FEM 2017 speakers
Co-chair on Tuesday 31 October 2017
Welcoming words
Mika Riipi, County Governor of Lapland, Regional Council of Lapland
Mika Riipi is the County Governor of Lapland at the Regional Council of Lapland. He started in this position on March 1, 2013. Previously he has been the Municipality Director in Posio (2006-2013), town secretary in Haapavesi (2004-2006), and senior adviser in the Municipality department at the Ministry of the Interior (2002-2004).
Mr. Riipi holds a Master´s degree in Administrative Sciences, majoring in municipality jurisdiction.
He graduated from the University of Tampere in 2002. Mr. Riipi is the Chair of the FEM Steering Committee.
Opening address
Tero Vauraste, Chair of the Arctic Economic Council & CEO, Arctia Ltd
Mr. Tero Vauraste is the President and CEO of Arctia Ltd, a Finnish company that provides icebreaking, ice management, oil recovery and specialized multipurpose vessel services.
Mr. Vauraste has a MSc in Risk, Crisis and Disaster Management from Leicester University and he has completed the naval officer exam at the Finnish Naval Academy. He has also served as vessel master and SAR instructor in the Finnish Coast Guard. His military rank is Lieutenant Commander.
He has long experience in senior executive positions within the traffic service cluster including safety and security, aviation and car rental.
Chair on Tuesday 31 October 2017
Main sponsor’s address
Jani Lösönen, Vice-President, Europe, Agnico Eagle Mines Limited
Mr. Lösönen joined Agnico Eagle as Vice-President, Europe, and Managing Director of Agnico Eagle Finland Oy, which is a subsidiary of Agnico Eagle Mines Limited, in May 2017. He worked previously as the CEO of Ekokem.
He graduated from the Lappeenranta University of Technology with a Master’s degree in industrial engineering and management, and he has also held several senior management positions at Kemira.
Ambassador’s address: Current development projects in mining and CETA
Andrée N. Cooligan, Ambassador to Finland, Embassy of Canada to Finland
Andrée Noëlle Cooligan joined the Department of External Affairs and International Trade in 1991 following work in the airline industry. Ms. Cooligan has served abroad as Trade Commissioner in Thailand, Senior Trade Commissioner and Consul in Turkey and as Chargé d’Affaires and Commercial Program Manager in Finland. Ms. Cooligan was stationed in Cyprus and Turkey during the Government of Canada’s evacuation of Canadians from Lebanon in 2006.
In Ottawa, Ms. Cooligan has held management positions as Acting Director and Deputy Director for the Trade Commissioner Service Marketing Division and the Regional Offices Division, as well as in the Communications Bureau, and has served as Desk Officer for Southeast Asia.
Prior to taking on her duties as Canada’s Ambassador to the Republic of Finland, Ms. Cooligan was the Commercial Counsellor at the Embassy of Canada in Berlin, Germany from 2010-2013. Ms Cooligan holds a Bachelor of Arts (1988) from the University of Ottawa, with combined credits from Laval University. Ms. Cooligan speaks English, French, German and Finnish.
Keynote: Spectral sensing technologies applied to mineral exploration & production problems
Prof. Carlos Souza Filho, University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Brazil
Professor Carlos Roberto de Souza Filho is the Chair of the Research Group and Labs on Geotechnologies (VNIR-SWIR-TIR Spectroscopy and Remote Sensing, Geophysics, GIS, Geomathematics), at the Geosciences Institute, University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Brazil.
He has developed numerous methods and applications of Geotechnologies in basic geology, resource exploration and planetary studies. He is the author of >120 PEER-reviewed articles and received a number of science awards and large projects during his career. He has supervised 22 MSc, 24 Ph.D. students and 14 postdoctoral researchers at UNICAMP between 1997-2016.
He is a NASA-funded researcher on ASTER HyspIRI missions. He is currently the Associate Editor of the International Journal of Applied Earth Observation and Geoinformation.
Keynote: Man, machine and data: A mineral exploration perspective
Prof. Eun-Jung Holden, University of Western Australia
Eun-Jung (EJ) Holden was trained as a computer scientist and made a transition to geoscience in 2006. She established and leads the Geodata Algorithms Team at the Centre for Exploration Targeting (CET) within The University of Western Australia (UWA).
