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Agnico Eagle leader and EY alum says prioritizing people can empower Canada’s mining sector to unleash its potential.
In brief:
- Four decades after starting out at EY Canada, Sean Boyd says the firm’s focus on helping him access versatile experiences has shaped his career.
- Now, he channels that same people-first philosophy to cultivate thriving careers, organizational success and community impact at Agnico Eagle.
Sean Boyd says the best part of the mining industry is the benefit organizations like his can bring to communities. As Vice Chair and Chief Executive Officer of Agnico Eagle, that proposition motivates and inspires him daily. It’s also a theme he credits back to his early days at the EY organization.
“I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t find my way into EY, then known as Clarkson Gordon, back in 1981,” Sean says. “It’s an institution that goes out of its way to make sure they’re developing young people in a way that they can take on opportunities when presented.”
Sean Boyd
In his case, that meant digging into real-world mining clients from the very beginning. That client-focused business experience is one of the main reasons Sean continues to recommend the Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA) designation — and EY Canada — to young people. “There’s no better place to get a really good sense of business than at a CPA firm. You get that exposure and it opens so many doors.”
In Sean’s case, one such door led to Agnico Eagle. When he joined in 1985, there were only five others in the head office. Sean saw it as a chance to surround himself with good people and embrace flexibility to try many different things. He was named CEO in 1998, and now leads the business — Canada’s largest mining organization by market cap.
Sean’s been recognized as the Globe and Mail ROB Magazine’s Global Visionary of the Year CEO, listed among The Best-Performing CEOs in the World by the Harvard Business Review and earned many other accolades. Through all that growth, he’s remained focused on the same ideals that kick-started his career: embrace organizations and opportunities that develop people and invest in that potential to shape the future with confidence.
“In Canada’s North, we have an unbelievable opportunity that all Canadians need to be aware of (…). It’s not just in resource development, but also in the people who live there,” Sean says. “It’s time to start moving in terms of investment rather than just talking about the opportunities. We’re really excited about that at Agnico Eagle. That’s a big motivator for us.”
Summary:
People are everything. Invest in their experiences and engage in their growth to unleash a team’s potential — and move entire organizations and sectors forward.