With more than 25 years across Gold Fields, Newmont, AngloGold Ashanti, and now as CEO of Vortex Resources, Joshua Mortoti has led mining operations in some of West Africa’s most critical gold regions. In this exclusive Faces of Gold interview, he reflects on how a career that began almost by chance turned into a lifelong passion – and why he believes the future of mining depends on true community transformation, not just corporate responsibility.

Mr. Mortoti, you’ve spent over two decades leading mining operations at Gold Fields, Newmont, and AngloGold Ashanti – some of the industry’s biggest players. What originally drew you to mining, and what has kept you passionate about it over the years?

I actually had no plans to go into mining. I was born on the coast of Ghana, where there are no mines, and I studied mechanical engineering at university with interests in aviation and investment management. Mining was not on my radar.

In the 1990s, Ashanti Goldfields – Ghana’s largest company at the time – came to recruit graduates. They were looking for young people under 24 with strong academic results, and I happened to fit the criteria. I knew little about mining, and even my parents questioned why I would want to work underground. But what caught my attention was that Ashanti offered to fund my MBA at Henley Management College in the UK. For a young graduate, that was an irresistible opportunity, and that’s how I started in mining.

It began by chance, but what has kept me passionate is the complexity of the industry. Mining is never just mining. It impacts lives, shapes communities, and often introduces technology and development in remote areas. For example, when mobile networks were first rolled out in Ghana, one of the earliest places after Accra was Obuasi, simply because of the mine.

I’ve also been fortunate to work for some of the world’s largest companies, progressing from management trainee to executive leadership. Few industries offer such variety. Along the way, I’ve seen the difference mining can make. One example I’m proud of is when we first recruited women as haul truck drivers in Ghana – something that hadn’t been done before. We trained women from the streets, and today it’s become common practice across West Africa.

So mining has been good for me, and I believe I’ve contributed something back. What keeps me passionate is the chance to make a tangible impact on people and communities.

Sustainability is central to your current role at Vortex Resources. What does sustainable mining mean to you in practice, and how are you embedding it now?

When I began my career, sustainability was mainly called corporate social responsibility. It meant donations, building schools or clinics, offering scholarships. That mattered, but it was limited.

Today, the question is: how do we leave communities better than we found them? That requires a different mindset.

At Vortex, I want to go further. For me, sustainable mining means ensuring the resources beneath a community benefit them long-term. It’s about moving beyond handouts to true partnership. Communities should not only receive royalties and infrastructure, but also see themselves as participants and owners.

If communities have ownership – even without providing capital – it changes the equation. It allows them to leverage mining as a catalyst for other industries and build livelihoods that last beyond the life of a mine. Too often, companies are accused of taking and leaving. I believe mining must deliver transformation – lifting quality of life several notches higher than before.

You’ve overseen mining corporations in some of West Africa’s most important gold regions. What unique opportunities and challenges does this region present?

The challenges are clear. Infrastructure is often poor or non-existent. Roads, schools, healthcare facilities – they are limited. Regulatory systems are also not always predictable or consistent. This is the case not just in Ghana, but across much of Africa.

But the other side of the coin is opportunity. Mining companies are often the largest employers and the biggest contributors to local revenue. That gives us a unique chance to be catalysts for development.

This requires moving away from one-off donations and asking: how do we create lasting change? How do we make sure our activities don’t harm the environment or leave communities worse off, but instead leave them better?

That is why I believe West Africa offers more opportunities than developed regions. In Nevada, for example, where I’ve also worked, infrastructure is already in place. Mining there doesn’t transform communities because the systems exist. In West Africa, by contrast, mining can drive visible change.

I’ve seen towns where, at the beginning, there was just one taxi and no traffic lights. Over time, they became bustling communities with transport systems, schools, and services. That kind of transformation is deeply rewarding.

What role does community engagement play in long-term mining success, and what more can the industry do to deliver meaningful impact?

Community engagement is absolutely central. The technical side of mining – drilling, hauling, processing – is the easy part. The real challenge is working with communities and earning the social license to operate.

As miners, we must see ourselves as part of society, almost like big brothers to the communities around us. That means ensuring people are better off because we were there.

At Vortex, we want to go beyond engagement to real partnership. After all, it is their land, and Providence has placed those resources beneath their feet. It would be an indictment to mine and leave, with communities poorer than before.

The question is: how do we bring them in as stakeholders? Ownership doesn’t always mean financial capital – it can mean participation, shared benefits, and empowerment. When communities feel ownership, it leads to new industries and higher living standards. That is the next level mining must reach.

And finally, what does responsible leadership look like in mining today – and how can it be measured beyond profit?

When I started nearly 30 years ago, most mining companies had mission statements focused on one thing: delivering shareholder value. KPIs were about financial returns, nothing more.

Today, the language has shifted. Companies now talk about being catalysts for development and driving sustainability. Leadership has to reflect that.

If leaders focus only on shareholder value, they cut corners. Community development, safety, environmental protection – all of these are costs, and they won’t be prioritised. Without them, you lose your social license to operate.

So leadership must reflect where we want the industry to go. If we want mining to be sustainability-driven, then our actions and resources must align with that. That means investing in communities, committing to environmental compliance, and putting safety at the centre of operations.

Responsible leadership is holistic. It goes far beyond engineering or operations. It means looking outside the fences of a mine site and understanding our wider impact on society. That is the standard I try to uphold, and I believe it is the only way forward for mining.