The OMS Team
We are a high-performing, experienced team of mine operations consultants and optimization professionals with a combination of operational and technical expertise, as well as leadership, business improvement, and change management skill-sets.
This combination of skills and expertise allows us to assess any mine site’s operations to highlight performance gaps and initiate improvement and performance gains quickly.
We are able to keep costs low and deliver sustainable results in a short time frame.
Our strength lies in our people.
DANIEL POP
Chair
Daniel is a qualified mining engineer with extensive experience in the mining industry on four continents. He has a successful track record for running high-capacity mining operations and building mining projects in West Africa and other challenging regions of the world. Daniel previously worked for Rio Tinto, BHP, London Mining, African Minerals and has worked in both coal and metalliferous mines.
As Chair of Outliers Mining Solutions, Daniel is responsible for setting the strategic direction of the company and ensuring all business function follow the strategic objectives.
He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Mining Engineering from University of Petrosani, Romania, an MBA from Deakin University in Australia, an Australian Mine Manager’s Certificate, and is a member of Engineers Australia. Daniel Most recently he led the development of a high capacity bauxite project and was the CEO of Guinea Alumina Corporation, he is also a non executive Director in both Optiva Resources and Guinea Mineral Sands.
DANIEL POP
Chair
ADAM HEWITT
Adam is an experienced mining professional with a passion for continuous improvement. As the COO of Outliers you are more likely to find him in the field with supervisors than in the boardroom. Adam thrives working with front line teams coaching on best practices, facilitating practical problem solving and teaching operations team on how to use real time data to guide good decision making. Adam’s energy is contagious and allows him to build credibility and influence quickly to lead a team towards a common goal.
Adam holds a BSc. in Mining Engineering from Queens University and is also a Lean Six Sigma Black Belt.
“There is nothing permanent except change.”– Heraclitus
ADAM HEWITT
Director | Business Development
BRAD JEWSON
Director | Mining
Brad is an experienced engineering professional in technical roles and mine operations across all commodities and continents. As Director of Mining for Outliers Mining Solutions, Brad is responsible for shaping the direction and growth of Outliers. He has a passion for process improvement. Brad leads the execution of operational improvement work at our client’s sites and is responsible for developing our mining-specific Lean Six Sigma training programs.
Before joining Outliers Mining Solutions, Brad was a Business Improvement and technical professional specializing in de-bottlenecking projects, short and long-range mine planning, strategic business planning and mine optimization.
Brad has a BSc. in Mining Engineering from Queen’s University and is a Certified Lean Six-Sigma Black Belt.
“Don’t let perfect be the enemy of better.“
BRAD JEWSON
Director | Mining
MIKE MCDOWELL
Mike McDowell is an asset management professional with over 30 years in the mining industry. He is a mechanical engineer with extensive operational experience in base and precious metals as well as potash. Mike has also held technical and customer support roles with a major mining equipment supplier.
Throughout his career, he has worked in a variety of remote and unique places. From the Papua New Guinea highlands to the Venezuelan jungle, he has found that sustained improvement in any cultural or geographic setting comes down to people. He firmly believes that empowering others to reach their goals, and exposing opportunities within their jobs to do so, creates an environment worth working in. He first seeks to understand values, beliefs and aspirations to build trust and then trains within that context to deliver improved results.
Mike holds a Bachelor of Applied Science in Mechanical Engineering from the University of British Columbia. His passion for helping people succeed is only matched by his love for family and fly fishing.
MIKE MCDOWELL
Director | Asset Management
SAAD HAMEED
Director | Integrated Operations
Saad is a mining professional with over 16 years of industry experience. Saad joins us from ArcelorMittal Mines Canada where he was the director of operations for the IROC team. He was involved in the IROC from concept to implementation and eventually in managing daily operations.
His background is in mining operations, business strategy, project development, and finance. He has worked on several capital growth, continuous improvement, innovation, and technology projects bringing sustainable value to the business.
