Global Tailings Management Institute appoints inaugural CEO and technical committee
The new appointments will scale the Institute's work, including an audit and certification process for tailings safety.
The Global Tailings Management Institute (GTMI) is an independent organisation dedicated to improving the safety of mine tailings facilities worldwide through the Global Industry Standard on Tailings Management (GISTM). It has now appointed its Chief Executive Officer, Ed Toms, and established a Technical Committee.
Ed Toms will spearhead the GTMI’s five-year strategy to scale the organisation and create sustainable change across mine tailings facilities globally.
He brings more than 40 years of experience advancing complex organisations and delivering high-consequence infrastructure programmes that strengthen resilience and sustainability across the energy, water and mining sectors.
He is known for building high-performance teams and turning strategy into measurable outcomes by aligning governance, finance, risk, and operations to deliver safe, resilient, and community-positive results.
Toms is the founder of Journey Engineering LLC and a senior executive with decades of experience in mining, dams, and critical infrastructure. He’s held several leadership roles in global professional services and project delivery organisations. He serves on the board of the United States Society on Dams (USSD) and contributes to various committees focused on DEI, climate resilience, workforce development and inclusive stakeholder engagement.
The first GTMI Technical Committee will oversee all technical matters related to the audit and certification process, including accreditation and training programmes. The committee includes board members and other technical experts, and is supported by acting Chief Technical Officer and Board Member, Janis Shandro.
The committee will oversee the development of conformance audit protocols, provide guidance on interpreting any aspect of the GISTM, periodically advise the board on whether the standard remains fit for purpose, and act in an advisory capacity on any other technical issues.
The technical committee comprises:
- Vicente Mello – GTMI Deputy Chair and Senior Vice President at AECOM
- Janis Shandro – GTMI Acting Chief Technical Officer, Board Member, and Owner/Managing Director at Arrowsmith Gold Inc.
- Jeronimo Covacevich – GTMI Technical Committee Chair, Board Member, and Tailings Subject Matter Expert at ICMM
- David Cooling – Private Consultant and Geotechnical/Tailings Engineer
- Theo Gerritsen – Principal Tailings Engineer at BGC Engineering
- Naomi Hodgkinson-Lee MIMMM – Senior Risk Engineer at Zurich Resilience Solutions
- Kristin Pouw – Principal of Water & Waste at Newmont Corporation
Once an assurance framework and a database of independent third-party auditors have been established, the GTMI will invite mining companies and government owned enterprises with operational responsibility for tailings facilities, to become signatories.
Signatories will commit to implementing and conforming with the GISTM, undergoing independent auditing and certification, continuously improving their tailings management practices, and publicly disclosing information about their facilities and auditing outcomes.
Interested stakeholders without operational responsibility for tailings facilities will be invited to become supporters – to share expertise, host or attend roundtables, and participate in other collaborative efforts to improve tailings management.
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