Behind the Scenes with Bryan

Julie is the Executive Director of Mining Minnesota. Julie leads a coalition of community and industry leaders who advocate for responsible production of mineral resources in Minnesota. Julie previously served as the Environmental Manager of Cleveland-Cliffs' Hibbing Taconite operation, shepherding Minnesota’s second largest iron mining and processing facility through environmental permitting and operational compliance. She then guided the water resources program for Twin Metals Minnesota as the Director of Water Resources, including oversight of surface water, groundwater, and wetlands baseline studies and project modeling.

Kim is the Global Director of Mine Closure at WSP. She has over 25 years of experience in resource projects in most states of Australia and internationally including across Africa and South America, ranging from greenfields exploration to active mine expansions to closure planning and implementation. She has worked in operational, project and consulting roles covering environmental and social impact assessment, mine closure planning and environmental management roles, including regulator and stakeholder engagement. She is a qualified environmental management auditor and has been involved in a number of audits, including due diligence and international audits.

Omar is with WSP where he is an Assistant Vice President -Civil Engineer. He is also Vice Chair of the SME Environmental Division Board as well as Vice Chair, SME Tucson Section. Omar and I discuss the role of civil engineering in the design of mine waste management systems and the value of being active in a professional society.

Assheton is the CEO of TDi Sustainability. TDi Sustainability is a global consulting firm that enables business to thrive while living in harmony with people and planet. From responsible sourcing, auditing, and impact investments at the heart of the mining industry, to risk management, ESG standards, compliance, management systems and bespoke digital tools… their global team is at the coal face (literally) to help turn ideas into solutions.

Marco is the Head of the Geotechnical Department at Line Creek Operation of Elk Valley Resource. He is a geotechnical engineer with over 15 years of experience in open pit mining. He is passionate about nurturing the next wave of geotechnical talent and delights in the playful intricacies of granular materials.

Ryan is the Executive Director at Better In Our Back Yard. We discuss the many challenges regarding permitting a mine in the US.

Terry is President (North America) at SRK Consulting. Terry and I discuss his impressive career and provide advice to the next generation of engineers and scientists.

Marcelo is a geotechnical engineer with Red Earth Engineering Pty Ltd, now a part of Geosyntec. In this episode Marcelo discusses a recent paper on compaction.

Benjamin Neville is the Managing Director of the Saligna Management Group. He is Australian based, and a standout in project management and leadership. With engineering credentials from Queensland University of Technology and a commitment to continuous improvement, he's led pivotal projects like the CIMIC One HSE Culture Program at UGL/Gryphon Psychology (2023) and the Mental Health for Leaders initiative at Hitachi (2021-2022).

His global talent development efforts were acknowledged in a partnership with Hitachi/Lloyd’s Register (2021), and he maintained rigorous standards in management commitment to ISO 9001:2015, ISO 14001:2015, and ISO 45001:2018 at Rio Tinto. Benjamin's leadership earned him the Rio Tinto MaD Award (2020) and WHS Excellence recognition from BHP (2019-2020). Beyond his professional achievements, Benjamin enriches his community through volunteer work with Rosies and the Australian Red Cross, highlighting his dedication to societal contributions and personal growth.

Catherine is an experienced mining engineer with 12+ years in the mining industry, specializing in both underground and open pit operations, and a proven track record of demonstrating strong, effective leadership and team development.
Amongst other things, we discuss Catherine's book, "