Rob Bennett
Managing Director, ProMet Engineers Africa
NHD Extract Metallurgy, MDP Unisa, HBA USB
Rob has been employed in the minerals processing and project industries for over 20 years. He has a broad experience base including operations management, project management, business development, project financing, metallurgical design, plant commissioning, plant engineering and financial and project contract negotiations.
Whilst working for and on behalf of De Beers, ALROSA, Trans-Hex and other independent and publicly listed diamond operators, Rob has been involved in many projects around the globe including South Africa, Botswana, Russia, Canada, Angola, Sierra Leone, Australia, Venezuela and China. His experience stretches from kimberlite and alluvial treatment through to marine diamond mining, including feasibility and due diligence as well as prospecting, exploration and project design and execution and plant operations.
Rob worked for the Bateman Group and reached the position of General Manager – Diamonds, reporting to the Managing Director. In this role he was responsible for identifying and securing project work and filling in the important project sponsor role between it and the particular project client. He previously played the Lead Process Engineer and consulting role on projects for De Beers, Debswana, NamDeb, TransHex and ALROSA.
Prior to Bateman, Rob worked for Debswana Diamonds (1988-1996) in Operations Management and was involved in the growth of the Jwaneng Mine which turned it into the world class operation that it is today.
Rob heads up ProMet’s South African office in Cape Town.
Ricky Ford
Operations Director, ProMet Engineers Africa
NTD Electrical Engineering, NTD Mechanical Engineering, MDP Unisa, GCC (South Africa) Electrical, GCC (South Africa) Mechanical
Ricky has been employed in the minerals processing and mining industries for over 35 years. He has extensive experience in the consulting, engineering, operations, maintenance and management of production facilities and mining vehicle fleets located around the globe.
Ricky has worked for large mining companies including Amcoal and De Beers in their Southern African operations as well as for large operators in Tajikistan (Nelson Gold) and Jamaica (Kaiser Bauxite) in the Chief Engineer and Production Manager roles.
Ricky's diamond expertise stretches to smaller operators, having provided services to operators in Angola, Sierra Leone as well as a marine mining venture in South Africa either as an employee or as a consultant via companies such as SRK.
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