About Sihong

With widely anticipated demand hike for critical minerals, Sihong believes as an industry we can do so much more to mine responsibly and sustainably to meet the demand, from better process efficiencies to expedited engineering studies. It is for this calling that he founded Minax, standing for mining (min) automation (a) and analytics (x).

Sihong has been working in the mining industry since 2011. He started his career as an engineer in training at Vale’s Coleman Mine, taking responsibilities in surveying, ventilation, ground control, geology, and planning. He then assumed increasing responsibility at Vale from short-range planning to long-range planning, from leading software development to developing a team of data professionals at iROC.

Sihong holds a Bachelor of Science degree in information and computation science, and a Master of Applied Science degree in mineral resources engineering. He also holds a Data Science Certificate from University of Toronto and University of Waterloo.

About George

George Banete is a seasoned mining engineer with over three decades of experience in both operational and consulting roles across open-pit and underground mines.

His career spans a diverse range of commodities, including coal, nickel, copper, and gold, with a proven track record of delivering value through innovative mine design and strategic scheduling. George is a qualified person (QP) and is knowledgeable in NI 43-101, S-K 1300, and JORC reporting standards for mineral resources and reserves estimation.

George began his career as a field engineer at a large open-pit coal mine, where he honed his skills in production planning and optimization. Over the years, he advanced to leadership positions, including Chief Mine Engineer and Principal Engineer at Vale Base Metals. Notably, he spearheaded the turnaround of an underappreciated nickel mine in North America by redesigning the mine plan, resulting in a significant increase in net present value (NPV).

A licensed Professional Engineer (P.Eng.), George is an active member of the Professional Engineers Ontario (PEO). He is also a passionate mentor, sharing his knowledge with aspiring engineers through university lectures.

About Jingyu

Jingyu Ren is a Software Engineer and Mining Consultant with a diverse background spanning software development, IT systems management, and mining operations. With over 15 years of experience across industries, Jingyu specializes in developing data-driven software solutions that enhance business efficiency and decision-making. At Minax, he bridges the gap between engineering and mining by streamlining technical processes, conducting feasibility studies, and supporting digital transformation in mine planning and analysis.

Previously, Jingyu held key IT roles at State Grid Xianning Power Supply Company, where he led large-scale infrastructure projects and implemented cybersecurity initiatives. He began his career as a back-end software engineer, developing multimedia platforms using Java and VC++.

Jingyu holds a Master’s degree in Computational Science from Laurentian University, with a focus on AI, machine learning, and data mining, as well as a Bachelor’s in Software Engineering from Wuhan University. Passionate about continuous growth, he thrives at the intersection of technology and industry-specific innovation.