This is the next in our series of interviews with the founders of highly respected recruitment businesses, to uncover what makes them stand out in their market. Lincoln Strategic is a specialist executive search firm for leadership roles in the mining sector. Steven Bergounhon, who has more than 15 years of experience in mining recruitment, shares how his firm approaches these demanding searches and what clients and candidates should consider when a business-critical role needs to be filled.
Key takeaways
- Mining search needs to assess the operational capability a role requires, rather than match job titles alone.
- Briefs should reflect the business stage, location, technical demands and culture of the operation.
- Clear communication helps both clients and executives evaluate whether the fit is right.
What specialist mining searches involve
Tony Restell: What does a specialist mining executive search firm do differently from a generalist agency?
Steven Bergounhon: Mining is a uniquely complex industry. Roles can be in remote locations, involve highly technical disciplines and operate within rigorous regulatory environments. A generalist agency can find people with the right job title. Where it struggles is judging whether a candidate's experience fits the operational reality of a particular position.
“A mine build, a restart and a steady-state operation each call for a different kind of leader.”
Steven Bergounhon, Managing Director and Partner of Lincoln Strategic
Specialisation means understanding the competencies needed across exploration, project development, construction and active operations. It also means connecting a deep industry network with rigorous evaluation, so the person selected meets both the technical requirements of the role and the company's long-term objectives.
The distinction is simple. Is the hiring team looking for someone who has held a similar title, or someone who can deliver what the role actually requires? The second answer demands an in-depth understanding of the industry, its challenges and its key players. A mine build, a restart and a steady-state operation each call for a different kind of leader, and the title alone will not tell you which one you are looking at.
Tony Restell: Which roles and leadership levels do you handle? Do you work from CEO right down to site level?
Steven Bergounhon: We are typically brought in on business-critical roles, and mining companies have those at every level. At the executive level that means CEOs, COOs, vice presidents and directors. At site level it includes general managers, mine managers, chief metallurgists and principal engineers, along with other senior technical specialists.
The brief depends on the organisation's priorities. A search may focus on enterprise leadership, site performance or a specific technical capability. We also source leaders for the initiatives shaping the industry right now, including decarbonisation, sustainability and the energy transition. Our services span executive search, site leadership and senior technical expertise.
Assessing capability, not just credentials
Tony Restell: You stress understanding the technical problem a hire needs to solve. What does that mean when you assess a candidate?
Steven Bergounhon: It means looking beyond keywords on a resume. Two candidates can have similar titles and years of experience, yet very different depth in the underlying technical principles and in how they apply them.
The assessment has to be tied to the real requirements of the role. What will this person need to understand, decide and deliver? What experience would show they can do it? Those questions separate familiarity with a subject from the ability to work through the problem the business needs solved.
For clients, it pays to be precise about the challenge behind the vacancy. A clear brief gives the search team a far better basis for identifying and evaluating relevant experience.
Tony Restell: How do you work with a client to understand the business before a search starts?
Steven Bergounhon: Open, consistent communication is essential. We need to understand the client's business goals, operational challenges and culture. That context tells us what the position must accomplish and how a candidate might fit.
It matters for another reason too. A search firm represents the client to people who may not yet know the business well, so we have to explain the opportunity accurately and credibly. That takes more than a list of responsibilities. It takes a shared understanding of what the organization needs and what it can offer.
Our approach rests on three beliefs: talent is transformational, inclusivity inspires innovation, and collaboration is key. In practice that means recognizing the impact of the right person, engaging diverse talent and working closely with the client throughout.
Searching across borders and changing needs
Tony Restell: What does it take to source talent across borders, and what are the practical hurdles?
Steven Bergounhon: An international search is more than finding people in different countries. You need to understand the relevant candidate networks and account for cross-border requirements, relocation logistics and immigration. Those practical questions often decide whether a candidate is genuinely available and what support the hire will need to succeed.
An international footprint helps. Lincoln Strategic is rooted in Canada, with offices in downtown Toronto and in Timmins, in the heart of Ontario's gold camp, and international offices in the UK and US. Our team has completed executive search and recruitment projects in more than 50 countries, which helps us navigate the considerations that come with searching around the world.
Tony Restell: How has demand for decarbonisation and sustainability leadership changed the briefs you receive?
Steven Bergounhon: Mining companies need talent to respond to shifting priorities, including decarbonisation, sustainability and the energy transition, so some searches now focus on people who can lead that work.
The key is to define the role around the organisation's needs rather than assume every brief looks the same. The expertise and responsibilities depend on the work the company needs that person to lead.
Talent risk, and advice for both sides
Tony Restell: What is the biggest talent risk facing mining boards over the next few years?
Steven Bergounhon: The most consistent risk is treating a critical hire as a simple match of title, credentials and years of experience, without defining the capabilities the organisation needs for its next stage of growth. A company about to build, restart or expand has different needs from one optimising a mature operation, and the hire should reflect that.
Boards and executive teams should tie hiring decisions to their wider business and operational priorities: what expertise will be needed, how success in the role will be judged, and whether the company is planning ahead for future leadership needs. Succession planning makes those conversations more deliberate.
Tony Restell: What advice would you give a mining executive considering a move, or a client planning its next hire?
Steven Bergounhon: For clients, start with the problem the hire needs to solve. Be clear about the business goals, operational challenges and culture the person will join, then assess candidates against those needs rather than familiar titles or career histories.
For executives, look closely at the responsibilities and context of an opportunity. Ask what the organisation needs the role to accomplish and how your experience applies. A good match is about more than a role that sounds familiar. It is about whether your strengths fit the work ahead.
In both cases, clear and open communication helps. The more precisely needs and expectations are understood, the more useful the search and assessment process will be.
About Lincoln Strategic
Established in 2008, Lincoln Strategic is a specialist executive search and talent acquisition partner to companies in the mining sector, precious and base metals producers, and related markets. Its services include executive search, site leadership and senior technical expertise. Learn more at lincolnstrategic.com.
About Steven Bergounhon
Steven Bergounhon is Managing Director and Partner of Lincoln Strategic, based in Timmins, Ontario, with more than 15 years of experience in mining recruitment. He has built senior leadership teams for mine development and restart projects, and chairs the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum (CIM) Porcupine Branch. Connect at sbergounhon@lincolnstrategic.com or lincolnstrategic.com.
