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At Best Startup Canada we track over 100,000 Canadian startups and over 500,000 people who hold key positions in these companies. We use this directory of startups to highlight top employees, founders and board members we think deserve more appreciation than they are currently getting.
This list showcases the top British Columbia based CEO’ operating in the Mining Technology space. If you think a CEO’ is missing from this list, feel free to contact our editor on editor@beststartup.ca.
The individuals on this list have been included because of exceptional performance in one of the following categories:
- Innovation – Operating as a key part in an extremely innovative business or startup.
- Growth – Operating as a key figure in the growth and upscale of a market leading business or startup.
- Management – Showing exceptional management skills.
- Societal impact – Putting their business on the map for their positive societal or environmental impact.
Our Data – We source our data from OSINT (open source intelligence) and public directories such as Crunchbase, SemRush and many more. The data from these sources should be treated with a degree of caution and verified yourself.
Jorge Ganoza
Co-Founder, President & CEO of Fortuna Silver Mines
Jorge A. Ganoza is a geological engineer with over 20 years of experience in mineral exploration, mining and business development throughout Latin America. He is a graduate from the New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology. Jorge is a fourth generation miner from a Peruvian family that has owned and operated underground gold, silver and polymetallic mines in Peru and Panama. Before co-founding Fortuna back in 2004 he was involved in business development at senior levels for several private and public Canadian junior mining companies working in Central and South America. Jorge also serves as Chairman of the Board of Atico Mining Corporation.
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About Fortuna Silver Mines: Fortuna Silver Mines is positioned for sustainable growth with two low-cost underground operating silver mines
Michael Outwin
CEO / Founder / Board Member of Jetti Resources
Mike Outwin is co-founder and CEO of Jetti Resources, a technology-driven natural resources company that has developed a novel hydrometallurgical technology to extract metals of value from mineral ores that until now were inaccessible to the mining industry. In addition to Jetti, Mike serves as a Strategic Advisor at GreatPoint Ventures, where he was formerly an Associate Partner, focusing on building and investing in companies at the intersection of biological and physical sciences. Prior to GreatPoint Ventures, Mike was on the corporate strategy team at GreatPoint Energy, the technology leader in catalytic coal gasification.
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About GreatPoint Ventures, Jetti Resources: Jetti makes it possible to extract copper from low-grade primary sulfides
Amir Adnani
President, Founder, Director & CEO of Uranium Energy
Mr. Adnani is a founder of Uranium Energy Corp and has been the President, Chief Executive Officer, and a director of the Company since January 2005. He serves as a spokesman for the uranium industry before all international media, and is frequently invited to speak before major industry gatherings including the Milken Institute Global Conference and the World Nuclear Fuel Conference. He is recognized by Casey Research, a leading investment advisory publisher, as a top-ten leading mining industry entrepreneur and executive. Mr. Adnani is an entrepreneur with a background in business development and marketing. In 2004, he founded Blender Media Inc. where he served as the President and a director until 2006. Blender Media is a strategic communications firm for public companies, and in 2005, was named one of the fastest growing companies in Canada by Profit magazine. He is also a founder and the Chairman of Brazil Resources Inc., a gold exploration company listed on the TSX-Venture Exchange with projects in the gold districts of Brazil. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of British Columbia, and serves on the university’s Alumni Advisory Board.
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About Goldmining Inc, Uranium Energy, Uranium Royalty: Uranium Energy specializes in acquiring exploration databases and leveraging those databases to generate acquisition.