The team spans the boundaries of computational science and geoscience, and has been developing innovative geodata analytics tools by working closely with the Geological Survey of Western Australia (GSWA) and the resource industry.
Their collaboration with industry resulted in three commercial software products, namely the CET Grid Analysis and the CET Porphyry Detection extensions for Geosoft Oasis Montaj, and the Image and Structure Interpretation Workspace for ALT’s WellCAD, which are used widely by mining and petroleum companies and consultancies around the world. Their collaboration with GSWA over the past three years resulted in the development of the Integrated Exploration Platform, a GIS based data interpretation support platform for mineral explorers, which was launched as a GSWA product in 2016.
The Team won various awards including Laric Hawkins Memorial Innovation Award at the 23rd International Geophysics Conference and Exhibition in Melbourne in 2013; and the UWA Vice Chancellor Award in Impact and Innovation in 2015.
Keynote: Sakatti 2017
Jukka Jokela, Sakatti Project Manager, Anglo American
Mr. Jokela has over 30 years of international experience in mineral exploration, geological research, and project and company management in different mining companies (Outokumpu Mining Oy, Polar Mining Oy, Store Norske Gull As, Northland Mines Oy and the Geological Survey of Finland).
Mr. Jokela joined Anglo American in the beginning of 2014. Since then he has been working as the Sakatti Project Manager and CEO of AA Sakatti Mining Oy.
Mr. Jokela holds M.Sc. in Geology and Mineralogy, from the University of Turku, Finland.
Keynote: Responsible exploration in the Arctic: What Northern Europe and Canada can learn from each other
Glenn Mullan, President, Prospectors & Developers Association of Canada (PDAC)
Over his +40-year career, Glenn has followed a traditional exploration and prospecting path. He began with contract geophysical surveys, then prospecting and staking mining claims independently while completing his B.Sc. in Geology and Earth Sciences at Concordia University. He later conducted contract exploration geological services, mostly in Northern Ontario and Québec.
Glenn has brokered numerous prospector/vendor transactions with arms-length public companies, and formed a public company in 1999 that evolved into Ni-Cu-PGE producer that employs more than 300 people in Northern Québec.
Currently, Glenn serves as President and CEO of Golden Valley Mines Ltd and has been a PDAC member for over 40 years, serving on the Executive Committee, Awards Committee, CSR Committee and the Governance & Nominating Committee.
Keynote: 100 years of success in Finnish exploration and mining
Heikki Papunen, Emeritus Professor of Economic Geology, University of Turku
”Heikki Papunen graduated from the Helsinki University in 1960 and got the licentiate degree in1968 and PhD in 1971 at the Turku University where he was first an assistant teacher and 1971-2000 a Professor of economic geology. He and his students worked mainly on the mineral deposits of Finland, and he has authored or co-authored more than 100 refereed publications.
Heikki has played a role in several scientific societies, becoming President of the Geological Society of Finland 1974-75, the Mineralogical Society of Finland 1975-76 and the SGA 1999-2001; he was the founder and chairman of CODMUR 1987-1999. He is Honorary Senior Fellow of SEG, honorary member of Vuorimiesyhdistys-Bergmannasföreningen and Turku students association Pulterit, he was honored with the Outokumpu Otto Trüsted Medal in 2000, the first Fennoscandian Exploration and Mining Special Award in 2007 and the Pentti Eskola gold medal by the Geological Society of Finland in 2016.”
Keynote: Long-term trends in global exploration – are we finding enough metal?
Richard Schodde, Managing Director, MinEx Consulting & Adjunct Professor, University of Western Australia
”Richard holds an Honours Degree in Materials Engineering and a MBA and has over 30 years experience in a wide variety of project analysis, business development and strategic planning roles within the international resources industry – including 15 years at WMC and, more recently, 4 years at BHP Billiton. In 2008 Richard founded MinEx Consulting to provide strategic and economic advice to industry and government. His main focus is on the economics of mineral exploration and building the business case for how exploration adds-value to a company.
Richard has published several dozen papers on exploration performance and is internationally recognized by his peers as a world leader in mineral economics.
