Kim Morrison is a globally recognised leader in tailings governance and sustainable mining practices. With more than 27 years of experience, she has helped shape international guidelines and elevate environmental, social and governance (ESG) performance across the mining sector. Since joining ATC Williams in July 2025, Kim has brought a strong internal focus to her role, championing technical excellence and staff development as cornerstones of the company’s future.
What is at the top of your agenda as Chief Technical Officer?
At ATC, technical excellence is a shared value and a legacy we’re proud of. My current focus is on strengthening our Quality Management System (QMS) to ensure robust quality assurance and risk management across all service areas. But just as important is how we support our people in delivering that excellence.
I’ve been encouraged by the number of staff who’ve reached out with ideas and feedback. It’s clear that our technical teams want to be part of shaping how we work. We’re exploring how to ensure every staff member, from junior to senior, has a ‘technical home’ and feels connected to our Technical Communities. These communities are vital to our OneATC approach, helping us build depth across disciplines and offices.
How is ATC supporting staff to thrive?
Nurturing our people is central to everything I do. I want our staff to feel that ATC cares about their growth, not just professionally, but personally. I’ve worked closely with our People and Culture team to refresh the Career Development Framework, giving staff a clearer path for advancement.
Later this year, we plan to launch a formal mentoring program, encouraging staff to seek mentors outside their immediate teams. This opens up new perspectives and helps build internal networks. Mentoring is close to my heart – I’ve seen firsthand how it can empower individuals, especially women and culturally diverse professionals navigating STEM careers. My door is always open for those conversations.
How will your commitment to industry education benefit ATC?
We have launched ATC University, a platform to support learning and development across all levels. We are planning in-person workshops on geotechnical drilling and engineer of record, respectively, for delivery in Q4 2025 and workshops on tailings management and project management, in Q1 2026.
ATC University will help staff build internal networks, develop presentation skills and explore areas of interest, while reinforcing risk management processes. We’ll start with the basics, such as Project Management 101, Tailings Management 101, and similar topics to support our entry- and mid-level engineers and scientists.
Our annual Technical Seminars, to be held in September, also provide a space for knowledge-sharing and collaboration.
Is ATC exploring Artificial Intelligence as part of technical excellence?
We’re taking a thoughtful approach to AI, looking at how AI can assist us navigate and lead disruption in our space as a thought leader. We have drafted an AI policy and formed a working group to explore both safe and secure adoption across our core disciplines, and innovative future approaches to implement AI. It’s early days, but the potential is exciting.
Where can we see you speaking next?
I’ll be presenting as a Keynote Speaker at ANCOLD’s ‘Developing the Next Generation of Dam Engineers Forum: Think Tank 2025’ in Melbourne in September. The title of my presentation is “Developing the Next Generation of Tailings Practitioners: Lessons from Nearly 30 Years in the Field.” ATC’s Dr Yuqi Tan, Senior Associate Geotechnical Engineer, is on the organising committee for the Forum. I’m proud that ATC is sponsoring several staff to attend, and grateful for the enthusiasm from our team.
Why Australia and ATC Williams at this time in your career?
Australia has always felt like a second home. I spent time working on secondment in Perth in 2008-2009 and have long hoped to return. Sixteen years later, I’m thrilled to be in Melbourne and contributing to ATC’s mission. What drew me to ATC was its strong reputation for technical excellence and its genuine commitment to people. The company’s culture of collaboration, mentorship and continuous learning aligns closely with my own values. It’s a place where I can help shape not only internal technical standards but also the next generation of professionals in our field.
You can read more about Kim’s career journey in the August 2025 edition of Mining Engineering Magazine pp 26-28.
Please connect with Kim on LinkedIn