VOL. 07 | ISSUE 3 | September 2024
So Much Opportunity: Kathleen Quirk Shares Career Journey, Optimism for Future in First Town Hall as CEO
Encouraging the professional growth of employees and embracing new technologies and innovation are vital for Freeport to thrive in the future, Kathleen Quirk said during her first town hall with employees since becoming Chief Executive Officer in June.
Quirk, Freeport President and CEO, described her own rise in the company – which she joined in 1989 as an accountant. She also shared her optimism about the future of copper as the industry is being shaped by new technologies and the demands of electrification. She repeatedly returned to the theme that Freeport is a “special” place to work, where people succeed in their careers through hard work, ingenuity and a willingness to “take the initiative.”
“It’s just the type of company and the way we’re structured that if someone really wants to go after something and learn and just be part of a team and contribute, the sky is the limit,” Quirk said when asked about her own career trajectory.
“I never had any plan to be CEO of the company,” Quirk added. Instead, she focused on learning the business, asking questions and looking for opportunities where she could contribute to the company’s success.
“I was always thinking about what the company needs were and where I could be useful and how I could work as part of a team to help solve problems to help move us forward.”
Worldwide viewership
Quirk spent more than an hour answering questions at the virtual town hall. Some came from Erich Bower, General Manager-Strategic Workforce Development, who moderated the event. Others came from employees who viewed the event online from company locations in North America, South America and Europe.
Quirk was named President of the company in 2021 and became CEO June 11, succeeding Richard Adkerson, who remains Chairman of the Board of Directors. Adkerson – whose mentorship through the years Quirk praised – did not offer specific advice for how she should lead the company, she said, though she added his oft-repeated saying of “Do the right thing, and don’t screw up” did come to mind.
Quirk’s priorities for the company are embodied in the Freeport Five, a set of principles displayed behind her during the question-and-answer session.
Getting to know Kathleen Quirk
Youth Activities: Sports, student government, entrepreneurship (lemonade stand)
College: Louisiana State University, Bachelor of Science in Accounting
First Professional Job: Accounting position at Mobile Oil in Dallas
Personal Interests: Spending time with friends and family, playing pickleball, watching sports, tennis, anything at LSU, New Orleans Saints, Arizona Cardinals, Arizona Diamondbacks, Phoenix Suns
Motto: “Prepare to prosper”
Those are: Keep our people safe; execute reliably and responsibly; develop our people; embrace innovation and technology; and develop our assets for profitable, long-term growth.
Safety is foremost, Quirk said. The most rewarding part of her job is the personal interactions she has with people across the business, she said. Nothing is more important to her personally or for the business than workers going home safe at the end of their shifts.
“If we can’t do that, we don’t have a business.”
There is plenty of room for career growth at Freeport, with jobs in a wide variety of operational and technical fields, Quirk said. She encouraged people building their careers to take advantage of training opportunities, ask questions and be willing to take on challenges to add value to the company.
“There’s just so much opportunity in this company,” she said. “You will never be bored at this company if you really want to work hard and you really want to learn.”
Supporting growth
Leaders and more experienced hands also need to be willing to take chances on newer workers eager to advance, help them learn leadership skills and give them opportunities to achieve success.
“All of us as leaders, as co-workers, as team members, all need to take part in helping develop people,” Quirk said.
In 2003, Kathleen Quirk became Freeport’s first female Chief Financial Officer at the age of 40.
Supporting growth
Leaders and more experienced hands also need to be willing to take chances on newer workers eager to advance, help them learn leadership skills and give them opportunities to achieve success.
“All of us as leaders, as co-workers, as team members, all need to take part in helping develop people,” Quirk said.
On other issues, she said technology and innovation will help allow the company to unlock new copper from existing assets. New leaching techniques already are producing hundreds of millions of pounds of copper once thought unrecoverable in old stockpiles. The company already is cost-efficient, so new technology and techniques offer significant opportunities to get full value out of existing assets, Quirk said.
“Innovation and technology are going to be our edge, and we are already way, way out front with some of the things that we are doing,” she said. “We’ll have to do it more and more. This business is not getting easier, so technology and innovation are a big part of our focus. We are going to have to make more investments in it. It’s going to make us all better.”
The most popular question of the day – the one that nearly stumped her – came from an employee and quickly drew the most likes online. Quirk was asked to name her go-to karaoke song. Initially she insisted it is not Sweet Caroline, the 1969 Neil Diamond hit. But after some thought she relented and said, “I guess it will be Sweet Caroline.”
Competing in sports as a youth helped shape Kathleen Quirk’s (No. 41 in photo) leadership style and work ethic.
Speaking of … Kathleen Quirk Talks About Her Career, Supporting Others and Staying Positive
Kathleen Quirk spoke about numerous topics during her first town hall since assuming Chief Executive Officer responsibilities. Some highlights from her conversation with employees:
Keys to career success
“I want to learn, and I want to understand what’s going on, so I ask a lot of questions and try to analyze situations. In terms of leadership and being successful, I think it really comes down to working with people. You can’t be a lone ranger and be a successful leader.”
Mentoring others
“If you’re a leader within our organization, look around you at the people and take a chance because they’re going to help you long term. And if you’re coming up in the organization, don’t be afraid to say to your supervisor, to friends or others, ‘I might be interested in a job like that. I want to learn a little more about this.’”
Staying positive
“I try not to let things get to me – particularly little things. You think about negative energy when you let little things get to you. It’s all the negative energy you spend on that little silly thing. So, I try to not let things bother me. I try to let things roll off my back.”
People first
“I’m empathetic about people. I’m passionate about people and their families. At the end of the day, nothing is more important than people coming home safe every day.”
Encouraging the next generation of Freeport employees
“I told someone the other day, ‘This is our time.’ There is a greater appreciation for metals. They recognize the need for metals, and we’ve got to do it responsibly. When I talk to people now about what we do, you can see it registering more than it used to. We’ve got to get out and start with people’s kids. There’s something for everyone in this company.”
Advice for women in the mining industry
“I’ve never really thought about being a woman, and most of the people around are men. It just never really was a factor. I was always treated as just another person around the table. I felt that way about myself, and I felt that way about others. I would just try to encourage women to be themselves. You don’t have to be something else; be yourself. I think you’ll find people in our company are very open to anybody.”
Advice to younger self
“I would tell people to get involved in things. Growing up, I happened to get involved in sports, but that’s not for everyone. But for me, I did get involved in sports, and you learn so much in team sports and individual sports. You learn to push yourself enough to do well and to fail and step back up. You learn how to motivate other people on the team. Get involved in something growing up. I really did have the lemonade stand; I really did have the vending machines.”
Looking ahead
“Freeport is so well positioned. You’ve got companies out there that want to have our assets; they want to have our exposure to copper. It’s impossible to replicate what we have in this company. I’m so excited about what we have in the pipeline.”
Kathleen Quirk, pictured during a visit to PT Freeport Indonesia, looks forward to further connecting with employees during future site visits.