“I believe in working together as a team and through integration we can achieve more with less.“
SAAD HAMEED
Director | Integrated Operations
ETIENNE TARDIF
Etienne has 20-years of experience in mine operations and business improvement at iron ore, copper, gold, and diamond mines at both open pit and underground mines.
He has led large multi-disciplinary AM teams (Mine, Process, Site Services & Power Generation). He has focused on growing people to be at their natural best. He is the creator and lead facilitator of our OMS Lead program. He has extensive experience in change management and operational management (business processes, SAP (4 implementations), Finance and Supply Chain).
ETIENNE TARDIF
Director | Education
DR. HEINZ PLEY
Senior Advisory Board Member
Heinz is a Stanford University-educated scientist but has devoted his career to the global mining sector. He has led the global mining practices of three leading strategy consulting firms: McKinsey & Company, Boston Consulting Group and Oliver Wyman, and played leadership roles in Morgan Stanley’s Investment Banking Division and Abu Dhabi’s Mubadala Investment Company.
Heinz has advised majors, mid-sized miners and junior mining companies, industry associations, governments, investors, suppliers and customers on a breadth of issues, ranging from corporate development to operational transformation. His work has spanned a wide range of minerals and taken him to over 50 countries on all continents.
As an advisory board member, Heinz leverages his consulting experience in the global mining sector to guide and support the further development and growth of Outliers Mining Services.
DR. HEINZ PLEY
Senior Advisory Board Member
DAVID CAPSTICK
Manager | Underground Mining
David Capstick has more than 18 years of underground mining engineering and project management experience across the entire lifecycle of a mine operation. He has managed projects from exploration and feasibility stages to construction into operations to closure and reclamation.
At mining operations and projects within North and South America, Asia, and Australia, David has worked with various commodities, including Gold, Copper, Nickel and Diamonds. Most recently, David was the Underground Project Manager at the Aurora Gold Mine, the first modern underground mining operation in Guyana.
David is a graduate of the Haileybury School of Mines.
DAVID CAPSTICK
Manager | Underground Mining
ADAM KOWNATKA
Manager | Asset Management
Adam is a Maintenance professional who has provided leadership and support in asset management within mineral processing industry in Northern Alberta, Canada.
During his 20-year career, he has worked with mature and new facilities, assisted in establishing front-line and support teams and facilitated system transitions.
Adam has led projects, turnarounds and commissioning & start-ups in mining, utilities and upgrading facilities.
Adam holds a Bachelors of Science in General Science from University of Calgary, and certificates in Project Management, Lean Manufacture and Asset Management.
ADAM KOWNATKA
Manager | Asset Management
CHRIS MCELMAN
Manager | Technology and Automation
A mining engineer with a fleet management focus, Chris has worked with Modular’s Dispatch(r) system since 1999. His specific areas of experience include ore blending, discrete event simulation, and autonomous haulage.
He is equally comfortable building a business case, developing system requirements or applying coaching and communication techniques to implement sustainable process change.
Fluent in French and SQL, Chris has a B.Eng in Mining Engineering from McGill University and an MBT from the University of New South Wales.
Prosci-certified in change management, he is also a qualified FrontRunner(r) central controller.
Prior to joining Outliers, Chris went back to “Gemba”, working at Suncor’s Fort Hills oilsand mine as a production and maintenance dispatcher in both staffed and autonomous mining.
CHRIS MCELMAN
Manager | Technology & Automation
RYAN THOMSON
Ryan Thomson has a passion for driving ambitious projects and helping people achieve success. Since starting his mining career at the ground level as a haul truck operator, Ryan has worked in Australia and across Canada, mining for diamonds, coal, and copper. Ryan held previous roles of Superintendent of Engineering, and Superintendent of Health & Safety and is experienced in mine design, scheduling, operations, and optimization. Ryan believes in three pillars, critical for any mine to be successful:
- The right tools
- Proper governance
- Coaching / training of people (arguably the most overlooked)
Ryan has a BASc from UBC in Geological Engineering with a Minor in Commerce. He recently completed a GDBA from SFU, and is a Professional Engineer with EGBC. He has previously worked for BHP, Taseko, Wood (previously Amec), Rio Tinto, and Teck Resources.