In recognition of this, for two years running (in December 2015 and December 2016), the Mining Journal nominated him as one of the top 20 power people in world mining, due to his influence on strategy and policy in the exploration sector. He serves on the Editorial Board of the Journal of Resources Policy, the organising committees for the AusIMM and the Melbourne Mining Club, and is also a member of SEG and an Adjunct Professor at the Centre for Exploration Targeting at the University of Western Australia.”
Keynote: Future mining technologies
André van Wageningen, Manager Technology & Development, Agnico Eagle Finland Oy
”André van Wageningen is currently the Manager of Technology and Development at Europe’s largest gold mine, the Kittilä Mine. He has 15 years of international experience living and working in Canada, Sweden and now Finland. Throughout his career he has had a focus on technology and a keen interest for optimization.
Currently he is also actively involved in several EU sponsored mining research projects. He is known as a man with ideas and a vision. André has an MSc in Mining Engineering from Delft University of Technology and an MBA from Edinburgh Business School. When not working he can be found enjoying the outdoor activities Lapland has to offer.”
Co-chair on Wednesday 1 November 2017
Riikka Aaltonen, Senior Adviser, Mineral Policy, Enterprise and Innovation Department, Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment
”M.Sc. Riikka Aaltonen has experience from Mining Authority both at the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment and at The Finnish Safety and Chemicals Agency (Tukes). Prior to that she has a background in mining industry in Finland and Sweden.”
Chair on Thursday 2 November 2017
Noora Ahola, Environmental Director, Mawson Oy
”Noora Ahola is the Environmental Director and a board member of Mawson Resources Ltd. As Environmental Director, Noora sets company´s Environmental Policy with the senior management. She has developed strong experience within the Finnish environmental administration, applying environmental legislation towards nature protection.
She is responsible for identifying and managing key environmental risks associated with Mawson’s projects and for ensuring environmental factors are effectively addressed and managed. Working closely with local communities and government, Noora manages consultants and ensures that environmental criteria are integrated into the design of exploration projects. The role is a key member of the exploration team and is responsible for ensuring all environmental requirements are delivered on time and within scope.”
The Aamurusko gold prospect, Central Lapland greenstone belt, Northern Finland
Mike Basha, President & CEO, Aurion Resources Ltd
”Mr. Basha has been working in the mineral exploration industry for 29 years with major and junior exploration companies both domestically and internationally. His experience includes project generation, fieldwork, and senior management in gold, base-metal and magmatic nickel-copper-platinum group elements exploration. Mr. Basha was instrumental in the discovery of the Hammerdown Gold deposit in Newfoundland and was formerly Vice President Exploration of Cornerstone Capital Resources Corp., heading up the generative initiative that led to development of a large portfolio of successful ventures for Cornerstone in Canada and Ecuador.
Mr. Basha holds degrees in geology and engineering and in addition to his exploration experience has worked as a consulting geotechnical and environmental engineer in the past. Mr Basha is a principal and major shareholder of Aurion.”
The role of junior explorers in creating and sustaining a strong mining ecosystem
Dr. Mark Bennett, Managing Director & CEO, S2 Resources Ltd
”Dr. Mark Bennett was the founding MD and CEO of Sirius and is now the founding MD and CEO of S2 Resources. He is a two times recipient of the AMEC Prospector of the Year Award, for the discovery of the Thunderbox Gold Mine, the Waterloo nickel mine and the world class Nova-Bollinger nickel-copper deposit in Western Australia.
Mark has extensive experience in equity capital markets, transactions, strategic planning and community engagement and led Sirius through the discovery, feasibility, financing and development of Nova, one of the most significant new nickel mines in the world.”
Cross-disciplinary mineral, rock & material research with applications to exploration & mining
Alan R. Butcher, Research Professor in Geomaterials & Applied Mineralogy, Geological Survey of Finland
”Prof. Alan R. Butcher is a geologist by education and an applied mineralogist-petrologist by experience. He has worked in the mining, geoscience and petroleum sectors for over 30 years, and developed mineral- and texture-based technologies for rocks of commercial importance. His experience spans optical, electron, ion, x-ray and laser beam technologies.
