KEYNOTE AND PLENARY SESSIONS
MONDAY KEYNOTE & PLENARY SESSION
Monday, September 18 ┃9:00 – 10:00┃Room Gallery AB
PLENARY : CRITICAL MINERALS PANEL
KEYNOTE AND PANELISTS SPEAKERS
Martin Provencher, Industry Principal, Mining, Metals & Materials – AVEVA
Mr. Provencher will explain how to improve mining maintenance & reliability through digital transformation & software tools
Keynote: Martin Provencher
Martin Provencher is Global Industry Principal for Mining, Metals, and Materials at AVEVA. He has more than 30 years of experience in operations, maintenance, and information technology. He is also Chair of the Maintenance Engineering and Reliability Society of the Canadian Institute of Mining and he has received the 2023 McParland Memorial Award for Excellence in Maintenance, Engineering and Reliability. He acquired his industry knowledge through different positions, such as Production Director for Casthouse and Production Services at Aluminerie Alouette in Quebec, Canada, managing operations and maintenance for seven production areas. Before that, he was the Information Technology & Automation Manager for Aluminerie Alouette. Mr. Provencher has also been an active Industry 4.0 speaker and influencer for IBM as Canada’s Quebec Mining and Metals Leader.
He also worked with Norda Stelo, a Canadian engineering company, as Director for manufacturing and processing plants. Mr. Provencher holds a bachelor’s degree in computer science with Artificial Intelligence focus from the University of Quebec in Montreal.
Martin Provencher, Industry Principal, Mining, Metals & Materials – AVEVA
Mr. Provencher will explain how to improve mining maintenance & reliability through digital transformation & software tools
Keynote: Martin Provencher
Martin Provencher is Global Industry Principal for Mining, Metals, and Materials at AVEVA. He has more than 30 years of experience in operations, maintenance, and information technology. He is also Chair of the Maintenance Engineering and Reliability Society of the Canadian Institute of Mining and he has received the 2023 McParland Memorial Award for Excellence in Maintenance, Engineering and Reliability. He acquired his industry knowledge through different positions, such as Production Director for Casthouse and Production Services at Aluminerie Alouette in Quebec, Canada, managing operations and maintenance for seven production areas. Before that, he was the Information Technology & Automation Manager for Aluminerie Alouette. Mr. Provencher has also been an active Industry 4.0 speaker and influencer for IBM as Canada’s Quebec Mining and Metals Leader.
He also worked with Norda Stelo, a Canadian engineering company, as Director for manufacturing and processing plants. Mr. Provencher holds a bachelor’s degree in computer science with Artificial Intelligence focus from the University of Quebec in Montreal.
Dr. Kevin Ansdell
Ph.D., P.Geo, FGC, FEC (Hon),
Dr. Kevin Ansdell
Kevin Ansdell , Ph.D., P.Geo, FGC, FEC (Hon)
Department of Geological Sciences, University of Saskatchewan, 114 Science Place, Saskatoon, SK S7N 5E2
Kevin has been a Professor in the Department of Geological Sciences at the University of Saskatchewan for the last 30 years, with expertise in mineral deposits, petrology, and Precambrian geology. He grew up in England, obtaining a degree in Geology from Oxford University, before coming to Canada for an M.Sc. degree in Economic Geology from University of Alberta. After working in South Africa, and Australia as a mine and exploration geologist, he returned to Canada, and completed his Ph.D. at the University of Saskatchewan on gold deposits in the Flin Flon area in 1992. He has supervised research projects on many critical minerals, such as uranium, base metals, lithium, nickel, and rare earth elements, as well as precious metals, developed a successful Mineral Exploration team project for undergraduate students, and is presently teaching a course on the “Geoscience of Green Energy”. He is a Professional Geoscientist in Saskatchewan with Permission to Consult, Fellow of Geoscientist Canada, Honorary Fellow of Engineers Canada, and has served the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Saskatchewan on numerous committees, and recently as Saskatchewan Director and President of Geoscientists Canada.
MODERATOR: Paul Labbe
Conference Co-Chairs
MODERATOR: Paul Labbe
Paul Labbe spent 45 years in industry including the last 20 years as a C-Suite Sr. Executive in Top 10 Global EPC/EPCM firms (Stantec, WorleyParsons, TetraTech), VP of Research in Mining Saskatchewan Research Council, VP Regina Refinery (FCL/CCRL) and VP Manufacturing Vecima Electronics.