“Make each day your masterpiece and give thanks for your blessings.”– John Wooden
RYAN THOMSON
Manager | Open Pit Mining
PEDRO GRAFFIGNA
Pedro is a technology specialist with extensive experience in database management and big-data analytics with more than 15 years applying this knowledge in the mining industry.
During his career in mining, he has led cutting-edge projects, applying technology solutions in mining environments across all departments including mine operations, maintenance, technical services and processing plants
Pedro led development and implementation of the first Integrated Remote Operation Center in South America. This IROC, located 360km from the mine, integrated the entire mine production chain including mine operations, maintenance and ore processing.
Pedro hold a qualification as Superior Technician in Digital Electronics from ORT Bueno Aires, Argentina.
“Stay Hungry.
Stay foolish.”– Steve Jobs
PEDRO GRAFFIGNA
Sr. Consultant | Fleet Management Systems
TYLER HILKEWICH
Tyler has over 12 years of mine planning and engineering experience, working on projects at all stages of development. Tyler has worked in operations and development projects on 4 continents with a focus on adding value through improved project design, mine planning optimization and improved operational practices.
Prior to joining Outliers Mining Solutions, Tyler worked for several large gold producers in mine operations, as a member of project development teams, and in corporate roles.
Tyler has a BSc. in Mining Engineering from Queen’s University and a Master of Engineering from the University of Toronto.
TYLER HILKEWICH
Consultant | Mining
BRIAN STEWART
Brian has over a dozen years of mine engineering and operations experience in North and South America. Brian has worked in all stages of the mining cycle, from desktop study level through to closure and reclamation operations. Brian looks for the win-win-win and making changes to drive long term success. He believes the team is the key to the success of the operation.
Brian joins Outliers from Atlantic Gold, where he held the position of Technical Services Superintendent. Brian has also worked for several major gold and base metal producers and was based in Chile for over 8 years. He is fluent in Spanish.
Brian holds a degree in Mining Engineering from Queen’s University and is a Professional Engineer with Engineers Nova Scotia.
BRIAN STEWART
Consultant | Mining
TERRY TUTAK
Consultant | Fleet Management Specialist
Terry has been working in the mining industry for the last 11 years. 8 years as a dispatcher, 2 years in the field as a supervisor, and a splash of equipment operating to round out his professional mining career. Being a highly experienced dispatcher, Terry has developed the skills with fleet management systems to lead his teams to success; through his familiarity with configuring the software or helping motivate and lead his team.
Terry’s teams own several mining production world records, including the highest volume moved by a single shovel (P&H 4800XPC) in a 12 hour and 24 hour period. Each record was achieved incident-free, proving safety and production are linked and can exist simultaneously.
Terry has a passion for sharing information and continuous improvement. By providing his teams with information, they make better decisions. This data-based decision-making drives performance and creates an adaptive workplace atmosphere, leading to sustained performance results.
TERRY TUTAK
Consultant | Fleet Management Specialist
GEORG WENDRICH
Georg is an experienced Fleet Management Specialist. As a mining professional, Georg has more than ten years experience; the last five in the capacity of Dispatcher. Georg’s extensive hands-on operating experience with both excavating and hauling equipment provides a solid foundation on which to demonstrate his fleet management skills. These skills, coupled with his proficiency in the Wenco System, have helped Georg lead crews to reach — and often exceed — company KPI. With his proactive approach and practical knowledge, Georg is a strong technical resource on configuring fleet management systems.
Together with his diplomas in sales, marketing and office management, Georg is also fluent in three modern languages: English, Swiss and German.
