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Catherine Kuupol Kuutor, a trailblazer in Ghana’s mining industry
Catherine Kuupol Kuutor
Catherine Kuupol Kuutor was on May 1, 2024, appointed General Manager of Gold Fields Ghana’s Tarkwa Mine with a huge responsibility to manage all mining areas.
Her recent appointment has received massive plaudits from a lot of women who hailed her as one of the exceptional and hardworking female leaders in the mining industry.
Catherine Kuupol, has been described as a trailblazer in the mining industry driven by a determination to overcome challenges and reach new heights.
Her professional achievements are truly remarkable. Prior to her recent appointment, she made history as Gold Fields West Africa’s first female Metallurgical Manager overseeing operations at both the Tarkwa and Damang sites.
Catherine’s journey exemplifies the transformative impact of hard work, resilience, and unwavering dedication. She has inspired numerous individuals, especially women, to pursue careers in mining and engineering.
Notably, she sponsors two annual academic awards for Outstanding Achievements in Mineral Engineering at the University of Mines and Technology (UmaT), one for the Best Student Overall and another specifically for the Best Female Student. The awards has since motivated young people to excel in school and progress to securing careers in mines and engineering.
She has been a great role model for the youth especially female students within Tarkwa and beyond.
With a strong background in metallurgy, Catherine has devoted her career to unlocking the treasures in rocks while advocating for opportunities and representation of women in mining.
Her academic journey begun with a Diploma in Mineral Engineering from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) School of Mines in 2002.
Building on this, she pursued a Master’s degree programme in Mineral Engineering from UMaT, Tarkwa; graduating in 2011. Currently pursuing her Ph.D. at UMaT, Catherine continues to deepen her expertise and understanding in the field.
Her illustrious career began at Golden Star Wassa Mine in 2004, starting as a laboratory metallurgist before progressing through various roles such as Shift Supervisor, Senior Plant Shift Supervisor, and International Cyanide Management Code coordinator.
In 2013, she moved to Abosso Gold Fields Limited – Damang Gold Mine as Plant Technical Superintendent, ascending to Unit Manager in 2015 and assuming leadership as Head of the Metallurgy Department and acted as General Manager at the Tarkwa Mine. She led several business improvement processes that contributed to increasing gold recovery at the Damang plant.
Throughout her professional journey, Catherine has shown unwavering dedication to her profession and colleagues, spearheading business enhancement initiatives leading to notable improvements in gold recovery processes.
Catherine also leads a team of dedicated professionals working towards making huge transformation within Goldfields as their contribution to economic growth.
Her exceptional contributions have gained widespread recognition including awards from the Ghana Chamber of Mines, recognition from Gold Fields Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and being honoured as Female Mining Professional of the Year during the sixth GMIA Awards ceremony in 2020.
Through her tireless efforts, Catherine is actively shaping a brighter future for women in the mining industry, leaving a lasting legacy. Catherine has been described as the ‘woman for the people’ as she makes time to socialise and provide a listening ear to anyone she works with, even on a personal level.
Catherine has set the pace for other women to follow as her rise has since become a motivation to her colleagues and women across industries.
By Michael D. Abayateye