Mark Benson Email & Phone Number

Perth, WA, AU

Osborne Park, Western Australia, AU

Subiaco, Western Australia, AU

• Manager of the Fixed Plant Maintenance, Planning, Reliability, Projects, Engineering, Tailings and Water and Site Services teams, consisting of 175 personnel with 8 direct reports.
• Responsible for adherence to a $100M maintenance operating budget and delivery of projects within a $65M capital budget.
• Alternate Registered Manager for KCGM.

Subiaco, Western Australia, AU

Manager of Capital Projects, Engineering, Tailings and Water and Site Services teams.Alternate Registered Manager for KCGM.

Subiaco, Western Australia, AU

• Managed the Production, Maintenance and Metallurgy teams at the 1.2Mtpa Jubilee gold processing plant.
• Registered Manager for the South Kalgoorlie operations, including HBJ underground mine.
• Key priority was structural integrity remediation of 30 year old plant.

Sandton, Johannesburg, Gauteng, ZA

Engaged in a short-term contract, providing technical support and training to the Operations team, mentoring the Metallurgy team and driving business improvement projects

Perth, Western Australia, AU

• Graduated with Distinction
• Awarded the Tracey Horton Scholar and Dean’s scholarship
• Achieved a High Distinction average grade

Dublin, County Dublin, IE

• Managed the 225tph Mineral Separation Plant (MSP) consisting of Wet High Intensity Magnetic Separation (WHIMS) and dry circuits containing magnetic and electrostatic separation equipment.
• Managed a team of 195 Production and Maintenance staff (94% Mozambican) responsible for operating and maintaining the MSP.
• Responsible for development and adherence to a ~$USD28.5 million per annum operating budget.
• Achieved the NOSA 5 star safety rating in 2016 and 2017, recognising implementation and maintenance of effective and efficient occupational health, safety and environmental management systems.
• Initiated a Mineral Processing short course, coordinated with the Catholic University of Mozambique, to develop technical specialist production staff that had not had the opportunity to pursue higher education studies.
• Increased ilmenite production to record levels for both 2016 and 2017 (an ~10% year on year increase), with production of all saleable products meeting guidance for the first time in 2017.

Perth, WA, AU

• Managed the North Capel processing plant including: 2 Mineral Separation Plants (magnetic and electrostatic separation); a Synthetic Rutile Plant (consisting of a 90m long kiln and a separation, leaching, and fluid bed.
• Management of 57 technical and operations personnel, including 13 direct reports, achieving 3 years Loss Time Injury free.
• Management of the analytical laboratory for 1 year.
• Implementation of a training and development program enabling all Operations personnel to gain a certificate qualification in a relevant field.
• Restarted North Capel Operations, following 18 months idling, in time and on budget— including recruitment and training of 50% new starters.
• Project manager for the planning phase of the process plant restart, developing budget, schedule and associated plans ready for execution.

Perth, WA, AU

• Provided technical support for the operation of the Synthetic Rutile plant, Waste Heat Recovery Plant (including 8MW generator) and Mineral Separation Plant.
• Member of the Continuous Improvement Team for energy (South West representative) identifying, coordinating and reporting on Energy Efficiency and Optimisation projects.
• Implemented a plant Critical Process Management system to highlight where critical plant parameters are not in range, with actions to correct, along with a system to identify the location of the current bottleneck.
• Project Management process lead for the installation of a new screening plant to improve the quality and recovery of activated carbon, a significant contributor to unit cost reduction.
• Conducted numerous plant improvements and trials including processing of different feed sources, reclaiming valuable mineral from dredged material, kiln coal briquette trial, cooling tower biological control, recovery.
• Technical resource for 2 pilot plant trials conducted by Outotec in Finland.

Subiaco, Western Australia, AU

• Commissioned the Boddington Process Plant including the Crushing, HPGR, Grinding and Flotation circuits, but focused on the Leaching, Elution and Cyanide Destruction circuits.
• Processing champion for International Cyanide Management Code compliance.
• Conducted plant trials to optimise cyanide addition to the leach circuits and the Caros Acid cyanide destruction circuit.
• Provided technical support and coaching to the Operations team.

Melbourne, Victoria, AU

• Coordinated commissioning and ramp up activities at Ravensthorpe Nickel Operations - including the Crushing, Beneficiation, Pressure Acid Leach and Atmospheric Leach circuits.
• Chaired the morning and afternoon commissioning planning meeting and provided instructions for the integrated Operations and Commissioning teams.
• Coordinated short to medium term Operations, Maintenance and Project work within the process plant. Provided daily instruction and support to the Operations shift supervisors.
• Facilitated the design and implementation of Permit to Work within the process plant.
• Chaired the site morning and afternoon meeting to set priorities for shift maintenance, as well as the Scaffolding, Crane and Hydroblasting contractors to ensure resources are effectively utilised.
• 4 months acting as Production Superintendent – Leach.

• Commissioned the new 17Mtpa processing plant consisting of Crushing, SABC Grinding, Gravity (Falcon with Knelson Concentrators and Gekko Intensive Leach Reactor later included), Flash Flotation, Copper and Pyrite.
• Supervised 5 metallurgists as well as assisting with Metallurgical Lab supervision as required.
• Provided technical assistance to the Operations team, both at an operator and supervisor level, including setting operating parameters, giving feedback on unit performance and delivering operator training.
• Acted as Ore Processing manager on numerous occasions, assuming responsibility for the Operations and Metallurgy departments.
• Conducted initial test work, assisted in the design, commissioned and operated the retrofitted Knelson concentrator circuit, and the Intensive Cyanidation/Carbon in Column circuits.
• Implementation and management of various process optimisation projects and cost saving initiatives including acoustic monitoring of the SAG mills, trailing of ceramic parts in the primary hydrocyclones, and.

AU

• Provided technical assistance in the operation of the Wodgina tantalum processing plant included Milling (ball mill), Gravity Separation (spirals, tables, MGS) and included a small Sulphur Flotation circuit.
• Completed daily, weekly and monthly metallurgical accounting.
• Acted as the Processing Manager, on weekends and as required, assuming responsibility for the processing plant, along with management of the Production and Maintenance departments.
• Chaired the morning processing meeting, reviewing performance and setting priorities for the day.
• Conducted numerous plant surveys to identify any recovery issues or opportunities.

Geneva, Geneva, CH

• Supervisor and plant metallurgist for the HiPAL pilot plant, successfully and professionally completing over 20 campaigns in High Pressure Acid Leaching including the feasibility test work for Ravensthorpe Nickel.
• Also ran campaigns in ACTIVOX, Low Pressure Oxidative Leaching, Low Pressure Ammoniacal Oxidation and Mixed Sulphide Precipitation.
• Commissioned/decommissioned various pilot plant circuits and supervised a team of up to 20 personnel during campaigns ensuring client specified parameters were maintained.
• Completed daily reports and assisted in the final report for each campaign.

• Commissioned a state-of-the-art UHT flavoured milk processing plant.
• Member of a high-performance team made, up 20 multi-disciplined and self-managed Process Controllers.
• Developed Safe Work Instructions for the operation of all plant equipment.
• Plant Occupational Health & Safety representative and Deputy Chief Warden for emergency evacuation.
• Responsible for the safe operation of the Aseptic Filler Machine and multi skilled into other areas.

Master Of Business Administration - Mba, Business Administration And Management

Bachelor Of Applied Science (Basc), Metallurgy