Behind the Scenes with Bryan

Dr. Pyke was born and raised in Australia and received his bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from the University of Sydney. He then worked for the Commonwealth Department of Works in Canberra on various projects before attending graduate school at the University of California, Berkeley. At Berkeley he conducted original research for his Ph.D. under the guidance of the late Professor Harry Seed and formed a close relationship with Professor Seed with whom he subsequently worked on a number of consulting assignments. Since 1977 Dr Pyke has worked principally as an individual consultant on special problems in geotechnical, earthquake and water resource engineering.

Alex is the Managing Director of First Principles Consulting in Australia. First Principles Consulting specialises in investment outperformance in mid-tier and aspiring mining operations. Their mission is to empower investors and operators to cut through subjective narratives to reveal their hidden asset, increasing production. Alex is the author of a recently published book titled, "Mining for Value, a Blueprint to Eliminate Chaos, Scale Production and Unlock Latent Capacity". You can find the book here: https://www.amazon.com.au/Mining-Value-Blueprint-Eliminate-Production/dp/1998528618

Ian is the founder and CEO of Geotheta Consulting Engineers in South Africa. Ian and I discuss many things, including his successes as a tailings engineer in Africa.

Johan has been involved in geotechnical engineering aspects of projects for the past 30 years. His expertise includes detailed design, monitoring and project management of tailings storage facilities, mine residue stockpiles and waste disposal facilities. He has also fulfilled the role of Engineer of Record for major mining clients on key assets.In his current role as the VP of Global Tailings Management at Gold Fields, he supports the implementation of leading industry practices for effective and sustainable design, construction, operation, and closure of TSFs across all Gold Fields operations. He also supports and advises on ICMM and other standards and guidelines implementation.

According to Kelly, is the Director of Business Development at ConeTec, an advocate for women in engineering and a Cone Head/CPT Enthusiast. With over 20 years' experience in the geotechnical and environmental engineering industry, she discovered a passion for communicating, teaching, and sharing technology. As a co-author of a concise and practical Guide to Cone Penetration Testing, Guide to In Situ Testing and other technical papers, she endeavors to share her knowledge and expertise.

Michael is a Geotechnical Engineer/Consultant and Engineer of Record at Agnico Eagle in Montreal. He practices geotechnical engineering for the life-cycle of mining (planning, design, operations, closure and posterity).Specializing in liquefaction and the seismic performance of dams and tailings impoundments, numerical analysis, soft, sensitive and strain-softening clays, tailings dam breach studies, peer review and engineer of record services.

Peter works at Hindustan Zinc (Vedanta) as Head of Tailings. He was previously Head of Tailings for Glencore Zinc, Group Tailings Principal at PanAust Minerals, and Head of Tailings Water and Waste at ArcelorMittal Mining. Peter is experienced in Corporate Governance for TSFs including auditing and preparation of Tailings Standards and other governance documents. He also has practical experience in Tailings design and management and has significant experience for both operators and consultants. Peter and I discuss his amazing journey throughout his career.

Andy is a dam safety specialist providing services to the mining and hydropower industries around the world. He is based in Fredericton, New Brunswick.For the mining sector, Andy has led dam designs and dam safety reviews for a number of mining clients. In addition, he provides services related to tailings planning, water management, and mine closure. He has over 35 years of experience and is supported by a team of professionals in North America. He is an experienced project manager, lead designer, and engineer of record. He also facilitates and leads decision analyses and risk assessments for a variety of clients and projects. Andy and I discuss one of his pet projects: Tailings 2030.

Theo is a Principal Tailings engineer at BGC Engineering Inc. in Brisbane, Australia. He is a registered professional engineer with a focus on Mine Waste and Tailings. He has experience with projects in South America, North America, Asia Pacific, SE-Asia, Southern Africa, Central Asia and Europe.

Will is a Monitoring Technology Solution Architect at Canary Systems, Inc. He and I discuss the many benefits of hosting monitoring data on the Canary Systems platform.

Paul is the Chief Executive Officer at 5E Advanced Materials, Inc. 5E is focused on enabling decarbonization, helping the world’s food security crisis and re-shoring critical materials including Boron and Lithium at its 5E Boron Americas Complex at Fort Cady, California.

Michael is the Managing Director, Mining and Energy at Interknowlogy, a company who helps organizations unlock actionable insights and streamline operations through tools that deliver real-time, intuitive, and visually compelling outcomes. Michael and I discuss how his company has been helping his mining clients and how their approach can be used to improve tailings facility safety.

Todd is a Principal Consultant (Non-Conventional Tailings) at SRK in Denver, Colorado. Todd and I discuss many aspects regarding technology advancement in the tailings space, and blended tailings and waste rock in particular.

Ed Sage is a Geospatial Solutions Specialist and InSAR Scientist - Satellite Mapping at Viridien, an advanced technology, digital and Earth data company. Ed and I speak of many things InSAR.

Katherine is the User Success Manager for Geotechnical Analysis at Seequent. She and I discuss their GeoStudio software.