Alan’s current research interests at the Geological Survey of Finland lie in the field of geomaterials, and the use of cross-disciplinary geo-analytical techniques to achieve multi-scale, multi-modal, multi-dimensional information for scientists and engineers alike”.
The circle of exploration and royalties
Roland Butler, Advisor, Altius Minerals Corporation
”Mr. Butler graduated from Memorial University of Newfoundland and Labrador (B.Sc., Geology) in 1996. He co-founded Altius Minerals Corporation, a leading diversified mineral royalty company and served as Vice President and Director of Altius and was subsequently President and CEO of Callinan Royalties Corporation.
Currently he is a director of Millrock Resources. Roland is also co-recipient of the Entrepreneur of the Year Award by the P. J. Gardner Institute, Memorial University on behalf of Altius Minerals Corporation and is an Honorary Member of the Newfoundland and Labrador Branch of the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum.”
A new gold province for Finland: Persistence and technical success at Rompas-Rajapalot
Dr. Nick Cook, President, Mawson Resources Ltd
”Dr. Nick Cook, BSc(Hons), PhD, FAusIMM, FGS obtained his Bachelor of Science with Honours (Geology) from the University of Otago in 1985, then a PhD (Geology) from the University of New England in 1994. He has over 20 years of global experience in exploration and exploration-focused research geology.
Prior to becoming Vice-President of Exploration for Mawson in 2013, he was an exploration consultant to a variety of companies, and before that, he concentrated on project generation and exploration of gold and base metal properties.”
The Fen carbonatite complex, Norway – An important future free, Th and Nb resource?
Sven Dahlgren, Geological Advisor, Buskerud Telemark Vestfold County Councils
”Sven Dahlgren graduated in geology at the University of Oslo in 1987 and studied the Fen complex. For some years he worked on the geology of oil and gas resources on the Norwegian continental shelf.
The last 20 years he has mainly been working with research, mapping and management of geological resources in the Buskerud Telemark Vestfold region. Over the years he has especially been focusing on the resource potential of the Fen complex.”
Engebø rutile and garnet project
Ivar Sund Fossum, CEO, Nordic Mining ASA
”Mr. Fossum has a Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Science and Technology in Trondheim, Norway (NTNU). He has previously held various managerial and commercial positions within the Norwegian oil and gas industry and the fertilizer industry.
Mr. Fossum has served 3 years as General Manager of Norsk Hydro East Africa Ltd. in Nairobi. Mr. Fossum has served as CEO for Nordic Mining since 2006.”
Exploration for gold in Iceland
Hjalti Franzson, Chief Geologist, Iceland Geosurvey
”BSc (hon) in geology St. Andrews University, Scotland 1972, PhD in volcanology Edinburgh University 1978.
Geothermal research at National Energy Authority and Iceland GeoSurvey 1979-present focussing on hydrothermal alteration and geological modeling of geothermal systems. Periodic exploration for gold in Iceland from 1989 to present.
Member of Study Board at UNUGTP (United Nations University Geothermal Training Programme) 1983-present. Part time lecturer at University of Iceland and University of Reykjavik and supervisor to several MSc students.”
Chair on Wednesday 1 November 2017
Elisabeth Gammelsæter, Secretary General, Norsk Bergindustri/Norwegian Mineral Industry
”Elisabeth Gammelsæter is secretary general of Norsk Bergindustri, Norwegian Mineral Industry. She is by background an economist from the University of Oslo.
She has worked 10 years in the Norwegian Ministry of Industry, as well as in industry associations for aggregates, natural stone and mining in Norway, before being instrumental in merging these into Norsk Bergindustri in 2008. She also has a master of management degree from the Norwegian Business School in PR and communication, as well as foresight and corporate social responsibility.”
Chair on Wednesday 1 November 2017
Henrik Grind, Manager, Boliden
”Henrik Grind holds a MSc degree in Geology and Mineralogy from Åbo Akademi.
He has previously worked for Boliden (1995 -2001), Nordkalk and Lappland Goldminers until he re-joined Boliden (2014) as manager for the External Growth team.”
