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GMG Perth Forum – Meet the Speakers

Published: July 09,2024

Andrew Bailey, Chief Executive Officer | Australian Resources Research Centre (MinExCRC)

Andrew Bailey is Chief Executive Officer of the Mineral Exploration Cooperative Research Centre. The MinEx CRC is a Perth based research consortium that commenced in 2018 with 42 global participants undertaking collaborative research into various aspects of Mineral Exploration. MinEx currently has 85 researchers, 40 PhD students and a $20M annual budget. MinEx is developing and applying technologies that are industry-driven, to help stimulate exploration in Australia to address the future of mining and the mining support industry. 

Andrew is a geologist with experience across exploration and mining. Andrew explored in many parts of the world during a 28-year career with BHP, including Africa, Brazil and Philippines. He has explored successfully for numerous commodities, including gold, diamond, nickel and iron ore, and holds a Masters Degree in Geology and an MBA.

Andrew Scott, Representative – Australia | GMG

Andrew has been involved in the mining innovation arena since the very beginning of his career over 30 years’ ago. Having studied biotechnology and computer science at the University of Queensland, he was drawn to the mining industry as a means of funding his ongoing study. As a young field assistant, he quickly found himself fulfilling the role of “go-to” person for any new technology that needed to be investigated or implemented. If ever he felt that a position within a company wasn’t giving him technology exposure, Andrew discovered that he would engineer himself into those roles. One example is when Michelle Ash became Chief Innovation Officer at Barrick, he made sure that he was on her team delivering on their digital strategy as Senior Director Innovation.

Ultimately Andrew is focused to make the world a better place through innovation and appropriate use of technology! Develop deep symbiotic collaboration to stimulate, promote and realize positive outcomes for humanity and the planet earth.

Carlos Viquez, Principal Major Hazards | Rio Tinto

 
Carlos Viquez is a Principal Engineer who currently supports system safety management and governance activities for autonomous mining systems at Rio Tinto Iron Ore – Major Hazards team. During the last 18 years, Carlos’ professional experience within Oil & Gas and Mining has been a mixture of safety lifecycle management, technology solution design, project commissioning, maintenance and reliability assurance of control and safety systems.

Carlos is passionate about integrating technology solutions to improve safety and optimize business processes. As part of this journey, he enjoys collaborating and learning from multiple stakeholders with the aim to build solutions with purpose and designed with a human-centered approach.

Christopher Hough, Principal Consultant | TerraneXus

 
Chris Hough is a geologist and data management expert with extensive experience in the mining and oil and gas industries. Born and raised in Perth, Chris holds degrees in Applied Geology and Commerce from Curtin University. He started his career in mining, working across operations in Western Australia’s Goldfields, Pilbara, and Kimberley regions.

Chris transitioned to oil and gas with Chevron Australia, where he managed subsurface data operations for the Gorgon and Wheatstone LNG projects. He later joined BP plc in London as a consultant subsurface data specialist, where he developed and deployed industry standard based data management systems for bp’s subsurface global data assets.

Since 2019, Chris has been actively involved full-time in the OSDU Forum, contributing to the development of the OSDU Data Platform. He serves as the OSDU liaison for the IEC, co-lead of the Data Definitions workgroup, and lead of the Geophysics Data Definitions team.

As an independent consultant, Chris specializes in OSDU Data Platform strategy, data migration, and data modeling. He is passionate about bringing his OSDU expertise to the mining industry.

David Lawie, Chief Geoscientist and Chief Technologist – Mining | IMDEX 

Dr. Dave Lawie’s career spans leadership in global exploration, research and development, founding the cloud-focused analytics pioneer ioGlobal, and earning a Ph.D. in Geosciences and Analytics.

Since 2012, as IMDEX’s Chief Geoscientist, he leverages this experience to spearhead technologies that accelerate the path from discovery to production in a resource-hungry and increasingly geopolitically complex world.

Gareth Topham, Director | CWG Project Services

Gareth is a Director at CWG Project Services looking after a growing team of System and Safety Engineers, specialising in Rail Systems and Mine Automation.

