Cutting IT Cost While Securing Global Mine Operations

From a principal's prior executive role. Shown to illustrate the leadership we bring, not a client engagement.

The Situation

A Fortune 500 gold producer with 25,000 employees and operations in seven countries had room to take cost and technical debt out of its IT estate. A long-running offshore IT outsourcing relationship needed a turnaround. At the same time, the operational technology that runs mine sites needed a serious cyber program, and the board needed a clear view of technology risk.

The Mandate

• Join as Global CISO, then, after promotion to Group Executive, lead global IT infrastructure, operations, security, and vendor management.
• Cover 12 operating sites with 14 direct and 135 indirect staff.
• Take cost and technical debt out of the IT estate without weakening support for the business.
• Protect operational technology across every site and report technology risk to the full Board.

What We Did

Launched an IT modernization program

Our principal launched a modernization program aimed at the cost base and the backlog of aging technology. It was built for sustainable savings, not one-time cuts.

Turned around the outsourcing relationship

Rather than walk away from a five-year offshore IT outsourcing relationship, he turned it around. SLAs, uptime, and first-call resolution all improved, and customer satisfaction rose 92%.

Rebuilt the service management backbone

ServiceNow was redeployed in line with ITIL, adding CMDB, asset management, and vulnerability management. This gave the team a reliable view of what it supported: 250 enterprise applications and the SAP infrastructure.

Secured operational technology

He led a $50.1M multi-year OT cyber capital program across all operating sites, bringing security to the systems that keep mines running. He also served as technology lead for the Digital Transformation Office, building technology and security into key digital programs.

Put technology risk in front of the board

Technology risk was integrated into enterprise risk management, and he briefed the full Board on it every year.

The Results

The modernization program delivered $21M in sustainable annual savings, a $75M reduction in technical debt, and a 30% cut in IT run-rate. Those gains came alongside better service, not at its expense: the outsourcing turnaround lifted customer satisfaction, and the service platform gave the organization a clearer picture of its estate. Meanwhile, the board gained a regular, direct view of technology and OT risk.

Why It Matters for You

Manufacturers, energy companies, and other multi-site operators face the same set of problems: IT costs that creep up, technical debt that limits options, outsourcing contracts that underdeliver, and plant or field systems that were never designed with cyber threats in mind. This case shows that cost reduction and stronger security can be run as one program, and that a struggling vendor relationship can often be fixed rather than replaced. RIG brings that operating experience to leadership teams and boards that need both outcomes at once.