Application of advanced photogammetry in mineral exploration
Dr. Pierpaolo Guarnieri, Senior Researcher, Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland
”Pierpaolo Guarnieri is Senior Structural Geologist at the Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland (GEUS). He has a degree in Geological Sciences from the University of Padua (Italy) and a PhD in Structural Geology from the University of Catania (Italy).
After 15 years’ experience with Structural Geology and Geological Mapping in the Southern Alps, Southern Apennines and Sicily fold-thrust belts he joined GEUS in 2008 where he leads the Photogrammetry Lab. He initiated the new experience with Arctic geology participating in many expeditions with fieldwork in Greenland for structural mapping and 3D-photogeology, developing several projects sponsored by exploration mining companies and the oil industry and PhD-projects funded by NordMin and GeoCenter Danmark.”
The exploration of mineral resources in the Sámi areas of the Nordic countries
Aimo Guttorm, Lawyer, Law office Aimo Guttorm
”Aimo Guttorm advises clients on a wide range of issues related to Finnish mining law.
He was also employed as a legal counsel by the Sámi Parliament in Inari, Finland.
Guttorm is also recognised as one of the leading Finnish lawyers specialised in mining cases associated to the indigenous areas in Finland.”
EIT RawMaterials – Driving research and innovation in the European raw materials sector
Dr. Karen Hanghøj, CEO & Managing Director, EIT RawMaterials
”Karen Hanghøj is the CEO at EIT RawMaterials, a partner organization dedicated to strengthening Europe’s raw materials sector responsibly and sustainably. Karen holds a PhD in Geology from University of Copenhagen, and has worked extensively with research on geological processes in the lower crust and mantle and their associated mineral deposits.
She has spent more than ten years working in the US as a Research Associate at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and as a Research Scientist at Columbia University and has furthermore worked as a consultant to the minerals exploration industry for more than 20 years. Before joining EIT Karen was head of Department of Petrology and Economic Geology at the Geological Survey for Denmark and Greenland (GEUS) and involved in several EU- funded mineral raw materials projects and networks.”
Effective use of geological data to improve concentrate quality at Siilinjärvi Apatite Mine
Pasi Heino, Chief Mine Geologist, Yara International ASA, Yara Suomi Oy
”Pasi Heino (MSc, geology) has over ten years’ experience in geology related positions, working with precious metals, base metals and industrial minerals.
Strong base in large scale open pit mining as well as background as a researcher. Competent Person according to the AusIMM. He has worked last seven years in Siilinjärvi Apatite mine in Finland.”
Guidance for the application of the UNFC for mineral resources in Finland, Norway and Sweden
Erika Ingvald, Head of Division, Mineral information and Mining Industry, Geological Survey of Sweden
”Erika Ingvald is Head of Division for Mineral Information and Mining Industry at the Geological Suvey of Sweden, including the Malå Mineral Information office. The division develops statistics on the Swedish exploration and mining industry, international projects, mining and environment information, and areas of national interests.
Erika is a geologist with a backgrund as a researcher in sedimentary petrology, with twenty years experience as a science journalist and communications officer. She is also a co-author of the books Where gold glints blue: Scientists on the nano revolution, and The High Coast – A World Heritage.”
Berkut Minerals – Cobalt exploration in Norway and Sweden
Neil Inwood, Managing Director, Berkut Minerals Limited
”Neil is a highly experienced geologist with 22yrs international experience in gold, base & specialty metals. Over the last 13 years he has been involved in venture capital with Verona Capital, Technical Director of Sigma Resources Consulting and consulting as a Principal Resource Geologist with the international mining consultancy Coffey Mining.
In 2014, Neil led the geological team that established the world-class niobium endowment of the Panda Hill Carbonatite in Tanzania for Cradle Resources. Neil joined Berkut Minerals as Managing director in April 2017 and holds a MSc in Geology.”
