Kelowna’s Jeff Stibbard has done it all in the mining industry, from being a labourer, welder, driller and miner to shift boss, mine manager and now CEO of an international mine development company.
Such a career arc caught the eye of the judging panel of the Kelowna Business Excellence Awards, which named Stibbard Kelowna’s business leader of the year for 2019.
Stibbard, 53, is CEO of JDS Mining, a company that has developed diamond mines in Canada’s Arctic and South Africa, copper and gold mines in the Yukon, numerous gold mines in South and Latin America, gold mines in Turkey, silver mines in BC , and energy projects in Alberta and around the world.
While JDS’s head office is in Kelowna, 95% of its business is outside the city and more than 50% of that activity is outside Canada.
The Kelowna Business Excellence Awards will hand out trophies in a dozen categories Nov. 1 at the Delta Grand hotel and honor Stibbard at the gala event.
The business leader of the year is announced beforehand as a way to promote the awards.
Though most of Stibbard’s work is outside Kelowna, the Business Excellence Awards decided to honor him because such enterprise is important to the city’s economy and makeup.
Entrepreneurs are drawn to Kelowna for its weather, scenery, lifestyle, pro-business attitude and airport connections.
Many companies can be based in Kelowna and conduct business around the world.
“Jeff and his family have enriched our city, our province and our country to a mind-boggling degree,” said Kelowna Chamber of Commerce President Nikki Csek.
“What he has done for the resource sector and how he has ethically enriched communities both in Canada and around the world is remarkable. We are so lucky to have him right here in Kelowna.”
Before settling in Kelowna with his wife, Brenda, and their two sons in 2004, Stibbard had lived in 13 northern and western mining communities in Canada.
Mining and oil and gas extraction often get a bad rap for environmental degradation and contributing to greenhouse gas emissions.
“JDS embodies values of professionalism, honesty, integrity and no harm to people, environment, assets and reputation,” said Stibbard.
“We deliver the highest commitment to cost, schedule and quality to our resource industry partners in some of the harshest, highest elevation, deepest, coldest, hottest, remotest, most humid, driest and riskiest locations on the planet with Alacrity. We get it done.”
Stibbard was the senior manager of the leadership team that successfully designed, permitted, funded, built and operated Canada’s first diamond mine in the Northwest Territories — BHP-Ekati.
Kelowna-based geologist Chuck Fipke discovered the diamonds that led to the mine’s development.
JDS also developed Shell Albian, one of the largest oilsands operations at Fort McMurray.
JDS’s Kelowna head office employs 25 in finance and administration.
Another 50 JDS employees live in Kelowna and travel to work on various mining, construction, railroad and heavy-industry projects around the world.
Worldwide, JDS employs 350 more as engineers, tradespeople, miners, operators and managers.
Stibbard graduated from Montana Tech as a mining engineer.
He attributes his success to hard work and good luck in meeting, working with and being mentored by some of the most progressive leaders in the global mining industry.
“(As such), I am focused on creating the same opportunities and motivating others to invest in themselves and be a productive Canadian leader,” said Stibbard.
“Our growing business success is a result of the business freedom, favorable taxes and security of property afforded to us in Canada. We do our part as a leading corporate citizen to invest in the development of accountable citizens and healthy residents by donating to sport, building strong minds through donating to education, building strong souls through personal mentoring, and strong communities by donating to health care and the performing and visual arts.”
JDS also employs retired and transitioning Canadian military personnel.
From 2016-19, Stibbard was honorary colonel of the Royal Canadian Air Force, a position he used to raise awareness of the work the air force does, advocate for the air force and mentor air force members.
Stibbard and JDS have also won the BC Association of Mineral Exploration’s Hugo Dennett Diamond Award, a BC Top 25 Exporters Award and the Distinguished Alumni Award from Montana Tech.
