From a kid growing up in the bush in Blackwater spending his days kicking a football around and riding dirt bikes to becoming the Managing Director of TerraCom (ASX:TER), Danny McCarthy has sure come a long way. He credits his success to his father, who instilled in him to ‘always do what’s right’.

“My father Peter worked for Thiess in the early 70s at the South Blackwater underground coal mine and later transitioned to the open cut back when they were the Thiess Brothers,” said Danny.

“I came along in 1972 on Father’s Day. I loved growing up in mining towns and I really saw what coal mining does for communities and its people, and the wealth it can create for generations of families. It’s why I am so passionate about the industry.”

In 1983, Danny, his parents and two older sisters left Blackwater. At the time there were massive retrenchments in the area, however there were also opportunities, with three new townships being built, Tieri, Middlemount and Glenden.

“The retrenched miners got to choose which town they wanted to go to and fortuitously Dad picked Glenden because it was close to Mackay and the Whitsundays. They bought some land at Seaforth and off we went. Dad ended up working at Newlands Coal as an OCE and shotfirer.”

After spending his formative years in Blackwater and later Glenden, Danny left school in 1988 before completing his final year. Surprisingly, despite his deep roots in the mining community, he wasn’t looking to follow in his father’s footsteps.

“I wanted to do something different. All my mates were going into the mining industry, but my dream was to fly helicopters, so I joined the military.

“Unfortunately flying choppers wasn’t available at the time, but they gave me the option to be an electrician. I have two uncles that are lecos, so I thought why not, though I didn’t know the first thing about it.”

Danny spent the next nine years in the Navy, where he earned both electrical and engineering qualifications, progressing his way up the ranks. He met his wife Lara, and they had two daughters, Taylah and Brittany.

“While in the military I had lots of great opportunities and traveled a lot, but after nine years I decided it was time to leave and get back to Queensland to explore opportunities in mining.”

In 1996 Danny returned to the coalfields where he grew up, with some prospects but no concrete job. Fortunately, an opportunity came along to join Thiess and he became part of the crew that built the South Walker mine for BHP.

“It was an amazing experience, and we achieved the first coal from “Paddock to Product” in 100 days.”

This marked the beginning of a significant chapter in his career spanning some seventeen years with Thiess. One of the highlights of Danny’s time at Thiess was the opportunity to work with his father, a period he looks back on with gratitude.

“Dad left Newlands in 1998 and joined me at South Walker Creek, I was Superintendent at the time. We were able to work together for a few years before I moved on, though Dad stayed until he retired in 2005.”

Sadly, Danny’s dad passed away from cancer 20 months ago, though he is still a guiding hand in Danny’s life.

“Everything I do is grounded in Dad’s influence. Knowing what’s right and what’s wrong and always doing what you say you’re going to do. It’s an ethos I have also tried to pass down to my kids.

“Dad and I had different careers, he was rank and file, a unionist who strongly believed that workers’ rights needed to be protected and he fought for many of the things that we now take for granted.

“While we took different paths, we always had that common ground, ‘always do what’s right’.

“He has shaped who I am but there’s also been plenty of other people who have helped me along the way. This strong foundation of values was further reinforced by mentors like Brian Spencer, who saw potential in me early on and provided invaluable guidance.

“You need that champion, that person in your corner, they are vital to you succeeding.”

Danny said that while opportunities may open up on their own, if you are prepared to extend yourself you’ll always find more.

“Be the best you can be in your role or in your field so you become the automatic choice when opportunities come up.

“Put yourself out there, have people in your corner, work hard and see things through to the end.

“You also need to be open to receiving feedback, it’s so important to have someone tell you how it is whether you want to hear it or not. Then take the time to reflect – on both the good and the bad.”

That advice is what propelled Danny forward in his career, first with Thiess, then at QCoal. He took on his first COO role in 2015 with Mineral Resources in WA, before family drew him back to Queensland and in 2018 he took over the reins at TerraCom.

“It has certainly been an interesting journey so far. At the start we had Blair Athol and another mine in the South Gobi Desert in Mongolia. About eighteen months after I came in we sold the mine in Mongolia and bought a coal mining business in South Africa that had four operating mines and a number of projects. So there’s been plenty of travelling!

“I really believe in this company and I’m excited for what’s ahead. We are developing the Moorlands thermal coal mine which is within striking distance of Blair Athol. We’ve done all the concepts and studies, the project definition work, and commercial agreements should be finalised in the coming months. Then we will start building subject to the approval timeline which in large will be governed by the Federal Government and approvals.

“The future is looking great; we have another seven or so years at Blair Athol and then as we bring on Moorlands over the next two years which will breathe another 25 years of life into the complex.

“Blair Athol has such a great history, in 1864 the first coal started coming out of the mine and since then it has gone into markets all around the world. Clermont has been greatly enriched because of it and when we stop mining at Blair Athol we will still be able to keep contributing to the community for many years to come with Moorlands.

“Moorlands will also mean that people will be able to start and end their careers at TerraCom.”

A point of pride for Danny is Blair Athol now being 100% owner-operated, and apart from a few specialist contractors, employs all its own people.

“If you’re a cleaner or you’re a Managing Director, you work directly for TerraCom. You wear the shirt, you get all the benefits, regardless of your role.

“These days people seem to work for dozens of different companies throughout their careers and so our goal is to create enough opportunities, interest and alignment that we can grab hold of people and have them develop through their entire careers in our organisation. If you can do that then I think you have made it.”

Danny said after being in the industry for three decades he’s worked in nearly every mining environment, right from ground level up to where he is now. It has given him a deep respect for everyone’s job and everyone’s contribution.

“What motivates me to come in every day is to have the opportunity to take all the things I have learnt in my career, the good and the bad, and use that knowledge to build a company that is agile and practical and that really centres around its people.

“We are trying to create a culture that is high performing and also fun.  The way to do that is to bring like-minded people together who like people and enjoy working with each other. That are not just here to clock in and clock out.

“I am fully committed to what we are building here at TerraCom and helping to ensure the prosperity of our industry so that it continues to provide opportunities for families like mine.

“Looking ahead, I am committed to giving back to the industry that has given me so much. I want to leverage my experiences to foster a high-performing yet enjoyable work culture at TerraCom.

“One thing is for sure I still have plenty left in the tank.”