Rick is a Principal with Klohn Crippen Berger in Vancouver. He is a geotechnical engineer who says he works with hi clients to find practical and sustainable solutions to their challenges in the mining industry. You can read the article that Rick and I discussed here:https://klohn.com/news-and-events/kcb-featured-in-vancouver-geotechnical-society-magazine/?utm_source=LinkedIn&utm_medium=Social&utm_id=VGS_Magazine

Lakshmin is a senior director at NexWayv, Inc, a company that specializes in water management projects, especially dams of all sorts. Lakshmin and I discuss various aspects of ai.

Mike is the Founder and Senior Technical Advisor of Okane Consultants. Okane helps mining companies return the land responsibly and safely at the end of a mine’s lifecycle. In this episode Mike and I discuss practical lessons learned from work in mine closure projects.

Ben has been involved in the mining industry for the majority of his working life and has experienced the industry from some very different perspectives. Firstly working in base metal concentrators around the world (Australia, Indonesia, Ireland and South Africa) in technical and managerial roles. More recently he has worked for mineral processing equipment suppliers. During the pandemic he co-founded the Executive Micro-Certificate in Economic Leadership in Mining offered through MiningEd / BRIMM at the University of British Columbia. The program (a mini, mining focused, business course) is to enable better decision making across the mining industry and to encourage cross profession co-operation.

Jeremy is a Senior Associate / Senior Tailing Engineer at Thurber Engineering Ltd. in Calgary. He obtained his Bachelors and Masters degrees from the Faculty of Civil Engineering at the University of the Witwatersrand, in Johannesburg, South Africa, specializing in geotechnical engineering, hydraulic engineering and project management. Fifteen years of his career were spent working for the Fraser Alexander Group, an international specialist tailings contractor based in South Africa, in the fields of tailings design and operation, and solid and hazardous waste management. The next ten years were spent in environmental engineering consulting, environmental assessment, public accountability and sustainable development.Since 2008 Jeremy has worked in Calgary, Canada for Thurber Engineering. His focus has been on tailings and geotechnical engineering, serving as project director, multidisciplinary team leader, reviewer or primary report author of a number of tailings engineering projects in the Alberta Oil Sands, across Canada and elsewhere internationally. Jeremy has authored over 60 papers in tailings engineering and related fields. He was appointed an Associate of Thurber Engineering in 2013, and promoted to Senior Associate in 2015.Jeremy currently serves as Co-Chair of the Dam Integrity Advisory Committee (DIAC), convened by the Alberta Chamber of Resources.

Juan is a Senior Geotechnical Engineer at KCB Australia Pty Ltd. in Perth, Australia. Juan and I once again get together to hear about what he's been up to with tailings and geotechnical engineering.

Chelsea is the President of Elevate Civil Engineering, where she leads civil and geotechnical projects, such as tailings, dams, and mining infrastructure, with a focus on ethical practice and meaningful collaboration with Indigenous communities. Her work supports sustainable, culturally aligned outcomes that reflect both technical expertise and community priorities. Chelsea is also the founder of Co-Creation, a personal and professional development practice offering alignment-based courses and spiritual growth experiences designed to help individuals and organizations connect with intuition, purpose, and values-driven leadership.

In this episode I test Chat GPT on its knowledge of the current state of tailings management.

Mike is the Founder and Senior Technical Advisor of Okane Consultants. Okane helps mining companies return the land responsibly and safely at the end of a mine’s lifecycle. In this episode Mike and I discuss practical lessons learned from work in mine closure projects.

Caius is a specialist civil geotechnical engineer with over 30 years of experience in dams, embankments and earthworks, from concept studies to detailed engineering to construction management, operation and surveillance, closure and rehabilitation. He is also an adjunct professor at the Norman B. Keevil Institute of Mining Engineering. Caius and I chat about his wonderful career and what he has learned along the way.

Scott has 30 years of technical and leadership experience in geotechnical engineering, with a focus on mining and dam safety. Scott has led multi-disciplinary design teams for complex structures, and served as senior reviewer for high profile, high consequence designs. Scott has managed an engineering group comprising multiple teams and up to 100 total staff, with direct responsibility for annual budgets more than $50 million. Scott led the implementation of the Mining Association of Canada’s Tailings Management Protocol within a large mining organization.

Jason is the Managing Director of Powerhouse Renewables in Perth, Australia. Powerhouse is seeing good results from some work they've completed with Rio Tinto. Powerhouse is unlike most renewables companies, they not only deliver renewable solutions but they also ensure that the energy transition is optimized through energy efficient technologies.

This is a lengthier episode, so buckle in for a long ride.Mike is the Founder and now a Senior Technical Advisor to O'Kane Consultants. Mike is a fellow geotechnical engineer. Okane helps mining companies return the land responsibly and safely at the end of a mine’s lifecycle. They believe in challenging the status quo and advocating for meaningful partnerships and positive outcomes for community stakeholders and Indigenous rightsholders. Their solutions help their clients achieve positive financial, environmental, and social outcomes from feasibility to relinquishment.

