We sat down recently with David Thomas, Ausenco’s newly appointed Vice President of Minerals & Metals for the Southwest USA region. With decades of experience leading major mining and natural resource projects globally, David shared insights into the challenges and opportunities facing his region, his team and his clients.
You joined Ausenco in January 2025 with three decades of experience leading significant mining and natural resource projects around the world. What attracted you to Ausenco?
The primary factors that drew me to Ausenco are the people and the culture of innovation. Over the years, as a client of Ausenco, I found that Ausenco’s team aligned with and reflected my core values. The people here are innovative thinkers, value-driven and outcome-focused. Where others rely on traditional solutions, Ausenco consistently brings forward innovative yet practical ideas. Having cut my teeth building mines in Alaska, Canada, Mexico, Africa and the former Soviet Union – many with challenging environments, the combination of innovation and practicality resonates with me deeply.
Now, based in Tucson, Arizona, you’re leading Ausenco’s Southwest USA region. How are things progressing?
We have a fantastic office here in Tucson with a team of highly skilled project managers, study managers and talented engineers across multiple disciplines. We’re working on a variety of projects located in the USA and support global initiatives. This global exposure is great for our team as it brings new ideas and technologies from outside of the region that we can apply locally.
I’m particularly excited about the growth opportunities in the uranium and rare earth space in the Southwest USA. I firmly believe that nuclear energy will play a key role in the future energy mix and the Southwest USA contains some of the richest uranium deposits in the world. I think it’s going to be a growth industry in the coming years. It complements our core copper business and supports energy transition initiatives.
Innovation is a core value for you. What trends are you seeing in terms of innovation within the industry?
I’m a big proponent of innovation. At the core, I believe there are always better, cleaner and more efficient ways to develop natural resources and produce the metals and minerals needed to advance green initiatives. This includes integrating new technologies and automation into mining operations - from the mine face, on the surface and through to the mill operations. For example, some companies are using automated haulage where the operators can control equipment remotely from urban offices. This shift has massive implications for improving talent retention, operational efficiency and safety. From my experience in underground mining, I’ve seen how talented engineers can automate tasks we once thought impossible.
However, innovation isn’t limited to technology. It’s also about better ways of doing things. Over the years, I’ve seen projects go from Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) contracts to Engineering, Procurement, and Construction Management (EPCM) contracts to strategic alliances. In this progression, relationships strengthened over time, yet inefficiencies emerged. Today, our approach is focused on integrated project delivery teams, which eliminate duplication and ensure the best person leads each task. For me, innovation is about uncovering new value for clients and helping them achieve their objectives more effectively.
How does Ausenco foster innovation in the region?
This is where Ausenco truly stands out. As a global firm, our subject matter experts see the leading edge of mining around the world. We continuously gather insights and bring it back to our projects in the Southwest USA. We’re basically out there, doing the research and identifying the most innovative, efficient and effective approaches for our clients. Other firms don’t always want to take on the risk of innovating. I tell people that when you partner with Ausenco, you gain a true thought leader, a thinking partner, and a company fully dedicated to finding better ways to solve problems and deliver results.
What is your outlook for mining more generally across the region?
With the focus of the new administration on the US increasing self-sufficiency and onshoring of key mineral and metals production, this will likely lead to increased demand for mining and the development of resources in the US critical to the energy transition—such as copper, uranium, and rare earth elements. We’ve already seen substantial demand for new projects and capacity in the region. I think we are well positioned to be in one of the most dynamic and promising sectors in the coming years.