Recap: New Leaders Summit 2023

Over 25-27 September, mining students and new professionals gathered in Adelaide to hear keynote speeches from revered resources professionals, abstracts presentations on decarbonisation, reconciliation and innovation, network with industry, and attend pre and post Summit tours.

On Day 1, Claudia Vejrazka from Resolve Mining Solutions shared her experiences with blockcaving and sublevel caving operations, Leonard Rowe from Newcrest Mining Limited presented on blasting optimisation and Geoff Johnson, Chief Geologist at SIMEC Mining explored learnings from The Middleback Ranges Magnetite Expansion Project.

Kate du Preez, the Commissioner for Resources Safety and Health talked about safety culture and how to get it while Nikky LaBranche, Research Fellow, Minerals Industry Safety and Health Centre at The University of Queensland continued the health and safety discussions with her talk on leading by example.

Cu Phan from BHP spoke on the Olympic dams case study with a diversity and inclusion lens, proceeded by fellow industry legends Jason Schell, Chief Operating Officer at Rex Minerals and Jim McCluskey, General Manager - Geoscience & Resource Engineering, Olympic Dam, BHP.

Day 2 of the New Leaders Summit started with a panel discussion on the benefits of EEF and how it can assist you in your career with AusIMM Kalgoorlie Student Chapter President, Guster Laufmann, AusIMM Illawarra Student Chapter President Zack Oswald and Thiess Undergraduate Engineer, Lauren Symon.

Mining students and new professionals then attended an interview with AusIMM CEO, Stephen Durkin, facilitated by BHP Mine Infrastructure Engineer, Josephine Liantono, was followed by a case study from Dr Seher Ata, and presentations by Odette Brimblecombe of Whitehaven Coal and Steve Coughlan, Executive Chairman at Byrnecut.

Delegates listened to abstract presentations on supply chain and innovation. A HUGE congratulations to Harrison Keeble from the AusIMM Tasmania Student Chapter, Rumi Daruso from the AusIMM Adelaide Student Chapter and Sarah Mansell from Worley! These three presenters were awarded for best abstracts on “Applications of Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy: Ore Processing and Mineral Exploration”; “Formulating a natural hydrogen prospectivity map for South Australia” and “Caring for Country through the energy transition: Exploring how holistic sustainability will save the world” respectively.

Elora Baird from AusIMM North Queensland Student Chapter, Kane Annesley from Advisian, Dylan Gill from the President of the AusIMM Curtin University Student Chapter, Lucy Barrie from Glencore, Sophia Minter from the AusIMM Tasmania Student Chapter, Jane Gray from Idemitsu Boggabri Coal and Christopher Darmago of the AusIMM Curtin University Student Chapter also delivered insightful presentations on new #datacapture methods, transparent reporting, infrared spectroscopy and oredilution – among many other topics.

Thank you to our wonderful facilitators Elyse Bosch from BHP,  Oliver Mowbray from the AusIMM Adelaide Student Chapter, Zac Chrzanowski of James Cook University, Viv Naidu from Resolve Mining Solutions and Lucy Barrie from Glencore who interviewed our industry legends and helped the entire event run seamlessly.

The New Leaders Summitt organising committee Shirlee Duke, Josephine Liantono, Viv Naidu, Elyse Bosch, Oliver Mowbray, Renzo Ocampo and AusIMM’s Manager, Member Engagement & Relationships, Tilley Byrne, were responsible for so much of the behind-the-scenes work that made Australia’s premiere event for emerging mining leaders such a success, chaired by Alex Bozward, Organising Committee Chair, New Market and Innovation Manager at GMA Garnet Group. Thank you!