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As the Project Team close out Phase 1 of the 2-year Safety Leadership Program at  Glencore’s Kamoto Copper Company (KCC) Copper and Cobalt mine in the DRC, Sustainability would like to share a bit about each team member, their contribution to the project, and say thank you for the efforts and accomplishments achieved.

Sustainability’s coaching team at KCC are committed to keeping people safe and ensuring each leader has the tools and knowledge required to maintain safety leadership in their own right, in each operating environment.

Now let’s meet the team.

Gary Streek, Technical Coaching Lead

With 30 years of HSE experience all over the African continent, Gary brings a wealth of experience to the team and ensures our clients consistently receive the highest possible level of coaching.

The in-field coaching sessions at KCC typically last between 2-3 hours and is tailored to each teams operating environment. Gary’s consistent approach to each interaction ensures that corrective behaviour is observed as early as their second session. Each coachee’s progress and improvements are tracked along the way.

When Gary is not on site, you’ll probably find him running a marathon with his friends anywhere around the world, an 11 Comrade Marathon veteran.

Gary (pictured to the left) is coaching a processing team on ‘identifying substandard work and operating conditions’.

Greg Dry, Safety Leadership Coach

Meet Greg Dry. Greg has 25 years of experience in HSE with a roll up his sleeves up type of attitude.

Previously a paramedic, Greg is also a qualified rigger which ensures his safety leadership coaching is relevant and backed by on the tools experience operating in high-risk environments.

His passion for helping other people is summed up by the fact that when he’s not on site, you’ll find him volunteering for the National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) whilst at home in Durban, RSA

Greg (on the left) is in the field coaching a team on hoisting and sling usage.

Sam Mukandila, Safety Leadership Coach

Sam has over 10 years HSE experience in the DRC and speaks numerous languages. This ensures his in-field coaching is well understood and on point.

Sam has been instrumental to our Program thus far, most notably receiving praise from KCC’s General Manager, Processing for his attention to detail and no-nonsense attitude to safety leadership whilst on an in-field interaction with the Processing Management team. A great acknowledgment to Sam and Sustainability. Sam’s unwavering commitment will be instrumental in Phase 2 of our Program.

When Sam is not on site, you will find him tending to his small holding about two hours outside of Kolwezi, he is also a beekeeper.

Sam (pictured in the centre) is instructing the Processing Team on Safety Leadership knowledge, transferring skill to the site leaders.

Keith Counihan, Project Manager / Safety Coach

Keith qualified as a Civil Engineer but quickly moved into the consulting space, ‘I realised that I much prefer working with people versus the big infrastructure projects I used to be involved with’ he says. He’s worked on various mines and projects all over Southern Africa for the last decade and is thoroughly enjoying the DRC. ‘’People in the DRC are some of the happiest people I’ve ever had the opportunity of working with, they’re eager to improve and naturally help one another, it’s a privilege to be involved with this client and Program’’ he says.

When Keith is not on site, you will find him on the beach with his wife in the Transkei, South Africa

Keith (pictured in blue) is assisting a Manager with a Friday clean-up session in his workshop area. Tasks like this are used to increase social cohesion within a team environment.

Gary Streek, Coaching Technical Lead reflects on the Project teams’ accomplishments throughout phase one.

There have been some great achievements thus far by the Sustainability coaching team and with Phase 2 having just started, there is still a mountain of work to do in this Program. The response we have had from everyone at KCC thus far has been really positive and there’s been a tangible change in behaviour with all the Managers that we’ve had the privilege of coaching.

It is this discretionary effort by all involved which will affect the change that is ultimately required. So well done to all on a great start to the Program and we are really looking forward to seeing the results emerge from Phase 2.