Gareth has been working in the Rail and Mining industries for 30 years, delivering safety engineering and assurance solutions. Gareth has delivered safety cases for a number of high-profile rail projects in UK and Australia required engaging with key stakeholders from the client, suppliers, operators and regulators. Gareth was also lucky enough to lead the development of a global functional safety standard for one of the largest multinational companies working across a number of hazardous sectors including processing, rail, automation and machine safety.

Gareth has worked for both passenger and freight infrastructure owners and rolling stock operators and has been part of the international Engineering Safety Management Working Group since its inception, RISSB Working group member for Making Safe Decisions and Project Lead for the Global Mining Guidelines publications for both functional safety and system safety. Gareth is a Chartered Engineer and has a Masters in Engineering Management and a Masters in Safety and Risk Engineering.

Jacqui Coombes, Managing Director | SageAbility 

Dr. Jacqui Coombes is Chair of Mining3 and a distinguished leader in the minerals industry. With expertise in geostatistics and mineral resource modelling, she has reinvigorated organisations and led innovative strategies as the former CEO of Amira Global. Dr. Coombes also serves on an investment review committee and several advisory boards. Known for her constructive insights and contributions, mentorship of over 2,000 resource geologists, and publication of two best-selling books, Dr. Coombes is a respected and influential figure in our industry.

 

Laxmi Piska, Global Industry Leader – CloudSMART | HCLTech 

Laxmi oversees Digital Impact Consulting for Australia & New Zealand, focusing on Cloud and Next-Gen Engineering. With over 24 years of experience, he has guided more than 100 global clients in revolutionizing their IT landscapes through advanced AI, cloud-native product and platform engineering, and seamless system integrations. Having dedicated a significant portion of his career to Accenture and now contributing to HCLTech for over two years, he is excited to engage with you today and eager to make a meaningful impact.

 

Lucas Pereira, Researcher and Group Leader | Helmholtz Institute Freiberg for Resource Technology   

Lucas Pereira is a geological engineer (Ouro Preto-BR) with a master’s degree in georesources engineering (Liège-BE, Nancy-FR, and Lulea-SWE), and doctoral degree in particle-based separation models — machine learning applied to mineral processing understanding and prediction (Freiberg-DE). He is the leader of the particle-based modelling group at the processing department of the HIF, where he aims to develop the fields of geometallurgy, plant optimization, and laboratory digitalization. 

 

Mark Dunn, Senior Principal Research Engineer | CSIRO Mineral Resources 

Dr. Mark Dunn is a seasoned researcher and leader in the Mining Technologies Group of CSIRO’s Mineral Resources Business Unit. With nearly two decades of experience in developing world-class automation technologies, Mark has made significant contributions to the safety, productivity, and sustainability of the Australian mining industry. His leadership, technical expertise, and strategic vision have driven the successful deployment and commercialization of cutting-edge mining solutions such as Landmark Longwall Automation and ExScan underground laser scanning.

Mark Jessell, Professor | Centre for Exploration Targeting, School of Earth & Oceans – The University of Western Australia

Mark Jessell is a Professor at the Centre for Exploration Targeting at The University of Western Australia. His scientific interests revolve around the integration of geology and geophysics in 3D (the Loop project), the tectonics and metallogenesis of the West African and Guyanese Cratons (WAXI & SAXI) and microstructure studies (the Elle platform). He returned to Australia from France on a Western Australian Fellowship focused on improving the links between geological and geophysical data analysis in 3D via analysis of the geological and topological uncertainty. He is a director of the not-for-profit Agate Project Ltd which supports higher education in the Earth Sciences in Africa, and of the not-for-profit Loop3D Foundation which supports the research, development, maintenance, and training of software that concerns 3D geological sub-surface modelling software.