Shahram Tafazoli
Founder, President & CEO of Motion Metrics
Shahram Tafazoli is the Founding CEO of Motion Metrics Int’l, a private Canadian corporation dedicated to improving safety and efficiency of terrestrial mining using AI, rugged embedded vision, and cloud computing. Motion Metrics has deployed its innovative solutions in more than 60 large mining operations around the globe, digging copper, iron, gold, diamond, coal, and nickel. Shahram holds bachelor and master’s degrees from Sharif University of Technology in Iran and a PhD from the University of British Columbia (UBC), all in Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) with a focus on robotics and machine vision. He is an Adjunct Professor at the University of British Columbia’s ECE department and has offered various graduate-level courses. He has a passion for technology and has invested in a number of technology startups, including several ventures from Creative Destruction Lab. He is co-inventor of international patents with other engineers from Motion Metrics and recently received the UBC Applied Science Dean’s Medal of Distinction. Shahram has a passion for space technologies and is keen on applying them to terrestrial applications.
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About Motion Metrics: Motion Metrics is a Canadian mining technology company that uses artificial intelligence to improve mine safety and energy efficiency.
Simon Ingram
President & CEO of Reservoir Minerals
Dr. Ingram currently serves as President, Chief Executive Officer and Director of Reservoir Minerals. Dr. Ingram was a founding director of Reservoir Capital (TSXV: REO) and has 20 years international experience in the exploration and mining industry. He is the founder and principal of a resource services firm, through which he has provided technical and managerial expertise to exploration and mining companies worldwide, throughout the project cycle from early-stage exploration projects to feasibility studies, mine start up and production. Projects that Dr. Ingram has been a consultant and advisor to include; Petropavlovsk Plc (LSE: POG), a London-listed mining and exploration company with its principal assets located in Russia, Anglo American Zambia copper mine production and expansion, Rio Tinto Technical Services for resource definition to mine start up in the Middle East and the resource expansion, mining start up and subsequent sale of a polymetallic mine in Armenia for a private Swiss company. Dr Ingram holds a B.Sc. (Hon) in Exploration and Mining Geology and Ph.D in Mineral Resource Evaluation from Cardiff University.
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About Reservoir Minerals: Reservoir Minerals is a mineral exploration company.
Donald R. Lindsay
President and Chief Executive Officer of Teck
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About Teck: Teck is a diversified resource company with business units focused on copper, steelmaking coal, zinc and energy.
Lyle Davis
CEO and Director of Condor Resources
Mr. Davis joined the Condor board of directors as an independent director prior to its initial public offering in 2006. At that time, he was providing corporate finance, advisory, and management services to public companies. Mr. Davis previously worked in corporate finance with Ernst & Young, and C.M. Oliver and Company, both in Vancouver, and prior thereto, with the Vancouver Stock Exchange. He has a Bachelors Degree in Civil Engineering from Queen’s University, an MBA from the University of British Columbia, and is a member of the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Alberta. Mr. Davis is the Chairman and a director of Hard Creek Nickel Corporation, and a director of Terra Nova Energy Ltd.
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About Condor Resources: Condor is a project generator focused exclusively on exploration in South America, particularly Peru and Chile.
Mark Fields
Interim President & CEO, Director of Discovery Harbour Resources
Mark was the President, CEO and director of Geodex Minerals Ltd. from May 2009 to June 2014 and the President of his own consulting company, MC Fields Ventures Inc. since 2007. Previously he has been a senior executive and director with a number of junior mineral companies, receiving the E.A. Scholz Award for excellence in mine development for his role as Executive Vice President of Pine Valley Mining while bringing the Willow Creek metallurgical coal mine into commercial production. Earlier in his career he was involved in the acquisition and development of the Diavik diamond mine for the Rio Tinto Group. Mr. Fields holds a B.Sc. in Geology from the University of British Columbia and a B.Comm., (Honours) from Queen’s University. He is an accredited P.Geo, with the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of BC as well as the NWT and Nunavut.
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About Discovery Harbour Resources: Discovery Harbour Resources is focused on sourcing, exploring and developing mineral properties.
Kevin Bottomley
President & CEO of King’s Bay
Kevin has spent the last 15 years in public markets focusing on company creation and capital raising. In that time Kevin has been a part of the successful completion of over 75 Million dollars in funding through networks in North America, Europe and Asia. Kevin’s drive and discipline have allowed him to successfully navigate challenging business settings and scenarios in the resource and special situations sectors.