He started his career in operations at Vale Thompson (previously INCO); then he moved to Nutrien Potash (previously PCS). Later he moved to Domtar Gypsum in Burlington, Ontario where he developed the mechanized mining system and original mine for the greenfields Caledonia No. 3 Mine. Still later he moved on to perform project management and superintendent roles at the Kumtor gold mine in Kyrgyzstan at elevation in the Himalayans on the construction & development phase.
Retired out to a faculty teaching role at SaskPolytech in Mechanical Engineering and then transitioned (January 2019) into the Mining Research Chair for the School of Mining, Manufacturing & Energy at Saskatchewan Polytechnic, Applied Research. Mr. Labbe has formal training in Mechanical Engineering Technology & Business.
TUESDAY KEYNOTE & PLENARY SESSION
Tuesday, September 19 ┃9:00 – 10:00┃Room Gallery AB
PLENARY : POTASH PANEL
KEYNOTE AND PANELISTS SPEAKERS
Ryan Fairbrother
Director, Maintenance & Reliability – NUTRIEN
Paul Ryan Fairbrother
Paul Ryan Fairbrother is the Director of Maintenance and Reliability for Nutrien Potash, supporting the 6 Nutrien potash mines in Saskatchewan. Throughout his 18yrs with Nutrien, he has constructed and maintained assets from the borer end of the mine through the hoisting systems and out the back end of the mill. Ryan has a passion for continuous improvement and believes in leadership as service.
Glen Meuchel
Director, Director of Asset Integrity and Reliability North America Business MOSAIC Company
Glen Meuchel
Glen Meuchel , P.Eng., is the Director of Asset Integrity and Reliability North America Business for The Mosaic Company. In this role Glen is responsible for the programs and resources that inspection assets and determine the risk and risk mitigation plans based on the asset condition. Glen works closely with Operations and Capital teams to manage asset health and reliability.
Glen has an engineering degree from the University of Saskatchewan, with over 25 years of industrial experience in a variety of roles.
MODERATOR: Brian Fagan
Conference Co-Chairs
Brian Fagan
At an early, and aggressive age, Brian entered the world of selling & Communication by enrolling in a tertiary education learning program at Ryerson Polytechnical University in Toronto, Ontario. As a graduate of Business Marketing and Television Advertising & Communications studies with certificates that have been obtained in those disciplines. As well as the Dale Carnegie series of Sales and Leadership Communications courses and the General Electric lighting fundamentals program.
Following his graduation, Brian contributed to the newspaper and Television advertising industry in the Toronto Market for 10 years. He then proceeded to dedicated 20 years of Sales Management across Canada to a worldwide, patented, scientific, light source products company, one of the best career experiences of his life.
His first foray into the mining industry was in Sand and Gravel, Quarry, Cement and Paving markets in Ontario, where he spent 15 wonderful years with an Industrial Distribution Company in London, Ontario, as well as serving on the committees for the (OSSGA) The Ontario Stone Sand & Gravel Association. In 2013 Brian moved to Saskatchewan to be introduced and learn more about the underground mining industry and is currently working as Co-Founder & Vice President of Sales, at Centrolium in Saskatoon, where he continues to use his intrinsic values to build friendships, selling with honesty and integrity.
MODERATOR: Paul Labbe
Conference Co-Chairs
MODERATOR: Paul Labbe
Paul Labbe spent 45 years in industry including the last 20 years as a C-Suite Sr. Executive in Top 10 Global EPC/EPCM firms (Stantec, WorleyParsons, TetraTech), VP of Research in Mining Saskatchewan Research Council, VP Regina Refinery (FCL/CCRL) and VP Manufacturing Vecima Electronics.
He started his career in operations at Vale Thompson (previously INCO); then he moved to Nutrien Potash (previously PCS). Later he moved to Domtar Gypsum in Burlington, Ontario where he developed the mechanized mining system and original mine for the greenfields Caledonia No. 3 Mine. Still later he moved on to perform project management and superintendent roles at the Kumtor gold mine in Kyrgyzstan at elevation in the Himalayans on the construction & development phase.
Retired out to a faculty teaching role at SaskPolytech in Mechanical Engineering and then transitioned (January 2019) into the Mining Research Chair for the School of Mining, Manufacturing & Energy at Saskatchewan Polytechnic, Applied Research. Mr. Labbe has formal training in Mechanical Engineering Technology & Business.