Birgit began her studies in geology in Germany, and completed her fourth year at a university in France. There, she befriended some French students who enticed her to move to Canada where she undertook a master’s degree in Earth Sciences at the Université du Québec à Montreal. The topic of her Master’s thesis—gold deposits in eastern Quebec—attracted media attention, which came as quite a surprise.
Building on her notable work as a student, Birgit’s career began in 2001 at a De Beers exploration camp in Canada. Initially, the Canadian wilderness was intimidating for this young geologist from Bavaria, but she continued to work there and thrive for many years. Often, during her career, she would spend six to nine months a year in remote exploration and mining camps in the country. Until finally, in 2007, she started working at De Beers’ Victor Mine.
Having worked in both exploration camps and on site at a mine, Birgit says she has experienced the best of both worlds. “At the camps, your roles are so diverse and you’re dealing with all aspects: geology, logistics, HR, and so on. I had to make sure there was enough fuel and food to keep everyone happy and the camp running. Meanwhile, at the mine, I worked with different departments and sometimes saw myself as the mediator between mining and processing.”
“A key difference between the two situations lies in the increased amount of structure at a mine site. Out in the small exploration camps, solutions are engineered using only the tools, technology and personnel available on site. At the mine, you have to follow certain channels and there is much more structure. It took me about a year to get used to that.”
Asked how she deals with being the only women in a camp full of men, Birgit says it’s a matter of hard work. “It helps if you show them respect and pitch in with tasks—that you are not afraid of getting your hands dirty. But as a woman, I feel you always have to prove yourself a little bit more.”
Never one to sniff at a challenge, Birgit has made it her mission to take advantage of all opportunities that come her way. She even learned how to value and grade diamonds and worked with the valuation team whilst at Victor Mine. “I learned early on that you need to show interest and do your best, or just make it happen for yourself. I showed an interest and asked for exposure to diamond valuation as it links to the mineral resource field and allows better synergies. My supervisor was very open to it when the opportunity arose.” Birgit is proud of the fact that she is one of the very few geologists who have mastered this skill.
“Outside of my working environment people generally admire how far I have come and are not surprised at all. At work however, I feel this is less evident. You have to prove yourself more and work harder to gain recognition. The admiration is not as visible or convincing. I am very mindful of the fact that it is still a man’s game and a woman in my position needs to have a thick skin at times.”
Birgit is currently on secondment to the De Beers Corporate Headquarters in Johannesburg. When asked if she prefers an office environment to digging in the dirt, she says she’s thriving in this new challenge. “To be honest, I enjoy life in the city right now—a normal lifestyle—but I do like the travels that come with work very much.”
