The Global Tailings Management Institute (GTMI) has appointed its first Board of Directors, chaired by former Anglo American CEO Mark Cutifani.

The multi-stakeholder board will have Vicente Mello, senior vice-president at AECOM, as its deputy chair.

The board's role is to oversee the implementation of the Global Industry Standard on Tailings Management (GISTM), promoting “safety, continuous improvement, accountability and transparency in tailings management”.

After the GTMI's establishment in January 2025, a selection process was conducted, attracting more than 150 individuals from various stakeholder groups.

The process was facilitated by GTMI co-founders the International Council on Mining and Metals (ICMM), the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) and the Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI).

The diverse board includes members from the mining industry, technical and academic communities, potentially affected communities, Indigenous Peoples, the mining workforce, environmental experts, regulators and the finance sector.

The GTMI board reflects a diverse mix of gender, geography and stakeholder interests, with members such as Janis Shandro, owner/managing director of Arrowsmith Gold; Mutuso Dhliwayo, executive director of the Zimbabwe Environmental Law Organisation; and Jacqui Hex, environmental scientist at Jones & Wagener.

Other board members include Andressa Lanchotti, public prosecutor; Edson Krenak, indigenous scholar and advocate; John Howchin, special advisor at the Global Investor Commission on Mining 2030; and Jeronimo Covacevich, tailings subject matter expert at BHP.

Cutifani said: “The institute is a key part of the global infrastructure to ensure we can achieve zero harm to people and the environment from tailings waste. It is a unique collaboration, focused on aligning standards and supporting each other to create a safer and more socially sensitive mining industry. Taking past lessons and developing new and innovative approaches is at the core of how we come together to continuously improve our approach to mine waste and tailings solutions.”

With the board now in place, the GTMI will work on the development of core programmatic activities. These include the establishment of a technical committee, the development of an assurance framework for independent auditing of tailings facilities, and the creation of training and accreditation programmes to certify facilities against the GISTM.

Vicente said: “The Brazilian representation on the board is significant and reflects that the institute was born out of the Global Tailings Review, which was formed directly after the tragic Brumadinho dam collapse in 2019.

"Having the important insights of key individuals that were prominent in responding to the disaster will strengthen the work of the Institute and its essential role in driving implementation of and conformance with the GISTM. Brazil learned hard lessons that should be shared globally.”