BLUEJAY MINING PLC – A PRODUCTION FUNDED EXPLORATION STRATEGY
Urpo Kuronen, COO, FinnAust Mining Finland Oy (Finland)
”Urpo Kuronen has been Chief Operating Officer of FinnAust Mining Finland Oy, a Finnish subsidiary of BlueJay Mining Plc, since October 2011. He is a geologist with over 35-year experience within the resource sector, predominantly in exploration, in a range of commodities. Prior to joining FinnAust Mining he held a position of Manager – Geology in Polar Mining Oy, a Finnish subsidiary of Dragon Mining. In the beginning of his work career he worked for 25 years for the Outokumpu Group in positions from Project Geologist to Exploration Manager both in Finland and in Australia. Over the ten-year period in Australia he was mainly seconded for three Australian exploration and mining companies – Pancontinental Mining Ltd, Mining Project Investors Pty Ltd and Sipa Resources Ltd.
Urpo was graduated from the University of Turku (MSc). He is a Member of the Australasian Institute of Mining & Metallurgy (AusIMM), Australian Society of Exploration Geophysicists (ASEG), Finnish Association of Mining and Metallurgical Engineers (VMY) and the Geological Society of Finland (SGS).”
Keliber – Lithium mining for fast growing markets
Prof. Pertti Lamberg, CEO, Keliber Oy
”Pertti Lamberg (PhD, geology) CEO of Keliber Oy, Finnish company targeting to be producer of high quality lithium carbonate in near future. Pertti has more than 20 years’ experience in mining industry and academia.
He has held several positions in Outokumpu and Outotec the last one being Director at Outotec Oyj (Plant Products). 2011-2016 Pertti worked as a Professor in Geometallurgy in Luleå University of Technology.
Pertti has wide technical expertise from exploration, resource characterization, geometallurgy and process design.”
Regional development challenges and policy responses for mining cities and regions: A view from the OECD
Dr. Chris McDonald, Policy Analyst, OECD Regional Development Policy Division
”Chris has experience in a range of leadership roles in government and academia. This includes executive and management level roles in regional and rural development, planning and infrastructure policy with the State Government of Victoria. He currently works as a Policy Analyst in the Regional Development Policy Division at the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, which includes management of the Territorial Review of the Northern Sparsely Populated Areas (NSPA) and the National Territorial Review of Peru. This review was recently completed and included 14 regions in the northern areas of Norway, Finland and Sweden.
Chris’s undergraduate qualification is in urban planning and he has a PhD in regional development. He has published on these subjects in peer review journals, and has undertaken teaching and lecturing roles in public policy, regional development and economic geography. Chris also has experience as a consultant to the government and university sectors in Australia.”
Endomines – Exploring the true potential of the Karelian gold line
Saila Miettinen-Lähde, CEO, Endomines AB
”Saila Miettinen-Lähde is CEO of Endomines AB since May, 2017. Prior to her present role she was CFO of F-Secure Oyj for the past two years and CFO and Deputy CEO of Talvivaara Mining Company Plc from 2005 to early 2015.
In her earlier career, she has held management roles in investment banking at Carnegie and pharmaceutical industry at Orion Pharmaceuticals and Leiras. She has also served as a Board member in several companies, including Outokumpu Oyj, Rautaruukki Oyj, Biohit Oyj and LeaseGreen Oy.”
The Aappaluttooq Mine – A world class ruby deposit on Greenland
Frode M. Nilsen, President, LNS Group
”Frode M. Nilsen. Graduated from University of Science and Technology in Trondheim (previously NTH) in 1988, MSc Civil Engineering, specialized in excavating of rock caverns, tunnels and mining. Nilsen is Executive Board Chairman of the Norwegian Tunneling Society. Nilsen is President for the Norwegian tunnel and mining company Leonhard Nilsen & Sønner As (LNS). At the moment Nilsen is also Adjunct Professor at UiT – The Arctic University of Norway.
He has most of his career been involved for in many tunnel- and mining projects in Norway, Spitsbergen, Iceland, Chile, Hong Kong, Faroe Island and lately Greenland. LNS has the last years been the leading contractor in Norway for underground excavation. Nilsen has held lectures on several international conferences.”
Chair on Wednesday 1 November 2017
Mika Nykänen, Director General, Geological Survey of Finland
”As Director General, Mika Nykänen has headed the Geological Survey of Finland since February 2015. Before joining GTK, he worked in the metal sector holding positions as Managing Director for the Association of Finnish Steel and Metal Producers, and as Director for the Federation of Finnish Technology Industries (Industrial Policy).
