Dustin Pepper

I lead Mineral Technologies’ Geology, Mining & Metallurgical Services business, integrating geology, mine design, and metallurgical test work to give customers a coherent pathway from ore-body understanding to a defensible processing flowsheet. My responsibilities include: - Leading a multidisciplinary team of geologists, mining engineers, metallurgists and process engineers that support projects from exploration and resource understanding through mine planning, characterisation, and metallurgical testing. - Developing the strategy for combining MT’s geology, mining, and metallurgical capabilities into one business line. - Establishing and growing an experienced geology and mining team, expanding our ability to engage customers earlier in project development. - Focusing on reducing scale-up risk, improving investment confidence, and ensuring proposed plants can process variable or complex deposits economically. - Growing the Geomet business globally while creating opportunities for MT’s engineering, equipment, and automation capabilities. Mineral Technologies provides mineral processing technology, equipment, engineering, and technical services globally. Geomet forms the front end of this offering, establishing the technical foundation for subsequent plant design, delivery, and optimisation.

Reporting to the Managing Director as a Senior Leadership Team member, I led MT’s global product management and R&D function across equipment engineering, research, hardware, and software development. I managed a $5 million annual budget and a technology portfolio supporting approximately $100 million in annual equipment sales. My responsibilities included: - Taking AutoSpiral and mtOne from an optical-sensing research concept through 18 months of plant-data validation, automated control, site trials, and commercialisation. - Developing a telemetry pipeline providing real-time spiral performance data and automated PID control at optimal setpoints. - Introducing TRL-gated governance, JTBD customer discovery, and 4Ds solution design across programmes, including WHIMS, high-voltage power supply, and AutoSpiral. - Establishing milestone gates, capital-approval frameworks, and partner-risk assessments. - Building multidisciplinary capability and structured development pathways across product, R&D, hardware, and software teams. - Presenting the technology through a peer-reviewed paper at Physical Separation 2026. Mineral Technologies develops mineral processing equipment and integrated solutions, with longstanding expertise in gravity and magnetic separation. My role strengthened the systems for converting research into reliable, commercially deployable technology.

I led IHC Mining’s engineering team, delivering processing plants, equipment, and technical studies across mineral sands, critical minerals, and tailings-reclamation applications. The role combined team leadership, engineering delivery, and customer management within the IHC Mining business unit. My responsibilities included:  - Managing a six-person multidisciplinary team comprising project managers, engineers, and designers. - Overseeing multiple concurrent project streams with responsibility for scope, delivery quality, and customer expectations. - Delivering engineering studies across varied products, commodities, and operating applications. - Establishing delivery processes, technical standards, and working rhythms to improve consistency within the new unit. - Developing team capability while balancing competing technical and commercial priorities. - Working alongside geology and mining specialists, gaining insight into how these disciplines create an early entry point into project development. Royal IHC is an international supplier of specialist equipment, vessels, and engineering services for the mining, dredging, and offshore sectors. Within IHC Mining, my role focused on building the engineering capability required to turn resource and processing requirements into practical project solutions.

I led feasibility studies and EPC/M project delivery across the global fine-mineral processing industry, managing projects from early concept through design, construction, and turnkey delivery. I held full accountability for scope, schedule, budget, technical performance, and customer outcomes. My responsibilities included:  - Delivering a $50 million equipment package for Fortescue’s Iron Bridge magnetite project on time and within budget. - Leading the first commercial-scale deployment of Lyons spiral concentrators in magnetite processing. - Developing the performance-validation and deployment approach required to establish this new spiral application. - Directing Definitive Feasibility Studies for the Donald Mineral Sands and Tronox Atlas projects. - Coordinating multidisciplinary engineering teams, customers, and third-party contributors across complex projects. - Publishing and presenting research on ultrafine iron-ore beneficiation at the Iron Ore 2021 conference. Mineral Technologies delivers specialist process equipment, engineering studies, and complete mineral-processing solutions. My role connected technical development with disciplined project execution, helping customers move from flowsheet decisions to operational plants.

Reporting to the Managing Director, I managed ANDRITZ’s separation-equipment portfolio across Australia. My responsibilities covered technical sales, market development and customer engagement across mining, wastewater, and industrial processing applications. My responsibilities and achievements included:  - Securing a $2 million contract for Australia’s first solid-bowl decanter centrifuges used in base-metal tailings dewatering. - Working with site operations teams to validate performance and build confidence in a new application. - Winning ANDRITZ’s first Australian coal-tailings thickener contract, valued at $1.5 million. - Securing a $3 million international filter-press contract for graphite dewatering in Mozambique. - Opening new market segments by identifying applications for established technologies and proving their performance under operating conditions. - Building opportunities across a national territory by combining process knowledge, technical selling, and site-level support. ANDRITZ is a global technology group serving industries including mining, pulp and paper, hydropower, and environmental processing. Within its separation division, I helped expand the application of solid-liquid separation technologies across new commodities and markets.

I managed FLSmidth’s filtration portfolio across Australia and South-East Asia, reporting to the Global Filtration Product Director. The role combined product strategy, technical specification, sales support, testing, project delivery, and field commissioning. My responsibilities included:  - Selling, project-managing, and commissioning the first Pneumapress pressure filters for copper-concentrate dewatering at Highland Valley Copper in Canada. - Leading the site-specific validation and commissioning required to establish this landmark reference installation. - Developing and selling an innovative composite-plate filter design for a South American hydrometallurgical copper project. - Establishing Australia’s first Pneumapress installation for magnetite-concentrate dewatering. - Supporting major Asia-Pacific customers through equipment selection, testing, installation, and commissioning. - Publishing technical papers for the Australian Coal Preparation Conference and Southern African Platinum Conference. FLSmidth supplies equipment, services, and processing technologies to the global mining industry. My role connected customer requirements to product development and field performance, establishing the product management and technology commercialisation foundation that has shaped my career.

Project Engineer managing the procurement, schedule, installation and commissioning of automatic pressure filters. Sales Engineer providing technical sales support for filtration equipment to regional sales forces world wide.

Worked as a field engineer carrying out field service, small scale testing and sales work. Also handled design work using AutoCAD and was responsible for design and project management for several projects during my time at Vincent Corp.

I earned a Bachelor's of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Colorado Boulder in 2005.