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About King’s Bay: King’s Bay is a Vancouver based company focused on the exploration of cobalt, and other high-tech metals in North America.
Wendell Zerb
President & Chief Executive Officer of Exeter Resource Corporation
Wendell Zerb is the President & CEO of Exeter Resource Corporation. Wendell Zerb has 25 years combined experience in mining, mineral exploration and capital markets/financial analysis. Prior to joining the financial sector, Wendell Zerb worked for 10 years as a geologist in mineral exploration and mining. Wendell’s experience includes senior positions related to generative mineral exploration through to open pit and underground mining of base and precious metals. In 1996 he joined an established Vancouver based Investment Dealer (PI Financial) as a Mining Analyst. Through 2001 to March, 2005 he was also Vice President of Research and Institutional Sales, and in the latter two years was President and CEO of a wholly owned US subsidiary. In March, 2005 he joined Canaccord Capital as a Senior Mining Analyst, leaving the organization in July, 2012 as Director, Research Analyst, Metals and Mining (Canaccord Genuity Inc). Wendell Zerb obtained a Bachelor of Science Degree from the University of Alberta in 1986/87 and is a registered Professional Geologist with the Association of Professional Engineers, and Geoscientists of Alberta (APEGA).
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About Exeter Resource Corporation: Exeter Resource Corporation is a Canadian public company listed on the TSX and NYSE-MKT under the symbols XRC and XRA.
Patrick G. Downey
President And Chief Executive Officer of Orezone Resources
Mr. Downey over 30 years of international experience in the resource industry. Mr. Downey held the position of President, Chief Executive Officer and Director of Elgin Mining Inc., Aura Minerals Inc. and previously Viceroy Exploration Ltd. before its acquisition by Yamana Gold Inc. in 2006 for $600 million. Mr. Downey also served as President of Consolidated Trillion Resources Ltd. and Oliver Gold Corporation, where he negotiated their successful merger to form Canico Resource Corp., which was purchased by CVRD in 2006 for over $800 million. He has held numerous senior engineering positions at several large-scale gold mining operations and has also held operating positions at several mining projects for Anglo American Corporation in South Africa. Mr. Downey is a member of the board to a number of resource companies in the mining sector, and he holds a Bachelor of Science (Hon.) degree in Engineering from Queen’s University.
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About Orezone Resources: Orezone Gold Corporation (ORE:TSX) is a Canadian exploration and development company.
Richard D. Williams
Chief Executive Officer & Director of Winshear Gold
Richard Williams is a Professional Geologist with over 20 years experience in gold mining and precious and base metal mineral exploration in southern Africa, south, central and north America, and most recently in southern Europe. Richard graduated from Portsmouth University, UK in 1988, before becoming a mine geologist in the Witwatersrand goldfields, South Africa. In 1993, he completed a Master’s degree in Mineral Exploration at Queen’s University, Ontario and joined Canarc Resource Corp. as its Exploration Manager in Suriname, South America. In 1998, based in Vancouver, Richard assumed the role of Acquisitions Manager for Canarc, working mainly in Mexico. In 2001, Richard formed his own exploration consulting company – RDW Consulting – as well as assisting Chris MacKenzie in the formation of the BAFEX group of companies. As a consulting geologist Richard worked for a variety of exploration companies, with experience gained in the exploration for IOCG deposits in northern Canada and Chile, and also for high and low sulphidation gold deposits in Sardinia, Italy. Richard is based in Vancouver and is responsible for Helio’s corporate affairs.