Nykänen has held numerous positions of trust in academic, societal and business life in Finland and international organizations. He gained his M.Sc. in 1996 from the University of Tampere.”
Co-chair on Wednesday 1 November 2017
Dr. Vesa Nykänen, Research Professor, Geological Survey of Finland
”Vesa Nykänen is Research Professor on Mineral Prospectivity Mapping at the Geological Survey of Finland, Rovaniemi. His research interests include spatial data analysis and geological 3D modelling with special emphasis on mineral exploration. His Ph.D. thesis in 2008 was titled ‘Spatial data analysis as a tool for mineral prospectivity mapping.”
Co-chair on Thursday 2 November 2017
Dr. Juhani Ojala, Head of Unit, Mineral Resources, Geological Survey of Finland
Vice-chair of the FEM 2017 Organizing Committee
”Juhani Ojala has gained his PhD from the University of Western Australia in 1995 on the structural and depositional controls of gold. He has worked at GTK as a Senior Scientist and Research Professor 2001-2008 and as a Division Manager of the Bedrock Geology and Resources 2014-2015. He worked for the Store Norske Gull AS as a Senior Geologist 2008-2014 in the metal exploration in Northern Norway and Spitsbergen. He is currently the Head of the Mineral Resources Unit at GTK.”
Diversity of hydrothermal activity and mineral deposits in the Norwegian-Greenland Sea
Prof. Rolf Birger Pedersen, Director – Department of Earth Science, University of Bergen
”Rolf B. Pedersen is professor in geology at the University of Bergen. He is currently the director of K. G. Jebsen Centre for Deep Sea Research and for the Norwegian Marine Robotics Facility. A central theme of his research has been on the deep sea and the formation of oceanic lithosphere.
He has been leading a number of international sea-going expeditions focusing on seafloor hydrothermal activity, geobiological interactions and formation of deep-sea mineral deposits.”
Chair on Wednesday 1 November 2017
Päivi Rantakoski, Director, Finnish Safety and Chemicals Agency/Tukes
”Päivi Rantakoski is the Director of the Industrial Department at the Finnish Safety and Chemicals Agency (Tukes). The department is responsible for the surveillance of industrial safety in Finland. Tukes is also the mining authority in Finland.
In her work Ms Rantakoski is involved with many large-scale surveillance and development projects in chemical and mining industry. Earlier she made a long career as a Safety Inspector within chemical industry.”
Nussir Copper Mine – Perparing for start-up
Øystein Rushfeldt, CEO, Nussir ASA
”Mining engineer with 29 years of experience from Norwegian and international mining companies.
Former employers include Rana Gruber AS, Sydvaranger AS, Hustadmarmor AS, Titania AS and Eramet Norge AS.”
LKAB, towards sustainable mining and new exploration guide from SVEMIN
Monika Sammelin, Section Manager Geology, Exploration Department, LKAB
”Monika joined LKAB Exploration department 2014. LKAB restarted their exploration 2011, focus on starting new mines in Svappavaara and exploration close to current operations. From 2017, the department is also responsible for underground exploration in Kiruna and Malmberget.
Monika graduated 1995 MSc in geology, Åbo Akademi and has a Licentiate degree from LTU in ore geology. She started her career at LKAB 1995 as a Mining Geologist, carried on as a Mining Geologist at Aitik Boliden, Quality Manager Storugns Nordkalk, Section Manager at NCC Teknik NCC Construction Sweden AB.”
Co-chair on Wednesday 1 November 2017
Jan Sverre Sandstad,Senior Geologist, Geological Survey of Norway
”Jan Sverre Sandstad is Senior Geologist in the Mineral Resource team at the Geological Survey of Norway. He received his M.Sc. in ore geology from the Norwegian Technical University (NTH), now NTNU, in 1981. His main scientific interests include sediment-hosted Cu, orogenic gold and VMS deposits, as well as the metallogeny of the Fennoscandian Shield. He is active in Nordic-Russian collaboration projects (FODD and FENGOT). Sandstad has extensive experience with regional-scale bedrock mapping, and was heavily involved in a regional mapping programme in Mozambique from 2002 to 2006. Currently he is leader of MINN – a 4-year mapping programme focussing on the mineral resources in North-Norway.”
