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  • Project Management for Mining: A Do's and Don'ts Primer for Project Success - Robin Hickson

Project Management for Mining: A Do's and Don'ts Primer for Project Success - Robin Hickson

  • 10 Sep 2025
  • 6:00 PM - 9:00 PM
  • Hexagon's Tucson office

Registration

  • Registration is for Hexagon employees only. Registration code required.
  • If interested, please contact SME Tucson, as this is on a first-come-first-served basis.
  • For UA SME Student Chapter members only. Please make sure you are in good standing with the UA SME Student Chapter.

Register

- SEPTEMBER DINNER MEETING - 

Join us for our next SME Tucson Dinner Meeting! Make sure to select your meal when making your reservation. Reservation deadline is Friday, September 5th. 

Social Hour: 

Our guest, Robin Hickson will be signing copies of his book, Project Management for Mining during Social Hour before dinner. 

Program: 

Project Management for Mining: A Do's and Don'ts Primer for Project Success

Opening a major new mine is a complex undertaking, entailing billions of dollars over multiple years. Missteps cannot be tolerated in today’s social media world where, sadly, wealth creation is more often confronted than embraced. Successful project execution requires clear goal cognizance by the participants, and a knowledge of the tactics best likely to achieve that goal.

A compilation of best practices for mining projects is captured in the SME Project Management for Mining handbook. Strategies captured within the SME book draw upon the collective wisdom of experienced project managers from a broad spectrum of global mineral undertakings; the majority successful, a few not. The SME book and its derivative course are the catalyst for this presentation - which will highlight important facets within each key project step that especially merit project proponent attention.

Venue and Beverage Sponsor:

Meeting Sponsors:


ONE spot available! 

Reach out to Omar Smith or Liliana Pinedo if you are interested!

Speaker: Robin Hickson

Robin Hickson started out as an underground laborer on a longwall coal face before earning a mine engineering degree from UK’s Imperial College, and later, an MBA from Tulane.  He presently advises institutions involved in the development of mining facilities and teaches Project Management. Robin’s a Chartered Engineer, holds an Arizona contractor license, and has authored five mining books.

In his 63-year career Robin served as President for Freeport, Cyprus Amax and Gabriel, and as Senior Mining Executive for four engineering/construction firms (Kvaerner, McIntosh, Stantec and Crescent), directing operations and projects at over 500 locales in 62 countries around the world. As project manager in the field, he led the building of 15 significant grassroots mines and 9 brownfield expansions, including Grasberg in Indonesia; El Abra in Chile; Cerro Verde in Peru; Kubaka in Russia; Fort Knox and Mesquite in the US.

Agenda:

  • 6:00pm - 7:00pm Social Hour
  • 7:00pm - 7:45pm Dinner
  • 7:45pm - 8:00pm Announcements
  • 8:00pm - 8:30pm Program
  • 8:30pm - 8:45pm Q&A

Location:
HEXAGON, 40 E Congress St #300, Tucson, AZ 85701. CLICK FOR MAP.

Costs:

  • $55 for SME Tucson members
  • $65 for non-members
  • Free for UA SME Student Chapter members

Payable at the door by cash, credit card, or check payable to SME Tucson.

Cancellations and No Shows:

Please call or email by the registration deadline to cancel.  If you do not cancel your reservation by the deadline, SME is still required to pay for your dinner, and you will in turn be billed. Thank you. 


Thank you to all our 2024 Scholarship Fundraiser Sponsors:

Mother Lode Hexagon Mining, AMES Construction, ASARCO, South32
Bonanza Freeport-McMoRan Sierrita OperationsStantec
Big Nugget Granite, M3 Engineering, Southwest Exploration ServicesWSP

Pay Dirt
AusencoCall & NicholasFlorence CopperGroundProbeIndependent GeomechanicsIndependent Mining ConsultantsKE&GMcCraren ComplianceMeridian EngineeringMontgomery & AssociatesPiteau AssociatesTetra Tech
Prospect Darling Geomatics, Faraday Copper, HatchSRK Consulting
Supporters Cori HoagMayes Consulting, Ray Valenzuela
SME Tucson Section
PO Box 65931
Tucson, Arizona 85728
(520) 314-5066
smetucson@gmail.com
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