Garth Kirkham rides each wave of Canada’s mining industry

Garth Kirkham travels as a lecturer and operates Kirkham Geosystems from his home office. — Photo courtesy Garth Kirkham

From his diverse background to his go-getter attitude, Garth Kirkham has created an inspiring career for himself. Now settled in Vancouver, he has a lengthy list of awards and positions under his belt.

An impromptu decision years ago led him to his current success. “I meant to come here for one week to sail, but I never went back,” Kirkham said.

Whether it’s taking on a new task, breaking new ground in the mining industry or dropping everything to move to the West Coast, Kirkham is game to ride each wave that comes his way.

An exceptional work ethic has led him to create his own successful consulting business, Kirkham Geosystems, and take on a variety of volunteer positions.

When we think of mining, we generally don’t think of Vancouver as a hotspot, but Kirkham managed to find his niche on the coast years ago. “I went and found a company in the mining industry,” he said. “They were creating computer 3-D modelling systems for the mining industry, which was a direct line from what I was doing in the oil and gas sector.”

By building on his specialization in resource estimation, Kirkham found himself riding the forefront of another wave. “That technology is now what everyone uses," he said. "It hasn’t changed that much since then.”

Kirkham’s diverse background has moulded him into the mining industry’s Everyman. He dabbled in everything from typing to mathematics to engineering to geosciences throughout his education.

“It was kind of a funny route actually," said Kirkham. "I look back at my career and it seems a little disjointed. But it all kind of makes sense.”

Now, he is the president of the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum and volunteer chair of multiple boards, and his unusual skill set proves useful. “Now when I’m on a team of engineers, it’s very collaborative," he said. "I get them and they get me. There’s a real understanding.”

Many engineers consider geology a softer science, but Kirkham holds the edge with experience in both engineering and geology.

A good credo that Kirkham lives by is "Do what you say you are going to do, and do it when you said you were going to do it.”

He applies this to both his work and personal life. Despite being busy winning countless awards and passing his knowledge on to young adults, Kirkham still manages to find ample time for his family.

Returned praise and knowledge have always been of top value to Kirkham. Over the past few years, he has travelled across the country to present at universities. Most of his lectures have revolved around National Instrument 43-101 and best practices within the mining industry.

“I pick the things that matter to me but are also the constituent pieces for the things that protect the public, which is NI 43-101, the role of the professional and best practices,” he said. “I have kind of made a career of that also . . . in an indirect way.”

Kirkham believes standards equate to protection, and an interest in public safety has co-piloted his life. “I got involved in the actual base aspects of the law that everyone (in the industry) must abide by,” Kirkham said.

The result is that he is as disciplined as a geoscientist, as creative as a liberal arts student, as particular as a mathematician. His broad base has set the standard for the melding of specificity and flexibility required in his daily routine.

While Kirkham travels as a distinguished lecturer, he still runs Kirkham Geosystems from his home office. “You never really leave work,” he said. “However, I am always here and always available. I don’t have a door on my office.”

An organized schedule, driving by credibility and compassion, lets Kirkham have—and do—it all.

“I like to respond to things immediately,” he said. “And I’m very much reward-based in that I like to do the hardest part first.” At the base, it’s this type of personality that achieves success, especially success in the form of a Westerman award, which is the premier award for professional geoscience given by the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of British Columbia.

“It’s the biggest award of my life,” Kirkham said. “But in my acceptance speech, I just let everyone know . . . that the reason I’m awesome is because you’re awesome.”

Drilling down

NameGarth FamilyKirkhamCompanyKirkham Geosystems Ltd.Must readsLord of the Rings or Mineral Resources Estimation by Rossi and DeutschGreatest career moment“Last weekend, hands down, winning the Westerman. In my world, when somebody says ‘Hey, that man/woman is a Westerman winner,’ it’s like saying that they are a Nobel Prize winner.”Quotable“I’m a real get ‘er done kind of guy. We may not get it completely right now, but we have to get started on it—then get it completely right.”