Mine automation in Boliden
Staffan Sandström, Director of Technology, Boliden Mines
”As Director of Technology for Boliden Mines, Staffan is responsible for R&D activities and Business development within Boliden Mines. Boliden’s mines are characterized by a high degree of mechanization with a high productivity level and good profitability. To maintain this position, the main focus for Boliden Mines today is to further pursue electrification, digitization and automation. Boliden has been in the forefront within these technologies in recent years, especially when it comes to mineral processing.
Staffan has a M.Sc. from LTU an started his career in Boliden as a rock mechanic engineer back in 1985. In 1994 he moved over to production and has held leading positions in several of Boliden’s mines. He has been a member of the top management team in Boliden Mines since 2005 and in 2012 Staffan took over as Director of Technology. Staffan is currently the chairman of Bergforsk and board member of NCLC KIC Raw Materials as well as SIP STRIM. He has also previously been the chairman of Rock Technology Centre (RTC).”
Co-chair on Thursday 2 November 2017
Dr. Sabina Strmic Palinkas, Associate Professor, Arctic University of Norway – University of Tromsø
”Sabina Strmic Palinkas is an associate professor in Ore geology/Mineral resources at the Arctic University of Norway – University of Tromsø.
After receiving her PhD degree in Ore deposit geology from the University of Zagreb, Croatia, in 2009, she was working as a research fellow at the University of Auckland, New Zealand, and as an assistant professor at the University of Zagreb. In fall 2015 she joined University of Tromsø, where her main goal is to contribute to establishment of an internationally recognized research programs in ore geology/mineral resources.
Her area of expertise comprises aqueous and high-temperature geochemistry, geochemical/thermodynamic modeling, lithogeochemistry and applications of organic geochemistry and stable isotope systematics to ore-forming and environmental processes. During the past 15 years, she has been involved in studies of a wide spectrum of ore deposits, including epithermal, Carlin-type, hydrothermal-metasomatic, skarn, SEDEX, MVT and pegmatite deposits, as well as in several environmental studies.”
Chair on Thursday 2 November 2017
Arto Suokas, Mine Manager, Sotkamo Silver Oy
”Arto is a mining engineer with an M.Sc. (Mining) from Helsinki University of Technology and an MBA (Technology Management) from LaTrobe University. He’s worked in Finland and abroad with various duties in mine planning, production and management.
For the last 11 years he worked in open pit mining (Talvivaara, Sydvaranger, Kevitsa), but moved back underground as Mine Manager for Sotkamo Silver in the summer of 2017. He’s a member of the AusIMM and the Finnish Association of Mining and Metallurgical Engineers.”
Chair on Thursday 2 November 2017
Tarmo Tuominen, Deputy CEO, Nordkalk Corporation
”Mr. Tarmo Tuominen is the Deputy CEO of Nordkalk Corporation, the leading producer of limestone-based products in Northern Europe. He has been permanently employed by Nordkalk since 1992, first a Mine Geologist in Pargas, and then as a Mine Manager in Sweden. After that Tuominen has held several senior management positions at Nordkalk, most recently as Chief Supply Chain Officer and from the beginning of 2017 as Deputy CEO.
Tarmo Tuominen has a M.Sc. (Geology) from Åbo Akademi. In addition to Nordkalk, he has contributed to the mining industry in several positions of trust. Currently he is the Chairman of the Board of Geological Survey of Finland (GTK), and Chairman of the Board of Nordic Mining ASA.”
Co-chair on Thursday 2 November 2017
Prof. Pär Weihed,Vice Rector Mining, Luleå University of Technology, Sweden
”Pär Weihed is professor in ore geology and director of the Centre of Advanced Mining and Metallurgy (CAMM) at Luleå University of Technology, Sweden. He is past president of the Society of Geology Applied to Mineral Deposits (SGA), the Geological Society of Sweden and the National committee for Geology under the auspices of the Swedish Royal Academy of Sciences. He is also an elected member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences.
Weiheds research interest includes VMS, Orogenic gold and intrusive hosted Cu-Au deposits as well as regional metallogeny and tectonic evolution of the Fennoscandian Shield. He has published over 100 peer review papers on these subjects.”