1. What are some of the major challenges and trends that have been impacting the Metal industry lately?

1. Retaining Mining Engineers, Geotechnical Engineers and Hydrogeologist are real challenge in the mining industry now. The demand is so high and big companies are making aggressive offers to even graduates - very challenging.

2. Dealing with stake holders and achieving a win win outcome – some end up in long deal battles and these delays massive projects to come online.

3. Achieving what is deemed as a fair distribution of worth by all stage holders.

4. Environmental policies are getting ever tight – it is a good thing we have one earth, and we need to protect it.

2. What keeps you up at night when it comes to some of the major predicaments in the Metal industry?

1. Equipment interactions resulting in fatality and massive geotechnical events that impact the operability of a mine.

2. For smaller mines - community outrage, security and sabotage are agendas that I always tread with care – sometimes there is no right or wrong. 

3. Can you tell us about the latest project that you have been working on and what are some of the technological and process elements that you leveraged to make the project successful?

1. I use Mind Maps a lot and lately I get to appreciate the lease of new mobile apps, cloud-based softwares that makes business improvement a breeze and you can engage stake holders on a whole new level.

2. We can track progresses in real time and hold people accountable more readily.

4. What are some of the technological trends which excite you for the future of the Metal industry?

1. I think the fully electric equipment such as the Bobcat T7x are an exciting step. The fossil fuel motor and hydraulics are replaced with electric drive and actuation of implements – that changes the game on many aspects and levels if they are replicated for massive mining equipment.

“ Environmental policies are getting ever tight – it is a good thing we have one earth, and we need to protect it.”

2. AI driven mining equipment provides exciting times. I went to mine automation school in the late 1990s and we programmed miniature equipment back then but now the technology is going to the next level with full size automated equipment.

3. I am excited about renewable energy technologies and when coupled with fully electric equipment make small mines and alluvial operations more economically viable.

4. I am excited about the drone technologies – making exploration more affordable and less logistically challenging.