Tel 01263 734627
Int Tel: +44 1263 734627

E-mail: peter@peterdarling.co.uk

Managing Editor of the Mining Engineering Handbook

The US Society of Mining Engineers (SME) Handbook (often referred to as the "Mining Engineer's Bible") contains over 125 chapters covering every aspect of mining from finance, geology, exploration, services, extraction methods, processing, environmental and social issues.

The compilation of this Handbook was a colossal task which necessitated initial liaison with senior executive managers within the SME, producing a comprehensive list of chapters that needing writing to, before sourcing and then commissioning subject matter experts from around the mineral resources world to write pithy and succinct material within a brutally short deadline and to strict editorial boundaries.

Creating the initial list of chapters and sections, through to providing the writers with subject sub-titles, editorial guidance, cutting word-counts, de-mystifying complicated prose, re-writing material, suggesting illustrations and occasionally rejecting chapters were all part of the process from inception through to completed work.

Once chapters were written, the next step in the process involved almost daily liaison with a contracted US-based editorial team. Keeping track of which chapters were at the various key-stages in the process, and re-commissioning those that seemed unlikely to either materialise, or which failed to match the exceptionally high level of professionalism that the SME rightly required from its flagship publication, necessitated a huge amount of diligence, diplomacy, tact and tenacity.

This Handbook, published every 20 years, contains over 2000 pages and is the one mining textbook that every serious mining professional regularly defer to.

Freelance Technical Journalist. Technical articles (construction, tunneling, engineering, oil, quarrying and mining), corporate reports, company literature, tender documents, site reports, PR pieces, annual reports (front-of-book), speeches, company and personal profiles, technical appraisals, bid documents and news items. (Worked for BP Oil, Rio Tinto, Atlas Copco, Wirth, Halcrow, World Coal, NATM, the MOD, Svedala, Tarmac, Evraz (Russia) and Acquisitions Monthly.)

Also, Royal (Auxilary) Air Force (Press & Public Relations Squadron): mobilised for Gulf War II as a Flight Lieutenant: Qatar, Kuwait and Iraq. In addition, NATO HQ in Belgium as a Squadron Leader, as well as two NATO deployments to Afghanistan.

Rio Tinto plc, London, United Kingdom (with extensive overseas travel)
Internal Communications and Media Relations Manager

Prime accountabilities:

• Member of communications executive team providing communications to Rio Tinto stakeholders and senior management
• Editor of in-house management newsletter (bi-monthly) for global audience
• Producer of in-house management audio tape (quarterly) for global audience
• Editor of head office monthly newsletter for staff employees
• Editor/Producer of in-house video (quarterly) for global audience
• Founder and Group co-ordinator for phone-based whistleblowing system
• Group co-ordinator for Corporate Crisis Management programme
• Manage Company profile in local and international press
• First point of contact for media inquiries
• Prepare briefing notes for senior management responding to media inquiries and interviews
• Prepare media statements for Senior Management
• Provide advice and assistance to Business Units
• Group information officer for public, trade, commercial and general inquiries

Significant achievements:

• Redesigned and increased issue run of in-house management magazine
• Designed and launched a monthly in-house newsletter
• Re-launched a defunct audio tape, and "converted" to CD
• Setting up a director-level corporate crisis management programme
• Designed, set up and run Group video production section
• Moved from hard-copy to electronically distributed press cutting and releases
• Initiated the creation of a crisis management press-related activities handbook
• Created the Group's first management comprehensive contact directory covering 2,500 employees in over 80 locations
• Created a data base of information relating to 40 operations, as well as publications register of over 30 periodicals
• Initiated the creation of a "spokesperson" register, matching specialist knowledge to individuals with public speaking skills
• Designed and established Group international whistleblowing system
• Set up correspondents network spanning 60 sites in over 40 countries

Editor of various magazines, including International Construction, Construction Asia, Cement, Rock Products (European Edition) and Engineering & Mining Journal (European Edition).

The Editor, Tunnels & Tunneling.

Various Technical Editorial positions for international mining, quarrying and heavy-construction related journals, based in the UK and the USA, including International Mining, Engineering & Mining Journal, Coal Edition and Rock Products.

Mining engineer: platinum mine in South Africa and surface tin mine in Brazil.

Engineer in international oil industry, mainly offshore W-Africa.

• Bachelor of Engineering (Hons), Imperial College, London
• Chartered Engineer
• Institute of Mining & Metallurgy (Member)
• Institute of Public Relations (Member)