Alain Thivierge

Alain is an international export strategy and management leader. He has over 30 years of experience in international business, mostly in the natural resources industries. As an entrepreneur, he has interacted with various organizations and ministries both in Canada and abroad, initiated export strategies for companies and designed innovative projects which effectively position whole communities in the global economy. Alain is fluent in 5 languages and has business experience in over 60 countries on five continents.

Charles Chamirai Nyabeze

Chamirai Charles Nyabeze is the Network Director of the MICA Network; he holds a Bachelor of Mining Engineering and a Masters in Business and Administration (MBA). Also, Chamirai is the VP of Business Development for the Centre for Excellence in Mining Innovation, Chamirai endeavors to create long-term value (commercialization, revenue generation, leveraging funds, networking, collaboration) for organizations and clients by identifying business development opportunities with the public and private client segments. Chamirai leads CEMI’s Commercialization Support Services division. I am responsible for identifying and securing opportunities to help clients close the commercialization gap associated with introducing new technologies into the mining value stream. His role also includes leading proposal development initiatives and securing global partnerships and collaborators to participate in program or project initiatives. Charles also works to advance the overall organizational strategic objectives. Chamirai is leading CEMI in delivering Commercialization Support Services for the Mining Innovation Commercialization Accelerator (MICA) Network.

Cilene Zepeda

Cilene Zepeda is an accomplished professional with 7 years of experience in the mining industry, specializing in administrative and talent acquisition management. She has a degree in Industrial Business Administration, a master’s in business administration, and a graduate certificate in Human Resource Management. With over seven years of expertise in recruitment, talent acquisition, and business development Cilene has built a reputation for sourcing top-tier talent, fostering meaningful relationships, and delivering tailored solutions that address complex challenges. Her background includes collaborating with global professionals across diverse industries, navigating cultural nuances, and championing diversity and innovation at every stage.

Cray Roberge

Cray Roberge has worked in the accounting industry for nearly 10 years, for both the public and the private sector. His experience includes time spent with Stuart Olson, managing day to day accounting, Glencore as a Senior Financial Accountant and KPMG as an Auditor. Cray joined CEMI as the Manager of Accounting and Operations in August of 2023 and was be responsible for regular accounting functions, preparing annual budgets, reports as well as significant projects and programs. He will be working directly with MICA members to ensure quarterly financial claims are completed efficiently. Cray has now taken on the role as Vice President, Finance & Business Operations for CEMI.

Douglas Morrison

Douglas has 14 years of operating experience in the deep nickel mines of the Sudbury Basin, where he became the Superintendent of Rock Mechanics and Mine Design at Inco (now Vale). He has since spent 15 years as a consultant at Golder Associates working on strategic mine design, productivity, and safety issues in mines around the world. He was based in Belo Horizonte Brazil, and from 2005-2010 he was Golder’s Global Mining Sector Leader in Toronto. Throughout his career he maintained an advisory or Board role with Canadian research organizations such as CAMIRO and MIRARCO that are engaged in delivering innovation to the mining industry. Douglas has held key roles at CEMI since 2010 including Chair in Holistic Mining Practices and in 2012 he was appointed President and CEO. In January 2014 he became the Director of the Ultra-deep Mining Network, a $46M program developing solutions to the challenges of bulk mining below 2.5km. Douglas is focused on developing a comprehensive approach to innovation in mining that will improve mine productivity, reduce mining costs, minimize future environmental impact, and contribute towards developing a globally sustainable society.

Giah Sumalde

Giah is a dynamic marketing and communications professional specializing in strategy, planning, and execution for the mining industry. With a passion for innovation and a drive to stay ahead of the competition, she is known for embracing cutting-edge marketing techniques and delivering impactful results. Beyond her professional achievements, Giah is a passionate advocate for diversity and women’s empowerment. She is actively involved with the organization Imperfection Lives Here, where she supports initiatives that promote inclusivity and celebrate the strength and resilience of women. Giah holds several leadership roles in the industry, including Executive Director of the CIM Sudbury Branch, Communications Advisor Committee Member for the OMA, and Board Member of Women in Mining. Through these positions, she brings valuable insights to the industry’s strategic communications and remains committed to fostering diversity and inclusion in mining.

Kyle McCall

Kyle has worked in Canada’s innovation ecosystem for over 10 years, supporting Canadian companies by connecting them to the resources they need to grow and scale their ventures, as well as innovate and commercialize new products and services. His experience includes time spent with leading innovation organizations NORCAT, managing their regional innovation centre, Canada’s Tech Network, and the Ontario Centre of Innovation (OCI) as a Business Development and Commercialization Manager. Kyle understands what makes for a dynamic innovation ecosystem. He is focused on building the MICA network, helping MICA member companies benefit from programming, events, funding opportunities, and facilitating meaningful connections across the network.

Lorelei Ratushniak

Lorelei’s background is in international business development and strategic partnership engagement. She has worked as a Business Development Manager for engineering companies, mining supply companies, and tier one transportation telematics companies with responsibilities ranging from: identifying cross industry opportunities, launching new products and services, and developing critical value propositions to secure partnerships. She works with cross-industry technology leaders and helps to integrate new technology into the mining industry by identifying early adopter customers, optimizing company business structure, streamlining sales processes, and corporate development. Additionally, Lorelei works as a service provider to multinational corporations and helps to build up market share in underserved markets.

R. Michael Richer

Michael Richer is a strategic, multidisciplinary IT guru with an eye for innovation. He began his career in the education market before branching into mining research for the Mining Innovation, Rehabilitation and Applied Research Corporation at Laurentian University. Initially focused on 3D technology, Mike performed the first 3D remote visualization of large mining data sets between Vancouver and Sudbury. He also worked in collaboration with the Northern Ontario Medical School and Stanford University to perform remove interactive 3D visualization of the human body with specialization in chemical injection and how it traverses the body. In 2015 Mike joined CEMI, where he is responsible for the effective provisioning, installation/configuration, operation and maintenance of systems hardware, software and related infrastructure. His current focus is on full DevOps from code push to live, cloud based clustering, containerization, domain-driven design and event sourcing.

Sello Malinga

Sello Malinga is a successful South African-based entrepreneur and innovator who possesses 10 years of experience in mining innovation and technology transfer. Sello is a developer of a novel mining safety exoskeleton; Spinetector, which is designed to reduce injuries sustained from falls of grounds on the upper body section; the vertebral column, rib section and delicate part of the chest section. Sello is the Business Development and Technology Transfer Manager for the CEMI South Africa office and is responsible for opening up the market in the Southern region of Africa to advance made in Canada emerging solutions through the African Innovation and Commercialization Ecosystem.