At the beginning of March, Ring of Fire Metals began a new chapter in our journey when our new CEO, Kristan Straub, joined the team
Kristan attributes much of his love for the outdoors and learning to his maternal grandparents, Arthur (Art) and Eva Solomon. Art Solomon was an internationally recognized spiritual and social teacher to both Canada’s Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities. Art was an artisan and a craftsman, having a strong passion for supporting and empowering Indigenous people. As a result of his work in Northern Ontario, a member of Kasabonika gave Art the name Kesheyanakwan (meaning Fast Moving Cloud) when he connected the community’s crafts to southern and international markets enabling them to receive full value for their work. Kristan spent most of his childhood holiday time with his grandparents learning the importance of being a steward of the land and its people.
Kristan studied geology and his appetite for learning led him on many adventures across the world. From early grass roots exploration in Mongolia and the High Arctic of Canada, to project development in Tanzania and Sudbury, to operations management in the South Pacific and Nunavik region of Northern Quebec. His interest in learning more about operations and problem solving led him to shift into operations management, where he had the opportunity to focus on leadership, people growth and mentorship and environmental stewardship. Working in remote locations with Indigenous communities around the world led Kristan to this role. Kristan’s top priority has always been deeply rooted in building trust and relationship building, which were priorities important to Ring of Fire Metals when filling the new CEO role.
“My role is to empower stakeholders and employees to tackle the unknown, create meaningful change and champion the growth of our business through the development of the Eagle’s Nest Project and the infrastructure corridor. Building capacity for new and innovative operations begins with building the capacity of people. We have a responsibility to ensure that this work is done safely with care, respect, integrity and trust. I’m looking forward to our shared work delivering results for local communities and stakeholders and I am committed to doing this in an open, honest and transparent manner.” – Kristan Straub