 

Neville Plint, Chief Executive Officer | Mining3

Dr. Neville Plint is a visionary leader in the mining industry with over 30 years of experience. As Chief Executive Officer at Mining3, he spearheads cutting-edge research and development initiatives, driving sustainable growth and technological advancements. Under his leadership, Mining3 has made significant strides in fostering industry collaboration and innovation.

Neville’s career has focused on enhancing operational performance through new technologies and building a global network of research professionals. He previously served as Institute Director of the Sustainable Minerals Institute at The University of Queensland and held multiple leadership roles at Anglo American, including Chief Scientist and Head of Business Improvement Projects.

With extensive leadership experience and a deep understanding of the mining sector, Neville continues to shape the industry’s future, driving positive change and leaving a lasting impact.

Nick Anderson, Product Line Manager | Deswick

Nick comes from a geological background, with a degree in Earth Science, and a Masters in Computing in Earth Science. Starting out in geophysics for oil and gas exploration in the UK, Nick moved to Brisbane in 2005 and has been working in the mining industry since. Since being in Australia, Nick has worked across exploration, resource geology and mining technology. In his current role at Deswik, Nick has served as a product manager for eight years, giving birth to the GeoTools product line, and now product managing Deswik’s flagship Mine Design software, Deswik.CAD. Outside of work, Nick enjoys fossicking for interesting rocks and cutting gemstones, as well as playing guitar in an 80s cover band. 

Patrick Marshall, Vice President Technology | MacLean Engineering

Patrick graduated from the University of Queensland with an Honours Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering. He joined MacLean in 2018, having worked at mining operations across Australia and Canada in roles spanning operational excellence, technology implementation, digital transformation, equipment automation, asset management, and mobile equipment maintenance. Leveraging his experience in the mining industry, Patrick is now part of the MacLean executive team and is committed to delivering industry-leading equipment solutions with technology.

Peter O’Loughlin, Senior Inspector of Mines, WorkSafe Mines Safety Directorate |  Department of Energy, Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety, Government of Western Australia

Peter is a highly experienced mining professional with over 30 years in the mining industry. He has held various production, technical, and management roles at KCGM as a Mining Engineer. Since 2006, Peter has served as Senior Inspector of Mines with the Department of Energy, Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety (DEMIRS) in Western Australia.

In his current role, Peter is responsible for overseeing mining operations in the South West and supporting other regions in WA with their introduction of autonomy, ensuring compliance with safety legislation and promoting best practices in the industry. Using his extensive experience, he has led the development of a number of Department Codes of Practice and Guidelines, is the regulatory champion for mobile autonomous mining systems in WA mines and is a member of the steering committee for the Global Mining Guidelines Group for Autonomous mining guidelines.

Peter is also an active participant in industry forums and conferences, where he shares his insights on mining safety and innovation.

Paul Linabury, Manager Electrification | Perenti Contract Mining

A mining engineer with over 13 years of experience across site-based and corporate roles, specialising in the underground environment. Over the past sic years, he has worked in the mining contracting sector, focusing on strategy, business development and electrification. His work has led to the successful entry into new markets, resulting in the award of major contracts. Presently, he leads a team responsible for implementing battery electric vehicle trials and ensuring the contract mining business is ready for the industry’s shift to electrification. He is also responsible for the growth of new electric mining studies within the business and as the study lead oversaw the first study delivered to a key client. 

Rob Johnston, Manager – Solutions Delivery | CITIC Pacific Mining

Rob is the Manager of Solutions Delivery for CITIC Pacific Mining, the largest magnetite mining operation in Australia. His responsibilities include the management of project delivery, application development and application support, focusing on introducing new technology into the business. Rob has over thirty years professional experience in software and project delivery in numerous sectors, including Banking, Telecoms, and for the last ten years, the Mining industry. Rob completed his undergraduate studies at Strathclyde University, and postgraduate studies at Harvard University and Georgia Institute of Technology.

Robin Burgess-Limerick, Professorial Research Fellow | The University of Queensland 

Robin is a seasoned human factors and ergonomics researcher and consultant, specializing in the mining industry. His expertise spans various topics including mining automation, human-machine interface design, equipment design to minimize injury risks, manual task risk management, and whole-body vibration measurement and management. He is a certified professional member (CPE), past president, and Fellow of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society of Australia.