GEORG WENDRICH
Consultant | Fleet Management Specialist
MAX HENSE
Max applies his multidisciplinary “hands-on” approach in mining and technology to develop practical strategies that help sites increase operational efficiency. He is a business improvement professional with more than 10 years of experience around the world. He has worked in project management and operations across multiple industries including mining, aeronautical and technology.
Max holds a B.Eng. in Industrial Engineering and an Executive Business and Administration degree from IESE Business School.
MAX HENSE
Consultant | Operating Excellence
RUBINA ABID
Rubina is an experienced Chartered Professional Accountant with a career serving companies across Canada and the Middle East for over 22 years. Rubina has routinely serviced entities from start-ups through their growth phase. She has demonstrated the ability to recruit, mentor, and develop high-performance teams and to instill a culture of process improvement and best practices to drive departmental and operational efficiencies. She has a passion for spearheading the transformation of the finance function into one of true business support. Rubina began her accounting career with a leading engineering firm in the Middle East and has served world-class organizations in Canada.
Rubina earned her BCom from the University of Bombay, and the Canadian CPA, CMA designation in 2014.
Rubina binge-watches comedy shows during her spare time and is a home cook who enjoys keeping up with culinary trends.
RUBINA ABID
Controller | Finance
H. BERT MCPHERSON
Bert McPherson is the principal of HC McPherson Consulting, providing Sr. Management services to the mining industry. Bert has recently aligned with Outliers Mining Solutions, enabling Outliers to provide one of the industry’s most comprehensive professional service combinations.
Bert brings 40 years of experience in the mining and contracting industries and has mentored individuals in all mine site department disciplines including Mine General Managers. His brand is focused on implementation of world class mine management standards, with a constant focus on behavior-based safety awareness and leadership competency.
H. BERT MCPHERSON
Sr. Coach | Operations & Leadership
ALLAN KANGAS
Allan is the principal of Kangas Consulting Inc and is a mining professional with over 40 years of experience in engineering and mine management. Before joining Outliers as a management consultant, Allan was the General manager for Conuma Coal during the start-up and operation of 3 coal mines producing 5 million tonnes/year. Prior to this, Allan worked for several Canadian coal mining operations in progressive management positions with a focus on mine planning and operational discipline. Understanding the need for mine management training, he joined Outliers as a contractor to provide world class management/supervisor training.
Allan is a graduate of Queen’s University and is a member of the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of B.C.
ALLAN KANGAS
Sr. Coach | Operations & Leadership
GEOFF BRICK
Geoff is a mining professional with over 33 years’ experience in mining and consulting/engineering industries. Geoff’s commodity experience spans thermal/metallurgical coal, gold and copper. Throughout his career, Geoff has worked across a variety of large-scale operations where he has held senior (GM) positions from the Bowen Basin metallurgical coal mines in Australia to Canada’s largest copper mine in North America.
Geoff’s passion is the ongoing ambition of embedding quality leadership leading to exceptional operational outcomes across all key metrics of an operation.
Geoff holds a Bachelor of Applied Science from the University of Technology – Sydney (Australia) and is also a Lean Six Sigma Black Belt.
GEOFF BRICK
Sr. Coach | Operations & Leadership
ROBERT NEWHOOK
Robert is a Maintenance and Project Management professional with over 20 years of experience in the mining industry. During his career, he has developed extensive SAP expertise; and has lead capital projects for the installation and commissioning of new assets; maintenance overhauls of processing equipment; as well as, development of operational and maintenance strategies to improve overall plant production rates.
He is a certified Reliability Centered Maintenance facilitator; Project Management Institute certified; and is a Certified Maintenance and Reliability Professional focused on delivering sustainable business improvements, and operational performance through effective asset management. Proficient with implementation and usage of many enterprise management systems, he has developed tools to address SAP master data gaps affecting business processes of work management, and budget forecasting, to enable more efficient utilization of maintenance resources.
Robert holds a B.Eng in Mechanical Engineering from the University of New Brunswick, and has worked across North America in senior level roles.