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About Winshear Gold: Winshear Gold is a Canadian based junior exploration company
Dunham Craig
CEO & President of Geologix Explorations
Dunham Craig graduated from the University of British Columbia with a Degree in Geology in 1988. From 1970 to 1983, he worked in the heavy construction industry and also operated his own construction company for seven years. Upon graduation from university, he served as a project geologist for Cominco Exploration Ltd. and later consulted for Cominco and Kennecott Canada Inc. Subsequently in 1993, as the vice president of exploration and corporate development for Wheaton River Minerals, Dunham was responsible for the discovery of three mineral deposits at Wheaton River’s highly profitable Golden Bear mine and for participating in the project through bankable feasibility and bank financing. He later directed the acquisition of the Bellavista Gold Project in Costa Rica and oversaw its design through bankable feasibility. From 2002 to 2005, he was a member of the initial management team of Glencairn Gold Inc. that acquired and developed two operating mines in Central America. Dunham joined Geologix in 2005 as its President and was later appointed CEO and President by the Board in 2006.
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About Geologix Explorations: Geologix Explorations is a Canadian mineral exploration company focused on acquiring, exploring, and developing.
Kevin Drover
President and CEO of Aurcana
Mr. Drover has more than 40 years of both domestic and international experience in operations, project development, management and process re-engineering, with both developing and producing companies. Mr. Drover was the Chief Operating Officer of Glencairn Gold Corporation, responsible for two gold mining operations located in Latin America. Prior to joining Glencairn, he was the Vice President of Operations for Kinross Gold Corporation, overseeing six operating mines located in various parts of the World. He has considerable experience in turning around challenging projects and has worked in operations located in Canada, Russia, Peru, Nicaragua, Costa Rica and the USA. During his career, Mr. Drover also worked for Oracle Mining, Black Hawk Mining, Lac Minerals, BP Canada Resources, Noranda Mining, Dome Mines and The Iron Ore Company of Canada.
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About Aurcana: Aurcana is a mining company engaged in the exploration, development and operation of natural resource properties.
Gary Agnew
CEO and Cofounder of Ideon Technologies
Gary Agnew is CEO and Co-founder of Vancouver, BC-based cosmic-ray muon tomography pioneer Ideon Technologies. Since joining Ideon in March 2020, he has positioned the company on a growth trajectory and secured $1.3M in seed funding. Gary is a global executive, with 25+ years in industrial B2B markets, developing and commercializing innovative new products and solutions while building teams that deliver extraordinary results. Prior to joining Ideon, Gary founded the strategy and global digital division at Finning International Inc., scaling revenue to $500M in 3 years, delivering profitability in less than 24 months.
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About Ideon Technologies: Ideon Technologies is a world pioneer in the application of cosmic-ray muon tomography.
Edward Kelly
CEO and Director of Inca One Gold
Mr. Kelly is a serial entrepreneur with over 20 years of management experience in sales, marketing and business development. The majority of Ed’s experience comes in the form of working with private and public companies where he has served as an officer and director of ClickHouse.com and Dajin Resources. Mr. Kelly has been involved in the public markets since 1989 as an investor, as well as assisting in raising capital for both private and public company ventures. Mr. Kelly is a turn around specialist who has rescued several private ventures in real estate and food. His keen business eye has helped him identify hidden opportunities and then implementing the right strategy to execute.
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About Inca One Gold: Inca One Gold Corp. is a Canadian-based mineral resource and mineral processing company.
Maximilian Sali
Founder & CEO of Barrian
Maximilian Sali is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer at Barrian Mining.
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About Barrian, Defense Metals: Barrian is a new junior exploration company focused on acquiring proven gold assets.
Brandon Macdonald
CEO & Director of Fireweed Zinc
Mr. Macdonald is a professional geologist with a diverse experience base including exploration geology worldwide and investment banking. In recent years he has focused his efforts in exploration and development as a principal of and consultant to various junior mining companies. In the past he was in the City of London where he worked in structuring financings and risk management at Macquarie Bank. In 2007 Mr. Macdonald graduated with an MBA (with Distinction) from Oxford. He completed his B.Sc. in Geology from UBC in 2000. Mr. Macdonald has a long history of mining exploration work in Yukon, including zinc projects, and originally hails from Ross River, near the Macmillan Pass Project site.
