image

Our People

A match of experience and innovation is the simple formula underpinning Optiro’s ability to deliver added value in mining advisory services. Our people are recognised leaders in their fields of expertise within the mining industry. Moreover, our people have a long history of being successful innovators, bringing to life new ideas, methods and processes to deliver a competitive advantage to clients. Every client and employee is special to us, we are pleased to share our knowledge and experience with them as we are privileged to learn from them too.

 

Directors

Mark Warren (Right)
Mark is an engineer with over 27 years experience in the global mining industry. His experience includes postings throughout Australia and in the USA, in technical, management consulting and managerial roles. Working with clients and suppliers throughout the world Mark has experience in most aspects of the resources industry across most commodities and geographies. This includes experience in design, project management, strategy development and corporate activities. Mark has 15 years experience in the management of consulting and advisory services businesses to the mining sector, most recently as CEO of a global mining consulting practice. He also has a number of years experience as General Manager of mining equipment supply and manufacturing companies as well as working as an engineer in mining operations. Mark is also a Director of Austmine representing the mining technology and services industry of Australia. Mark’s general knowledge across the mining industry and experience in a number of mergers and acquisitions brings a broad perspective and management capability for the clients of Optiro’s transaction services.

Ian Glacken (Center)
Ian is a geologist with postgraduate qualifications in geostatistics, mining geology and computing who has over 27 years worldwide experience in the mining industry. For over 10 years Ian managed and grew the resource evaluation function of a major mining consultancy in the role of Group General Manager. He also assumed responsibility for a training business which is among the most successful in the industry and instigated a Risk Services division. Ian’s skills are in resource evaluation, quantitative risk assessment, training and mentoring, strategic advice, geostatistics, reconciliation, project management, statutory and competent persons’ reporting and mining geology studies.

Rick Stroud (Left)
Rick is a mining engineer with over 35 years worldwide experience in the mining industry. Over the last 10 years Rick has been General Manager for a large mining equipment manufacturer; Manager Mining for one of the largest open pits in Australia and Group General Manager Engineering for one of the largest Australian global mining consultancies. Rick has had exposure to all facets of the mining industry from operations to corporate, most mineral commodities, open pit and underground and consulting to contracting. Rick’s specialist skills are in Operational Optimisation, strategic and project management, mentoring senior mining personnel and peer reviewing studies and projects.

image image image

Principals

Karl van Olden (Center)
Karl is a mining engineer with more than 16 years experience in the mining industry. Karl has been responsible for the planning of a diverse range of mining operations around the world. Karl’s experience covers operational implementation of short to medium term mining plans, strategic planning and technical studies ranging from JORC standard Ore Reserve estimates to competent persons reports for corporate transactions. Karl has managed financial modeling and evaluation of significant capital projects and has participated in a number of mining operational optimisation projects. As a consulting mining engineer, Karl has undertaken operational mine planning, technical and operational reviews, valuations, capital and operating cost estimates, and mining studies covering a wide range of deposit types and mining methods.

Paul Blackney (Right)
Paul is a geologist with over 25 years technical and operational experience. For over 19 years Paul participated in the development and expansion of a major mining consultancy before joining Optiro. Paul’s skills include resource evaluation, technical audits and reviews, geostatistics, reconciliation, grade control, competent persons reporting and project management. During Paul’s career as a resource consultant, he has worked on a wide range of commodity types including extensive experience in many types of gold deposits from narrow vein extreme nugget variations through to porphyry copper gold styles. Paul also has substantial Iron Ore experience and significant exposure to PGE, base metal and mineral sands commodities.

Mark Drabble (Left)
Mark Drabble is a geologist with 18 years experience in underground and open pit production, resource development, resource estimation, consulting and geological management at operational and corporate levels. Mark has built up and led geological teams in multi-operation production scenarios, with responsibility for operational performance and strategic planning. In his career Mark has had commodity experience in gold, nickel, manganese, chromite, copper, lead, zinc and silica, and is proficient in the use of Surpac software for resource modelling and estimation. Mark’s skills are based on the application of practical geology, risk assessment, communication and team development.