After graduating with a Geology Degree, Mike started work as a Mining Geologist in mines on the Copperbelt in Zambia in 1980.  Following a Masters at the Camborne School of Mines Mike moved into rock engineering roles, initially in Zambia then at the famous Mount Isa mines in Australia.  After a few years at Mount Isa Mike became Manager of their Mining Research Group, and a couple of years later joined a consulting company in Melbourne, consulting in rock engineering to mining projects in Australasia, including on a number of feasibility studies.

Mike then moved to open that consulting company’s London office in 1998, and continued to consult internationally.  Over the next few years Mike progressively became more involved in Feasibility Studies, including study management, but in 2007 moved to Moscow, Russia to join a Russian company try to develop a large zinc project in Siberia.  This project was within a joint venture with a Canadian mining company, Lundin Mining, but ultimately the joint venture failed.  Mike then became involved in re-evaluating gold projects in Russia, but was eventually persuaded to join Lundin Mining in 2010 to lead feasibility studies at their Neves Corvo operation in Portugal.  The first of these was approved by the Board and Mike managed the construction phase of this project.  A later study was also approved by the Board and is currently under construction.  

After 4 years at Neves Corvo Mike shifted focus to similar series of expansion studies at Lundin’s operations in Chile.  A Feasibility Study to expand the process plant at Candelaria was subsequently approved and is now under construction.  

At the end of 2017 Mike accepted a role a Chief Operating Officer for a junior exploration and mining company, Georgian Mining Corporation, listed on the London Stock Exchange, and in 2018 became that company’s CEO.  He continues in that role today.