Career Overview
With 40 years of experience in the mining industry, Chris has a proven track record of developing and leading multinational teams to improve mining operations. His expertise lies in introducing and adhering to strong mining practices, innovation, and prudent investment in technology across diverse global locations, including Australia, the Americas, Africa, Asia and the Pacific.
Chris has worked in various senior technical services and management roles for major mining companies, focusing on strategic mine planning, technical innovation, and the development of local staff. He has extensive experience in managing all technical functions, including mine survey, mine planning, geotech, geology, exploration, assay lab, TSF, fleet management, and has consistently driven local development and succession programs to build strong, sustainable teams.
Chris joined Whittle Consulting in August 2025 as a Consultant, based in the Canary Islands, off the coast of Northwest Africa.
Career Highlights
As Technical Services Manager at Tasiast Gold Mine in Mauritania (Kinross Gold Corp), Chris was responsible for refining reverse circulation drilling and geostatistical modeling for grade control. He introduced fresh ore dump and heap leach studies to improve project Net Present Value (NPV), and successfully refined the mine and surface haul road configuration to improve hauling economics.
At IAMGOLD, during his time as Mining Engineering Superintendent for the Essakane gold mine in Burkina Faso, Chris managed all mine survey and engineering functions and was a key contributor to the development of the life of mine plan and a river deviation project. He was instrumental in providing technical input to the reserve management process and training staff in key technical areas.
Chris then went on to serve as Mine Technical Services Manager at IAMGOLD’s Rosebel Goldmines in Suriname. He provided training to staff in mine survey, drill and blast design, mine planning, and production systems. He also introduced high-precision GPS on drills and loading units to minimize mining dilution and improved capital efficiency by successfully implementing a volumes-based tailings dam construction contract, which cut annual wall raising costs by 50%.
As Technical Services Manager at Ruashi Mining in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Chris established standards and technical procedures across all technical services sections and developed the life-of-mine plan. He also provided extensive training to staff in mine survey, drill and blast design, mine planning, grade control, and geological modeling.
Qualifications
- Bachelor of Surveying (BSurv), University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
- Authorized Mine Surveyor Grade 1, Open Pit & Underground, Western Australia Dept of Mines & Energy
Memberships
- Fellow of the Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy (AusIMM)
- Member of the Southern African Institute of Mining and Metallurgy (SAIMM)