Tom Paddon is the non-executive chairman of Baffinland Iron Mines Corporation. The company operates Canada's newest and most northerly iron ore mine, the Mary River Project, located on Baffin Island in the Qikiqtaaluk region of Nunavut. The operation began producing iron ore in 2015 and Tom is now focused on the company's growth and climate change action plan.
Born in North West River, Labrador, Tom has played a pivotal role in negotiating and implementing agreements that successfully reconcile the commercial interests of developers with the rights of Indigenous peoples, as well as the implementation of strict environmental performance standards in northern regions.
Tom sits on the Board of Directors for the Mining Association of Canada, and on its Toward Sustainable Mining (TSM) committee. He sits also on the Board of Directors for the Crow’s Nest Officers’ Club in St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador. He is the founding chairman of the Arctic Economic Council, a fellow of the Royal Canadian Geographic Society, a regular staff member on Arctic expeditions with Students On Ice, and sits on the Advisory Council of the recently formed Canadian Ocean Literacy Coalition.
In 2016 Tom was appointed an Honorary Captain in the Royal Canadian Navy and is affiliated with Commander Canadian Fleet Atlantic (CCFL).