Born and raised in Sudbury, the manager of corporate communications for Vale Base Metals lives and works not too far from where she grew up.
But her fast-paced career is worlds away from the days when she was writing for her high school newspaper.
Shannon Katary is still writing but her subject now is one of the world's largest integrated mining companies, a leading producer of iron ore and nickel, that employs 125,000 people in more than 30 countries.
"When I started with Vale, I was focused on the Ontario operations and I slowly got more exposed to the North Atlantic operations, which includes all of Canada, the UK and Japan.
"Eventually I became responsible for the global operations for all Base Metals," said Katary, who has been with Vale for three years and works out of North Atlantic Operation Centre (NAOC) building in Copper Cliff. (Vale's Base Metals head office is in Toronto).
She is in contact by phone, email and video conferencing daily with colleagues in Brazil, Indonesia, Japan, the UK and across Canada.
"I am communicating with people at all hours which makes for a long day," she said. "I quickly have learned to use my time to the best advantage.
"Meetings can be at night or early in the morning. I have to pace myself, which is hard because I tend to go full tilt in the rush of a good project."
Post pandemic, she isn't travelling as much as she once did. On the upside, she does have the opportunity to work from her home on occasion.
Her partner of 13 years, Jason Dominick, understands her devotion to the work she loves.
"He understands what I do for a living is part of who I am. I want what I do during the day to matter. I want to be myself and be all in. He gets that.
"Jason reminds me to pace, to appreciate what I have done, and to slow down and have fun."
One of the ways Katary slows down is playing with Lego.
"Building Lego, something I have always loved my entire life, I use it to help deal with job stress."
A huge fan of the books by J.R.R. Tolkien, her favourite Lego is the "Lord of the Rings" collection.
in 2017, Katary went on a "Lord of the Rings" adventure in New Zealand to see places where the movies were filmed and the landscapes that inspired the author.
She calls herself a big kid with a disposable income.
The only child of accomplished and well-travelled parents, Katary had the advantage of their gentle tutelage and an introduction to their progressive worldview.
Sally Katary, her mother, taught classical studies, including Egyptology courses, at Thorneloe University for more than 30 years. She died unexpectedly in 2016.
Her father, Narasim, was the head of long-range planning for the Regional Municipality of Sudbury in the 1970s and 1980s, and is one of the people who developed ideas that enabled the city to shake its mining-town identity.
Both parents encouraged their daughter's interest in reading and writing, and encouraged her work as editor for the Lockerby Composite School student newspaper.
"I always knew I would be a storyteller because my parents were the ones who taught me how to write. My dad had me writing every day in the summer for half an hour to improve my writing skills.
"I could play outside all I wanted but I had to read at least half an hour a day."
When Katary studied political science and international relations at the University of Toronto, she got involved in student politics and was honoured by her graduating class at Victoria College with the "Vic One Stick." The award recognizes outstanding students. She also won the Gordon Cressy Award at the University of Toronto for exceptional contributions.
After she graduated, Katary travelled to southern India to learn about her own heritage and her father's Indian culture. She extended her trip to volunteer as the dean of students at a school.
"When I returned, it gave me perspective of how good we have it in Canada. Not everyone has three meals a day. It also helped me understand my dad and his culture."
Back in Sudbury, she worked as a FedNor intern with the Rainbow Routes Association.
"As an intern I got to make the first non-motorized trail map for the Sudbury area. Can you imagine getting paid to hike and bike and map all the trails? How cool is that?"
Then she landed the perfect job for someone with a curious mind, a positive personality and a briefcase of diverse skills. In 2006, she was hired as the communications co-ordinator of the Centre for Excellence in Mining Innovation (CEMI) and was eventually named vice-president of marketing and communications.
CEMI was founded by Inco Limited (now Vale) and Xstrata (now Glencore Sudbury Integrated Nickel Operations), with Laurentian University and the Province of Ontario.
She quickly got an education in mining and met industry leaders on the job and as a volunteer on industry-related boards and committees.
Katary was a member of the Modern Mining and Technology Sudbury (MMTS) committee from 2006 to 2021. The committee's mandate is to educate young people about potential careers in mining and mining-related sectors.
A member of the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Engineering (CIM) Katary has donated her time in the CIM mentorship program.
"We need good and capable people to help us in an industry that is at the forefront of making society as it should be," she said.
"I am also proud to be a member the Ontario Mining Association's subcommittee for communications and public relations. Again, It is focused on what is near and dear to my heart, which is helping to bring awareness about careers in mining to young people … and to communicate how the industry is so important to how we live every day.
"I used to be on (volunteer) boards and committees quite a bit, but I realize at Vale, I can do that work wearing my Vale hat. There is something really good about working for a company where what you do, you feel matters. You are actually trying to keep people safe or making the world more sustainable.
"(I have an opportunity ) to draft key messages about how we are supporting batteries for electric cars, what we are going to be more environmentally friendly, and how were are leading the charge."
At the age of 43, Katary has already had an impressive career and, as she said, "just hit her stride."
Vicki Gilhula is a freelance writer. Journeys is made possible by our Community Leaders Program.
