Don Ritz

Biographical Information
Don Ritz was appointed Senior Vice President Safety and Leadership of Barrick Gold "in July 2009. In this role, he is responsible for establishing systems to improve Barrick’s safety performance, as well as processes to support global talent management, leadership development, and succession planning. He was previously Barrick’s Vice President Safety and Health, and has led a significant improvement in the company’s safety record worldwide since 2003.

"Before joining Barrick, he was Loss Management Executive at Syncrude Canada Ltd., where he achieved one of the best records for industrial health, safety and environmental performance among Canadian industrial firms. The majority of his career at Syncrude was spent in operating roles before taking on the Loss Management position. Prior to Syncrude, he served 11 years with Texaco Canada Ltd.

"Don Ritz is a frequent guest speaker at mining and industry conferences on the topics of safety and leadership. He was awarded the prestigious Leadership Award from the International Society of Mine Safety Professionals in 2009. He has served on numerous safety committees and advisory boards, including as Vice Chairman of the Alberta Workers’ Compensation Board of Directors. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Alberta. He is a graduate of the Operations Management Program at the University of Western Ontario School of Business Administration as well as the Executive Development Program, Texas A&M University."