She told Mining Journal's Global Leadership Report advances in innovation and technology provided an opportunity for gold miners to digitise and automate operations, which would help increase levels of efficiency, reduce costs, improve safety and further mitigate environmental impacts.

"The adoption of innovative practices at scale will enable the leveraging of new and emerging technologies for increased synergy across the entire mining value chain," she said.

"This could change some of the organisational fundamentals of the mining sector."

Bardien gave the example of 3D visualisation tools assisting companies with real-time tracking of people and equipment, to ensure safer operational excellence.

"Digital technologies are clearly changing the way of work in three areas: the type of work that people will do in the future; the structure and practices that enable people to create value in the future; and the future skills that will be required to work in an agile environment," she said.

"Leadership will be key to navigate through the digital transformation and disruptive technologies to ultimately harness value creation for all stakeholders."

Gold Fields reported just over 2 million ounces of attributable gold production in 2018.

Its Gruyere joint venture gold mine in Western Australia started commercial production this month, giving the company eight operating mines in Australia, Ghana, Peru and South Africa.

This article was based on the answer to one of four questions Gold Fields executive VP people and organisational effectiveness Rosh Bardien was asked as part of her interview for Mining Journal's Global Leadership Report. The report focus this year was ‘The Workplace of the Future'. The research included open interviews with some 20 major mining executives and a survey of more than 500 industry professionals. The results will be released in late August.