Speakers
Luncheon Keynote Speaker | Ross Bhappu, Partner, Head of Private Equity Funds, Resource Capital Funds
Financing Technology and Innovation in Mining
Ross Bhappu has been with Resource Capital Funds since the beginning of its second fund in 2001. His experience in the mining industry includes working for both major and junior mining companies in operational, business development and management roles.
Prior to joining Resource Capital Funds, Ross served as the CEO of a development stage mining company. Additional experience includes serving as Director of Business Development for Newmont Mining Corporation and various technical and commercial roles for Cyprus Minerals Company (now part of Freeport-McMoRan? Copper and Gold) where was involved in the construction and operation of the rebuilt Miami Copper Smelter in Arizona.
Ross currently serves on the boards of directors of the portfolio company Lighthouse Resources Inc. as well as the Lowell Institute for Mineral Resources. He previously held Director roles with a number of mining companies including Traxys S.A., Molycorp, Constellation Copper, EMED Mining and Anglo Asian Mining. Ross concluded his three-year term on the board of directors of the Society for Mining, Metallurgy & Exploration (SME) in 2017.
Ross holds a Ph.D. in Mineral Economics from the Colorado School of Mines and B.S. and M.S. degrees in Metallurgical Engineering from the University of Arizona. He is married with twin daughters and lives in Denver.
Closing Reception Keynote Speaker | Steve Holmes, Mining Consultant, Tucson, AZ
Technology Integration – An Operator’s Perspective
Steve Holmes is a seasoned mining executive having worked 37 years in the industry for major companies Phelps Dodge, Freeport-McMoRan, Asarco LLC, KCGM, and most recently Barrick Gold. He is a Mining Engineer with an MBA who has been actively involved in developing and implementing advanced technology in mining having served as FMI’s leader of their Mine Technology Group or MTG.
Steve currently is a consultant and serves as the SME Foundations President-Elect and has been a SME Board member and leader in SME’s M&E Division. He has worked internationally across nearly every continent having most recently leading Barrick Gold’s worldwide joint venture operations and previously as Chief Operating Officer for KGHM’s copper operations in North and South America.
Steve is a native Arizonan and makes his home in Safford, AZ with his wife Cindy.