Australia
The Mining Innovation Network is pleased to have such an accomplished list of Advisory Board members, including:
Michelle Ash
VP Growth
BHP
Michelle has more than 20 years’ experience in the mining and manufacturing sectors with a focus on business improvement and change management.
She was CEO of Dassault Systems GEOVIA software division where she led a growth strategy across the company’s Natural Resources sector, delivering next-generation solutions through geologic modelling and mining engineering software applications.
Prior to this, Michelle was Chief Innovation Officer at Barrick Gold and Technology Executive Lead at OZ Minerals.
She is also a Board Member of the Global Mining Group and of technology start-ups Railveyor and Off World.
Jacqui Coombes
Chair
Mining3
Jacqui is Minerals industry thought leader with experience across the mine value chain, commodities, and across the globe. She is skilled in building collaboration across the industry, government and academia; developing capability of businesses and people; and integrating ideas into systems to add value, improve efficiency and productivity, and maintain momentum for ongoing innovation.
Gemma White
Head of Technology
BHP
Whilst helping BHP navigate Queensland’s first-ever autonomous mining deployment, Gemma White saw first-hand how aligning people, technology and organisational factors was critical for successful digital transformation. Sparked with the passion to build this digital future, Gemma disrupted her decade-long mining career in corporate affairs and made a successful career leap into digital and data-driven technologies.
Today as Head of Digital for BHP’s Queensland operations, Gemma is driving the company’s digital transformation agenda by delivering industry-first machine learning, advanced analytics and award-winning innovation projects.
Gemma graduated from Queensland University Technology’s inaugural Master of Business Administration (Digital) created to develop leaders in the digital economy and received an MBA Directors Award for sustained academic excellence.
Mohsen Yahyaei
Director – Julius Kruttschnitt Minerals Research Centre (JKMRC)
The University of Queensland
Professor Yahyaei is the director of Julius Kruttschnitt Mineral Research Centre (JKMRC) and the leader of the Future Autonomous Systems and Technologies (FAST) strategic research program at The University of Queensland’s Sustainable Minerals Institute (SMI). As the director of JKMRC, Professor Yahyaei works with world-renowned academics in JKMRC, SMI and the University of Queensland schools on emerging challenges of the mineral industry. The Centre aims to develop and deliver technological innovation within a responsible environmental, social and governance (ESG) framework to the minerals industry. JKMRC is uniquely positioned to pursue this goal because of its connections with SMI’s five other Research Centres and UQ’s Schools and Faculties.
Professor Yahyaei is an internationally-recognised name in mineral processing, having led world-class collaborative research programs, such as the Advanced Process Prediction and Control and Future Autonomous Systems and Technologies programs, and delivered significant outcomes for industry across the mineral processing value chain.
Mohsen did his undergraduate study in Mine Exploration. In 2002 he completed his Master’s degree in Mineral Processing. After the Master’s degree, he worked with the R&D centre of a coal washing plant in Iran for two years. Mohsen then moved to an operational role as a coal washing plant manager. In 2007 he returned to the University of Kerman to do his PhD. He completed his PhD in 2010, and after working on several industry-funded projects in Iran, he joined the University of Queensland in 2011.
He is a member of AusIMM and a professional member of the Society of Mining, Metallurgy and Exploration (SME).