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As vice president of accounting and controller of SSR Mining since 2021, Russ Farnsworth has helped build out a team of eighteen, led the conversion from international to US accounting standards, and helped oversee the consolidation of five different ERPs to SAP. But by far, his proudest moments throughout his career stem from facilitating the growth and success of others.
“I always thought that one of the best gifts you can give someone is to expect more of them than they expect of themselves. If you can help them see their potential, they’ll rise to the occasion,” he says. “As a servant leader, I want to be a resource. Sometimes that means rolling up my sleeves and being in the thick of battle with them. Sometimes, it’s letting them fail and letting them learn from it. Most of the time is just celebrating when they are shining and keep them pushing forward.”
That lifelong passion for people has brought Farnsworth, a Canadian-born American, to many parts of the world. After his freshman year of college, he paused his studies and served communities in Venezuela for a church mission. After graduating and working as an assurance services manager at Ernst and Young then bringing his leadership to Newmont Corporation, he became the Africa regional controller stationed in Accra, the capital and the largest city of Ghana.
In addition to improving the company’s financial and accounting activities in the region, Farnsworth focused on uplifting members of his team, some of whom went on to snag promotions within the region and within Newmont’s headquarters in Denver.
“Whether it was guiding them on presentation and other skills, pushing them outside of their comfort zones, or helping them to critically think through complex problems, giving these team members meaningful development experiences really started to set them apart,” he says. “Now, it makes me proud to see that they’re adding value and thriving in their new roles. It’s interesting to see your coaching tree as a leader. Here are people I helped to grow and develop and now they are doing the same with their teams—that’s what really excites me!”
Farnsworth also turned his attention to the community after being asked to serve as the bishop of a local church congregation that was frequented by members who lived in low-income areas. Farnsworth says he wanted to give them opportunities to realize their potential. Instead of giving them money, he gave budgeting lessons. Instead of offering a job, he offered guidance that could help them get one. He remembers one instance.
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“A student was struggling to pay for their school fees and was trying to figure out how to come up with the money,” he recalls. “I sat down with her and tried to help her figure out what she could do to make the money, starting with what she was good at. Turns out she was really good at selling soup. So, I got her some supplies to get her started, and from there, she started making money to cover her fees. It was cool to see that just a little help could go a long way.”
After seven years at Newmont and nearly four years in Ghana, Farnsworth was ready for a new challenge that would allow him to continue helping people. SSR Mining, a primarily gold-focused company with four producing assets located in the USA, Turkey, Canada, and Argentina, was the perfect fit. Amid a series of acquisitions, SSR needed to move its accounting team from Vancouver and build out a new accounting team in Denver. It also needed a strong leader that could help it transform its accounting standards and oversee a system conversion. Farnsworth was the person for the job.
Drawing from his international experience, the leader knew he needed to build a diverse team, calling it “a net benefit.”
“Having different perspective[s] and backgrounds on a team can lead to great knowledge sharing and a more open team environment,” he says.
“Russ continues to prove that he is not only an effective leader but that he can successfully execute by clarifying, simplifying, and then gaining understanding, agreement, and commitment on SSR’s top priorities,” says Tiffany Watts, managing director at the Siegfried Group LLP.
Besides building a strong and diverse team, Farnsworth says some of his greatest successes have been when his teammates have what he calls “aha moments,” when they’re realizing they have what it takes to succeed or when things start to click.
SSR’s Core Values
- People & Culture
- Sustainability
- Health, Safety & Risk
- Business Excellence
- Innovation
- Growth
“Finding experiences and projects to keep highly motivated employees engaged is essential. Maybe it is spending a couple months with working with another department, sometimes it’s leading a bigger project, but it is always worth the effort for the employee, the team, and the company,” Farnsworth says.
Moving forward he’s looking forward to continuing his commitment to his people. “I want to continue developing the team, stretching them and myself, to ultimately provide the most value for each individual and the organization,” he says.
Siegfried is an entrepreneurial leadership organization that provides financial executives with a powerful combination of leadership advisory, talent delivery, and financial advisory support services. Through this strategic offering, leaders and financial decision-makers can better clarify the best path forward, and we can assist them with getting their most important work done right.
For thirty-five years, we’ve worked with our clients to deliver more than just success, and we’re proud of the partnership we’ve developed with Russ Farnsworth and his team at SSR Mining. Our higher purpose is to help people transform themselves into better leaders to exponentially improve their lives.
