Chris has a proven track record of developing and leading multinational teams to improve mining operations across Australia, the Americas, Africa, Asia, and the Pacific. His expertise lies in introducing and adhering to strong mining practices, driving innovation, and investing in technology to enhance efficiency and performance.

Throughout his career, Chris has held senior technical services and management roles with major mining companies. He has extensive experience across the full spectrum of technical functions, including mine survey, mine planning, geotech, geology, exploration, assay labs, tailings storage facilities (TSF), and fleet management. He has also consistently championed local development and succession programs to build strong, sustainable teams.

Chris’s career highlights include:

• At Tasiast Gold Mine in Mauritania (Kinross Gold Corp), serving as Technical Services Manager, he refined reverse circulation drilling and geostatistical modelling for grade control, introduced fresh ore dump and heap leach studies to improve project NPV, successfully refining the mine and surface haul road configurations to improve hauling economics.
• At IAMGOLD’s Essakane gold mine in Burkina Faso, as Mining Engineering Superintendent, he managed all mine survey and engineering functions, contributed to the development of the life-of-mine plan and a river deviation project, and provided key technical input to the reserve management process.
• At IAMGOLD’s Rosebel Goldmines in Suriname, as Mine Technical Services Manager, he delivered training across multiple technical disciplines, introduced high-precision GPS technology on drills and loading units to minimise mining dilution, and successfully implemented a volumes-based tailings dam construction contract that halved annual wall-raising costs.
• At Ruashi Mining in the Democratic Republic of Congo, as Technical Services Manager, he established standards and technical procedures, developed the life-of-mine plan, and led extensive training in mine survey, blasting, planning, grade control, and geological modelling.

Chris holds a Bachelor of Surveying (BSurv) from the University of New South Wales, Sydney. He is an Authorised Mine Surveyor Grade 1 (Open Pit & Underground) accredited by the Western Australia Department of Mines & Energy. He is also a Fellow of the Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy (AusIMM) and a Member of the Southern African Institute of Mining and Metallurgy (SAIMM).

“We are delighted to welcome Chris to Whittle Consulting,” said Gerald Whittle, CEO. “His extensive technical experience and global leadership experience will be invaluable as we continue delivering transformative solutions to clients worldwide.”

Whittle Consulting is headquartered in Melbourne, Australia, and operates internationally, with consultants based in several cities worldwide—delivering strategic insights and optimisation expertise on a global scale.