Robin has led research projects exceeding $8 million and authored over 100 refereed papers, chapters, and books. Notable works include Human Factors for the Design, Operation, and Maintenance of Mining Equipment (Horberry, Burgess-Limerick & Steiner, 2011); Human-Centered Design for Mining Equipment and New Technology (Horberry, Burgess-Limerick & Steiner, 2018); and Human Systems Integration for Mining Automation (Burgess-Limerick et al., under contract 2024).

Sandra Occhipinti, Research Director, Discovery, Mineral Resources | CSIRO

Dr. Sandra Occhipinti is a geologist with 30 years’ experience across government, industry and academia. She is currently a Research Director in CSIRO Mineral Resources, leading a team of 100+ people focused on delivering technology solutions that will increase resource discoveries and quantify geology, and mineralization footprints of ore bodies using novel techniques, including AI.

Sanjay Thapa, Business Development Manager – Automation | Sandvik

Sanjay Thapa is the Business Development Manager for Automation at Sandvik. As a mining engineer with over 15 years in the mining industry across Europe and Australia, he specializes in spearheading innovation in digitalization and automation. His tenure at Sandvik is marked by supporting mines with automation technologies and managing strategic, large-scale digitalization programs across the globe.

Scott Pleiter, Software Development Manager | Micromine

Scott Pleiter is a seasoned Software Development Manager at Micromine, bringing over 27 years of expertise in delivering high-quality software solutions for the exploration and mining industry. He holds a BSc in Computer Science (Honours). Currently, he leads the development of Micromine’s cutting-edge exploration and mine design software, Origin and Beyond. Scott has previously contributed to the development of Maptek’s Vulcan software. He is dedicated to creating user-friendly, purpose-built software that seamlessly integrates into the broader software ecosystem, enhancing the efficiency and effectiveness for geologists and mining engineers. Scott’s passion lies in developing innovative software that meets the evolving needs of the industry.

Serkan Saydam, Chair of Mining Engineering, School of Minerals and Energy Resources Engineering | University of New South Wales

Serkan Saydam received his BSc, MSc and PhD degrees in Mining Engineering from the Dokuz Eylul University, Izmir, Turkey and completed his Postdoctoral Fellowship at the University of Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa. He then worked at De Beers for three years as a project manager in Johannesburg, South Africa. Serkan joined the School of Mining Engineering as a Senior Lecturer in 2006 and since 2017 he has been working as a professor. He is currently Chair of Mining Engineering at the School of Minerals and Energy Resources Engineering at UNSW. A key focus of his research is to address the current needs and future challenges the minerals industry faces. These are generally complex engineering problems as mining environments become more extreme and constraints are imposed due to increasing social, environmental, and health and safety standards. His fields of research include space resources engineering, ground control, mine systems design, mine internet of things, and technology integration and management. He established research collaborations with NASA, ESA and Luxembourg Space Agency, and KICT, as well as more than 40 research organisations and universities globally. He has more than 250 publications and graduated with 20 PhD students. Serkan attracted more than $15M in research grants. Serkan is known for founding and chairing the AusIMM’s International Future Mining Conference Series and co-chairs AusIMM’s AusRock Conference Series and Off-Earth Mining Forums. Professor Saydam received multiple academic awards, including the 2020 UNSW Dean’s Award for Global Impact, the 2019 UNSW Vice Chancellor’s Postgraduate Research Supervision Award and the 2017 Society of Mining Professors’ International Tim Shaw Innovation in Teaching Award. Serkan is currently a Fellow Member of the AusIMM; President of the ISRM Commission on Planetary Rock Mechanics; Deputy Director of the Australian Centre for Space Engineering Research (ACSER) at UNSW; Deputy Secretary-General and Council Member of the SOMP (The Society of Mining Professors). Prof Saydam is also President for 2023/2024 of the SOMP.  

 

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