Xavier Chagnon, B.Eng. 2019

I chose McGill Mining Engineering because I knew I wanted to do engineering and wanted to travel the world as part of my work. By choosing McGill, I got to learn in English which allows me to work internationally in French or English.

Over the course of my studies at McGill, I was able to set the foundation for my future career in the mining industry. I completed a total of 20 months of co-op placement at Syncrude, Stornoway Diamonds and Glencore. To find co-ops, I visited the co-op liaison officer often, participated in field trips and mock interviews, and hung out in the Mining Lounge with upper year students. I was also involved in extracurricular student initiatives such as the Co-op Mining Engineering Undergraduate Society (CMEUS), the Canadian Mining Games (CMG) and the World Mining Competition (WMC). I also attended the student portion of large industry events organized by CIM and PDAC.

Since graduating from McGill, I got my first job as a Junior Mining Engineer at Nemaska Lithium where I obtained my Engineer’s Permit with the OIQ. I continued being involved with mining-related initiatives such as Young Mining Professionals (YMP) and helped organized the 2021 CMG hosted by McGill and Polytechnique Montréal. I am now working as a Business Advisor, Operations and Projects at IAMGOLD Corporation.

In my current position, I report to the Senior VP Operations and Projects and I provide technical and strategic advisory for current and future projects and operations. I travel for work to Suriname, West Africa, and different parts of Canada. What I like the most about this role is that I get to have a global view of how a mining company is run and then I can act locally for the greater good of the company. I also really value the mentoring by senior staff and the ability to learn from them every day.