Debbie is a hardrock mining policy expert with over 30 years of hands-on expertise with the environmental and public land laws and regulations pertaining to mineral exploration and mine development.She provides environmental permitting and government relations consulting services to mineral exploration and mining clients. She has a proven track record of successfully representing clients in legislative and administrative issues on the state and federal levels and in securing project permits for exploration and mining projects.Since 1993, she has been an active participant in the legislative dialogue to change the U.S. Mining Law. She has provided testimonies at Congressional hearings on the National Environmental Policy Act, on abandoned mine policies, and the state and federal environmental regulatory framework applicable to modern mines. Most recently, she testified on behalf of the Women’s Mining Coalition in July 2021 and May 2022 before the House Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources at hearings on the U.S. Mining Law.Her legislative work in Nevada includes playing a key role in repealing a special state tax on federal mining claims, helping persuade legislators to abandon a legislative proposal to tax minerals prior to severance, and convincing legislators not to raise the tax rate on mineral, oil and gas, and geothermal energy production.She is also one of the founders of the Women’s Mining Coalition and currently serves on the Coalition’s Board of Directors. She is a Certified Professional Geologist with the American Institute of Professional Geologists. Her professional memberships include the Mining and Metallurgical Society of America; the Society for Mining, Metallurgy, and Exploration, Inc.; and the Geological Society of Nevada. She has served twice as a trustee of the Northwest Mining Association (now the American Exploration & Mining Association).

Satish is the Managing Director, Clareo, a think tank that is involved in many industrial sectors. As their website says, Clareo is a leading global strategy consulting firm focused on solving complex challenges for the mining, energy, and food sectors. With over 20 years of experience, Clareo collaborates with Fortune 500 clients to develop innovative strategies that drive business transformation and growth.Satish and I discuss the panel discussion he took part in at the MIT Global Summit on Mine Tailings Innovation.

Sina is a geomechanics product manager at Rocscience. He led the development and improvement of Slide2 and Slide3, two of the most advanced software tools for LEM slope stability analysis as well as probabilistic and reliability-based approaches to geotechnical design. 

Chad is an internationally recognized, experienced and competent geotechnical engineer, project and operations manager, executive and technical principal. His nearly 34 working years have benefited from a suite of various experiences and learnings, culminating in a career focused on geoenvironmental engineering, tailings engineering and tailings management. Chad and I speak current trends in the tailings world and provide some advice to engineering students and to those just coming out of school.

Allison has had a pretty amazing career, and now specializes in ESG, Sustainability, Community Engagement, Social Impact, Holistic Investments in Natural Resources & Energy, and DEI. Amongst other things, Allison and I discuss DEI and how it can improve our workplace.

Alastair leads Insight Terra, a company at the forefront of developing real-time monitoring solutions for tailings storage facilities. Based in South Africa, he brings a unique perspective on the evolution of tailings management, particularly in the African mining context. He is involved with SAIMM and recently collaborated with the newly announced Global Tailings Management Institute (GTMI) in South Africa. Alastair and I discuss the future of tailings monitoring and management. Insight Terra's work in implementing cutting-edge technology for real-time monitoring of tailings facilities aligns perfectly with the technical discussions your podcast is known for. I believe your audience would be particularly interested in hearing about the practical applications of these monitoring solutions and how they're helping mining companies meet the Global Industry Standard on Tailings Management (GISTM) requirements.

Hanna is Geohazard & Ground Engineer at Geovert, a world leader in natural hazard mitigation solutions. She is a self-proclaimed rock and dirt nerd working in the world of geohazards and ground improvement.

David Reid is a Principal Tailings Engineer with Red Earth Engineering, A Geosyntec Company in Perth, Western Australia, but more importantly he runs their lab which offers many advanced testing methods.

Chad is an internationally recognized, experienced and competent geotechnical engineer, project and operations manager, executive and technical principal. His nearly 34 working years have benefited from a suite of various experiences and learnings, culminating in a career focused on geoenvironmental engineering, tailings engineering and tailings management. Chad and I speak about his impressive career and his current direction in his career and life.

Ben is a Senior Principal Geotechnical Engineer with WSP in British Canada. Ben and I discuss the many merits and challenges associated with comingled tailings and waste rock.

Kim literally needs no introduction. She has worked for many years in the consulting world (both with large companies and on her own). She was also the head of tailings for Newmont, one of the largest mining companies in the world. Kim is now back to consulting on her own and in on the teaching staff at CSM. Kim is incredibly accomplished and has more energy than anyone I've ever known. Kim and I discuss numerous activities she has been associated with.

Kim literally needs no introduction. She has worked for many years in the consulting world (both with large companies and on her own). She was also the head of tailings for Newmont, one of the largest mining companies in the world. Kim is now back to consulting on her own and in on the teaching staff at CSM. Kim is incredibly accomplished and has more energy than anyone I've ever known. Kim and I discuss numerous activities she has been associated with.

Siamak is a tailings and landfill specialist, and the overseer of TNA, Tailings News Alerts.

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.