The Mining Association of Canada (MAC) has named Ben Chalmers as its new president and CEO. He succeeds Pierre Gratton who is retiring after more than 15 years leading the association.
Chalmers joined MAC in 2011 and has managed its Towards Sustainable Mining (TSM) initiative ever since. In his current position as senior vice-president, he oversees MAC's public affairs, communications and government relations work.
“This is an important time for mining in Canada, and the Board conducted a thorough search to find the right leader for MAC,” said Carol Plummer, the chair of MAC’s board of directors. “Ben stood out for his knowledge of the sector, his record at MAC and the relationships he has built with members, governments and partners.”
Chalmers’s mining career began in 2004 as an environmental supervisor at the Myra Falls operations in B.C. Prior to joining MAC, he served as vice-president of environment and technical affairs for the Mining Association of B.C., and as a senior policy analyst with Natural Resources Canada (NRCan). In 2014, he was recognized by the Canadian Institute of Mining (CIM) as a distinguished lecturer for his work on the mining sector’s tax transparency. He also serves on the board of directors of ReThink Mining, where he chairs the governance committee.
“After fifteen years with MAC, I've watched how Canada's mining sector has grown to become a recognized strategic sector for the country. I'm excited to keep building on this work with our members and partners across Canada,” Chalmers said in a news release. “I want to thank Pierre for his years of leadership, friendship and for the guidance he has provided to me and to this association.”
MAC says Gratton will retire Dec. 31, 2026 and will support the transition over the following months.
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