Tag Archives: Christofer Catania

MEC Mining expands into environmental services sector with METServe acquisition

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The Australian-based global technical services firm, MEC Mining, says it is continuing its growth strategy in the resources sector with the recent acquisition of environmental services company METServe.

The combined service offering will encompass all aspects of environmental services previously provided by METServe. This includes approvals, impact assessment, environmental management, closure and rehabilitation, ecology, social, GIS analysis, cartography and more.

MEC Mining CEO, Christofer Catania, said: “METServe has a 20-year history of working within industry on successful project approvals across the federal, state and territory levels in Australia.”

“It’s exciting to bring METServe into the MEC group. Our combined services offerings and mutual focus on supporting our clients as journey partners makes this a fantastic strategic fit. This step further strengthens our ability to support our clients at all stages of their mining projects.

“We have continued our growth and diversification path to better support our clients and mining industry, delivering first-class services and contributing towards sustainable solutions across industry.”

METServe General Manager, Dave Moss, added: “The acquisition not only complements our extensive history but also aligns seamlessly with our commitment to contributing significantly to sustainable solutions across various industries. Our role in potential exploration and mining projects, coupled with MEC’s diversified portfolio, reinforces our collective ability to offer comprehensive environmental services.”

Catania concluded: “With mining engineering, environmental, geological, geotechnical and advisory services, MEC is well positioned to offer end-to-end services across the full mining life cycle, leveraging our in-house expertise to collaborate and provide best-practice solutions to the resources sector.”

MEC Mining bolsters Australia growth prospects with IGMS buy

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MEC Mining, the Brisbane- and Perth-based mining consultancy, has bolstered its growing capabilities with the acquisition of Western Australia’s Integrated Geological Mining Services (IGMS).

Fremantle-based consultancy IGMS provides dedicated services to the resources industry and covers all aspects of exploration and mining activities, according to MEC. It will now support MEC’s expansion into the west, providing a multitude of bespoke services.

Christofer Catania, MEC’s Chief Executive Officer, said: “IGMS has already built a solid reputation across the resources sector, successfully consulting with clients on multi-commodity projects across Australia, Europe and Southeast Asia.

“Their holistic approach to both exploration and mining dovetails neatly with the MEC ethos and aligns with our customer-focused approach, which values quality end-to-end services to maximise our clients’ returns.”

IGMS Director and Senior Geologist, Mike Atkinson, said: “Since the outset, IGMS has focused on the highest quality services, outcomes and professionalism, and adopted a collaborative team approach to all aspects of our work. These same values drive the team at MEC Mining.”

Having already diversified and grown the company’s offerings with its Geotechnical and Advisory arm, MEC’s latest move signals significant benefits for mining clients, according to the company. Catania says the additional experience and complementary knowledge provided by IGMS will support MEC Mining in its mission to deliver unparalleled services to customers in the resources sector.

MEC Mining looks for further growth at home and abroad after naming Catania as CEO

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Just over a year after stepping into the role of General Manager for Australia’s global engineering consultancy firm MEC Mining, Christofer Catania has been appointed its Chief Executive Officer.

The appointment comes as MEC makes strategic shifts to facilitate a new chapter of growth for the company, it said.

“This is an exciting time for our industry,” MEC Director, Simon Cohn, said. “The CEO role is new to our organisational structure and is something that we saw necessary to drive the aspirational goals of our business, while providing support for our existing team.”

MEC Mining’s global reach extends across Asia, Europe, Africa and Oceania, and the consultancy’s projects span a variety of minerals sectors. In 2019/20, it experienced 25% growth from the year before, largely associated with the establishment of its office in Western Australia (with its market in underground metals, particularly gold) and with MEC’s growing international presence.

The company says it is also thriving on Australia’s east coast, and its new geotechnical engineering arm has been a success.

Cohn added: “Chris Catania has high-level technical and operational expertise, combined with his experience in project management and leadership. This made him an exceptional General Manager as MEC focused on international growth, our burgeoning business in Western Australia, and MEC’s standalone advisory arm. He has a substantial history as a valued member of our team, and we look forward to working with him in the role of CEO.”

Catania’s association with MEC began around 15 years ago, when he was one of its first recruits. Since then, he has worked with MEC for nearly a decade in total. In recent years, he has progressed from Manager of Consulting Services to General Manager Operations, before being appointed General Manager in 2020.

