-Joundi, President and CEO, during the virtual award ceremony.
A donation of $1,000 CDN will also be made by Agnico Eagle on behalf of each of our regional finalists to the community initiative or charity of their choice.
Congratulations Marjorie on winning this award and for always embodying the values of Agnico Eagle. Thank you, Damien, Birgitta, Jerome and Ivan – and all of our other nominees – for contributing to Agnico Eagle’s business success.