BIOGRAPHY
Having completed her PhD at Imperial College, Sarah went to work as a Geologist for Anglo American. She was lucky enough to live and work all over the world in a variety of functions from exploration through to sustainability, risk management and assurance.
Sarah co-founded Satarla in 2014 which provides risk management consultancy, training, and research to organizations from sectors such as healthcare, agriculture, charities, finance, together with petrochemicals, energy, oil & gas, and mining. In recent years, this has focused on integrated risk management with a focus on Environmental, Social and Governance risks.
Sarah is an honorary lecturer at Imperial College London and Research Associate at the She is currently leading the team designing the new IRM Climate Change risk management training course. Voted as one of the top 10 most inspirational women in mining in 2016, she is also a trustee of Geology for Global Development and co-founder of Responsible Raw Materials. In 2020, Satarla were shortlisted for a CIR Magazine award for ESG Initiative of the Year, recognizing Satarla’s work on ESG to date, and are winners of the award for Specialist Risk Management Company of the Year.
Podcast
Sarah took part in The Northern Miner’s weekly podcast and discussed the recent trends in risk management and the importance of sustainability and how miners can better measure their ESG credentials.
Courses
In this introductory course, explore the full breadth and depth of the mining sector. An array of succinct overviews, video clips, and infographics will guide you through a typical mining value chain (exploration, mining, processing, transport, closure, and post-closure). This course is for anyone who is interested in the mining sector and would like a broad overview of the mining value chain without the technical details. Gain a robust foundation to the key components of the mining industry as this course introduces you to the mining value chain, industry specific terminology and key concepts.
4 hours | 90 day access
This introductory course gives the learner a foundational understanding of Environment, Social, Governance (ESG) practices. The content includes a brief history of sustainability, the circular economy, the global factors driving demand as well as the risks and opportunities of ESG in the mining industry. Learners explore ESG practices with a holistic approach to gain insight into the complex relationships that develop between these considerations and how they interact with environmental goals, social strategies and geopolitical relationships. Discover these considerations through an ethical standpoint as well as a business and financial perspective. This course consists of 6 viewing sessions of 15 - 30 minutes each with supporting resources and knowledge checks.
3 hours | 90 day access
This course covers Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) components and their impact on the mining value chain. Participants will learn about the various stages of the mining process, from exploration to closure, and the different ESG threats and opportunities associated with each stage. Learners will also gain a deeper understanding of ESG regulations, standards and reporting requirements, and how these are changing the mining industry.
4 hours | 90 day access
More
In the six years since Satarla was founded, Gordon has seen the paradigm flip from “subtlety” adding ESG to a risk management portfolio, to, over the past year, moving to the forefront of the agenda as investors demand transparency from mining companies and social license to operate becomes akin to a mining license itself.
Today, Gordon is demonstrating her commitment to sustainability by living in an off the grid pod on the family farm in Scotland between Aberdeen and Inverness, relying for energy on a wood fire, gas stove, solar panels and a wind turbine.
“It’s easier said than done but its cool because its what I spend my time talking about — how do we make ESG real? I think it’s got to be done by testing it, and seeing if it’s possible,” Gordon says.
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Sarah was a speaker at the inaugural Edumine Shift Event. This event explored how to move ESG knowledge into the field so that it is top-of-mind for every employee, not just those directly engaged in reporting and compliance activities. The thought leadership panel discussed:
- What are the key ESG priorities and knowledge gaps we need to address in 2021?
- How do you make ESG understandable and relevant to a diverse employee base?
- What are some best practices and success stories we can all learn from?
Watch now >