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About Fireweed Zinc: Fireweed Zinc is a Canadian mining exploration and development company.
Slawek Smulewicz
CEO & Director of MicroCoal
Mr. Smulewicz has been the acting CEO of MicroCoal® Technologies Inc.. since June 2011. He operated as Vice President of Carbon Friendly Solutions Inc. from 2008 until his appointment as CEO; he is also a director of the Company since 2008. Mr. Smulewicz has served on the Board of several European private companies in consulting, IT and construction industries; especially during the start-up phase or restructuring processes. From 2006 until 2009, he led a successful remedial process, completing the financing of over 50 million PLN for a European private company. In 2001, he founded BDSG Grupa Finansowa Sp. z o. o., where he acted as CEO and Director until 2008. In 1998, he co-founded Internetowy Instytut Infomacji 3i Sp. z o. o. where he acted as CEO and Director until 2001. Mr. Smulewicz was an advisor to Vice Marshal of Presidium of The Sejm of The Republic of Poland (Polish Parliament) in 1998 and received his license as a broker of Warsaw Exchange (WGT S.A.), Poland in 1995. He has a M.Sc. in Agriculture & Business Administration from the Warsaw University of Life Science (SGGW) in Warsaw, Poland.
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About G2 Technologies Corp., MicroCoal: MicroCoal focuses on providing clean-coal upgrading technology that reduces contaminants in coal resulting in upgraded energy content.
John-Mark Staude
President & CEO of Riverside Resources
John-Mark Staude holds a Ph.D. in economic geology and has over 20 years of diverse mining and exploration experience in precious and base metals. He earned a Masters of Science from Harvard University in 1989 and a Ph.D. in economic geology from the University of Arizona in 1995. Mr. Staude held positions of increasing responsibility with a number of major international mining companies including Kennecott, BHP-Billiton, and most recently Teck Cominco. He also worked with smaller commodity-focused companies like Magma Copper Company and consulted to private investment groups. Mr. Staude’s extensive Latin America mineral resource experience began in Mexico and then extended through South America. Recently, Mr. Staude has ventured into Europe and Asia initiating companies and managing successful exploration programs in Turkey, Romania and China. Mr. Staude has been successful in creating shareholder value through discoveries of gold and copper in Mexico, Peru and Turkey. He has located additional resources in known districts and helped convert discoveries into new mining operations. His technical and managerial experience spans more than 30 countries in diverse geologic environments. Through Riverside Resources, Mr. Staude will continue to build strong portfolios and profitable businesses through prospect generation, early stage partnering and drill discoveries.
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About Riverside Resources: Riverside Resources is a well-funded mineral exploration company advancing multiple projects through JVs and strategic partnerships.
John Zbeetnoff
Chief Executive Officer & Director of SnipGold Corp.
Chief Executive Officer and Director; Mr. Zbeetnoff was previously on the Company’s Advisory Board and was consulting as the Chief Geologist working with the Company’s Chief Operating Officer, Mr. Jim Sparling, in the geological compilation, interpretation and supervision of the current exploration programme. He was previously chief geologist with Brett Resources (until transfer of responsibility to Osisko was complete), extensive experience with various other junior exploration companies including work with Curragh Resources in the 1980’s and early 1990’s where he carried out several phases of advanced exploration in four base metal deposits just prior to production; as Chief Geologist for Loki Gold he completed the final two exploration programs at Brewery Creek that transitioned the project from exploration to production; completed a large scale resource advancement of Segala gold Deposit in Mali West Africa — Deposit was eventually opened for production. Completed numerous resource estimates for junior mining companies with projects around the world. Mr. Zbeetnoff has also completed several years of geological modeling and resource work on Miramar Mining’s Hope Bay project culminating in the 1.5 billion dollar sale of Hope Bay to Newmont in 2007. Mr Zbeetnoff has been involved with all aspects exploration, from grass roots work to development programs for over 26 years.