ROBERT NEWHOOK
Sr. Consultant | Asset Management Specialist
IAN TULLY
Systems Specialist
Ian is a Mining Engineering and Fleet Management Systems Specialist with an extensive background in Base Metal and Coal mines world wide.
Ian holds a B.Eng in Mining from University of Queensland and worked as a Mine Services Engineer and Project Engineer for modular mining for 9 years. Ian has previously worked for Modular, Freeport, Rio Tinto, Equinox, Barrick and Newcrest.
“The strength of the team is each individual member. The strength of each member is the team.“
– Phil Jackson
IAN TULLY
Systems Specialist
GABRIEL BEAUPRÉ
Gabriel is a mining engineer with 25 years of experience primarily in the explosives manufacturing and utilization in the field. Through the years, he developed expertise in risk assessment, auditing related to the explosives. He carried mandates in North and South Americas, Africa, Asia as well as Australia.
As the principal of Extek Mining Services, he currently serves customers with Drilling & Blasting programs implementation-maintenance, site audits, project management related to explosives facilities, regulatory compliance, supply contract management, and training.
GABRIEL BEAUPRÉ
Senior Consultant | Drill & Blast
BLAKE BACA
Blake Baca is an Asset Management professional with over 30 years of experience in the industry including mining, refining, smelting, oil & gas, power generation, foundry, manufacturing, and material processing. Blake worked for Alcoa, Inc. for the first 20 years of his career. His final role at Alcoa was Maintenance and Engineering Manager at Alcoa Rockdale Operations in Rockdale, Texas as the facility was shut down due to business conditions in December 2008. Blake has been an Asset Management Consultant for over 11 years.
Blake holds a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering degree from Texas Tech University. He is a Certified Maintenance and Reliability Professional (CMRP) and a Certified Reliability Leader (CRL). Blake served as Maintenance Manager for Barrick Gold Corporation (Goldstrike and Cortez Hills Mines) in Elko, Nevada from 2017-2019.
BLAKE BACA
Asset Management
FABRICIO CREGO
Fabricio is a maintenance and project management professional with over 10 years of field experience in the mining industry. Working for CAT dealers in South and North America he’s supported the OEM product in diverse landscapes from the Amazon to the Arctic. During his career, he’s delivered on project management, reliability and production improvement, on-site customer support, and maintenance planning and scheduling. He’s developed a passion for continuous improvement and establishing the pillars for sustainable gains: people, process, and technology.
Fabricio holds a bachelor’s in Mechanical Engineering and a post-graduation degree in Project Management.
FABRICIO CREGO
Consultant | Asset Management
MIKE PLESSIS
Fleet Management Specialist
Mike has over 24 years of experience in the mining industry. He has performed as an Operations Dispatcher in the last eleven years, building his expertise across multiple dispatch systems including Minestar, Modular, and Wenco to help operations improve the efficiency of their mining fleet.
Mike has experience with staffed and autonomous truck fleets, achieving blend and feed requirements while safely increasing efficiency and load and haul fleet productivity.
Mike’s field experience operating shovels, dozers, and trucks helps him understand the challenges of working in mine operations environments. This operational experience makes him an effective coach for dispatchers and production supervisors.
Mike has a passion for data analysis and continually searches for ways to improve his work. He uses a hands-on approach to training and has great enthusiasm to share his knowledge with others.
“The only real mistake is the one from which we learn nothing.“– Henry Ford
MIKE PLESSIS
Fleet Management Specialist
SEAN DERESKI
Consultant | Underground Mining
Sean Dereski has more than 12 years of underground mining engineering, project management and operations experience. He has expertise in project management, contractor management, mine planning, mine design and blasting design and optimization.
At mining operations and projects within The Americas and Asia, Sean has worked with various commodities, including gold, copper, potash and polyhalite.
Sean holds a bachelor’s degree in mining engineering from The South Dakota School of Mine and Technology.
SEAN DERESKI
Consultant | Underground Mining
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