“I am thrilled to be stepping into the role of CEO in a company that I thoroughly enjoy working in,” he said. “MEC has continually demonstrated its ability to respond to the market with agility and integrity, and I’m honoured to play a role in steering it towards an even brighter future.”

MEC Mining looks to fill geotechnical engineering gap with new services arm

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Australia-based engineering consultancy MEC Mining will soon launch a geotechnical services arm to cater for industry demand, the company has announced.

The geotechnical engineering division will be led by MEC Mining’s Technical Services and Western Australia Manager, Erin Sweeney (pictured), who is an internationally experienced Geotechnical Engineer.

MEC appointed Sweeney to open its Perth, Western Australia, branch in November last year and in that short time her team has grown from three to 11, with plans to now employ a geotechnical engineering team as well.

After discussions with clients, and through research, she recognised there was a shortage of geotechnical engineers in the market and knew clients would benefit if MEC offered the service as an in-house speciality division, the company said.

“We are really excited to launch the geotechnical engineering arm, which will complement our technical and advisory service arms,” Sweeney said. “I’d like to see us grow to be the most trusted geotechnical services brand in mining globally.

“We will be providing a one-stop-shop, as previously clients may have had to manage multiple consultants and now all trusted advisers will be working together to collaborate more effectively.

“For our clients in the mining sector, it gives them just one consultancy to go to for both their geotechnical services and mining design needs.”

MEC Mining General Manager, Christofer Catania, said MEC’s move to provide a geotechnical services arm was part of the company’s vision to provide clients a full suite of technical services.

“It’s exciting to further grow MEC’s service offerings to meet the needs of our clients,” Catania said. “Since establishing the Western Australian office in November, our team has continued to grow and it’s a trend we see continuing despite these somewhat challenging economic times.

“We see Western Australia as the front and centre of the next mining uplift, with some great projects coming online.”

Christofer Catania graduates to GM role at MEC Mining

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Mining engineer, Christofer Catania, has been appointed General Manager of Australia-based engineering consultancy firm, MEC Mining, almost 15 years after becoming one of MEC’s first university vacation students.

Back then MEC Mining serviced Queensland’s coal industry and Catania was studying at university in Brisbane when he began work for the company’s three founding directors. MEC Mining now has a global presence, working in Asia, Europe, Africa and Oceania, and has projects across a variety of mineral sectors – no longer just coal.

Catania has been influential in the company’s growth strategy having worked for MEC for about eight years in total, across four stints, since 2005, the company said. In the past three years at MEC Mining, he has moved from Manager of Consulting, to General Manager of Operations before his current appointment to General Manager.

Catania said he was both “excited and humbled” to be appointed as General Manager.

“I’ve spent a lot of my career invested in making MEC Mining better, so to have any opportunity to lead the company means people must have believed in the commitment I’ve applied and my understanding of the business,” Catania said.

“For MEC Mining, our vision is to further diversify our market and service offerings, including potentially in the complementary technical fields. I’m excited to help navigate through those challenges and grow into a much bigger and more diverse company.”

During Catania’s role as General Manager of Operations, MEC Mining opened a Perth office led by Erin Sweeney and, in March this year, the company created a new Underground Metal Principal role based in Western Australia, filled by Alessandro Dotta.

“A lot of our growth is in the Western Australian market and in underground metals, particularly in the gold market,” Catania said.

“In the past year MEC Mining experienced 25% growth from the year before, largely associated with our growing international presence and our establishment of a WA team, and we look forward to meeting or exceeding that growth in the coming year.”

MEC Mining Non-Executive Director, Simon Cohn, said Catania’s high level of technical and operational expertise, project management, and leadership experience would make him an exceptional General Manager.

“Chris has a deep history at MEC Mining with a proven track record for delivering successful projects at an operational and leadership level, both domestically and overseas,” Cohn said.

“I look forward to working with Chris and the entire leadership team as we further grow MEC Mining and our standalone advisory arm. It is also great to have James Cooney leading MEC Advisory which specialises in strategic management and evaluation of resources projects.”

Catania’s position of General Manager is supported by Chief Financial Officer, Julia Cooper, who celebrated eight years with the company in April.