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About SnipGold Corp.: SnipGold Corp. exploration and expansion of gold and copper resources.
Douglas Turnbull
President & Chief Executive Officer of Black Dragon Gold corp
Mr. Turnbull is a consulting geologist with over 25 years of experience in diamond, precious and base metal exploration. He holds an H.B.Sc. in Geology and is a Qualified Professional Geoscientist recognized by the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of British Columbia. Mr. Turnbull has managed or served on boards of a number of exploration and mining companies with assets ranging from early stage to advanced projects. He has played a key role on teams responsible for the exploration and development of the Eskay Creek Gold Deposit in Canada, the Petaquilla Cu-Au Porphyry Deposit in Panama, the Mt. Kare Gold Deposit in Papua New Guinea and the OJVG Gold Deposits in Senegal.
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About Black Dragon Gold corp: Black Dragon Gold is one of the largest undeveloped gold deposits in Western Europe – the Salave gold project in Spain.
Ken Berry
President & CEO of Northern Vertex Mining
Ken Berry, B.Comm, Chairman and CEO is co-founder and has played an instrumental role in acquiring the Moss project as well as helping to raise in excess of $47 million to advance the Company’s now 100% owned Moss Mine Gold-Silver project in Western Arizona from the exploration stage to final feasibility. Ken Berry brings over 20 years of senior level experience in capital markets and mine exploration and development. Among his accomplishments, as a co-founder and current Chairman of Kootenay Silver Inc., over the past two years Ken Berry has helped guide Kootenay through a major transitional period that included the strategic acquisition of Canadian based Northair Silver Corp. and a carried interest to production option agreement with Pan American Silver Corp.
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About Northern Vertex Mining: Company focused on the reactivation of the Moss Mine Gold-Silver Project located in NW Arizona, USA.
Michael Brown
President & CEO of Argentex Mining Corp
Mr. Brown began his career as a professional geologist in 1994. Since then, he has gained extensive experience in corporate and project development, finance, team building and executive leadership around the world in natural resources, including Argentina. He has participated in the development of multiple $100 million dollar plus projects in Latin America. Mr. Brown was previously employed as the Vice President of Energy at Kinross Gold Corporation from 2009-2012. From 2002-2009 he was employed as Business Development Manager at Pacific Hydro. At Pacific Hydro he opened the company’s offices in Chile in 2002, and played a critical role in establishing a significant new market for the company through the acquisition of two run of river hydroelectric projects and leading the development and project financing of two large run-of-river hydroelectric projects. Mr. Brown has an MBA from the University of Melbourne, 2002, and a double Science (Hons-Geology, 1993) and Arts Degree, 1994, from the University of Melbourne. Mr. Brown is fluent in English and Spanish.
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About Argentex Mining Corp: Argentex Mining Corporation is a junior exploration resource company focused on advancing its Pinguino Silver/Gold Project in Santa Cruz,
Jeff More
President & CEO of MineSense Technologies
As President and Chief Executive Officer, Jeff is responsible for the strategic and overall leadership of MineSense. His primary mandate is to bring to market the company’s disruptive, value creating technology. In 2016, this included a successful fund raise and the company’s first commercial contract. Jeff is a seasoned CEO with a particular focus on intensive growth mandates. His experience spans a diverse set of industries, including environmental services, electronics recycling, telecommunications, robotics and engineered materials. A company builder with a proven track record in both large companies and entrepreneurial environments, he brings broad functional expertise in business development, marketing strategy, operational efficiency and M&A to Minesense, This is coupled with extensive expertise in global markets, including China, India, Japan, South America and Africa. He is a demonstrated team builder and values-driven leader. Jeff holds a B.Eng in Chemical Engineering & Management and an MBA, both from McMaster University.
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About MineSense Technologies: MineSense Technologies is a developer of a data analytics platform intended to monitor and improve the productivity and recovery of mines.
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