LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
Lifetime Achievement Award recognises Bob Wilt ’ s outstanding ascent from plant manager to CEO of Ma ’ aden – the largest mining company in the Middle East
From combat in the Gulf War when Iraq invaded Kuwait in the 90s to leading one of the fastest-growing mining companies in the world , Robert ‘ Bob ’ G Wilt is one of those outstanding executives with fascinating personalities . He is a veteran with years of experience in the mining industry and an executive leader who has led companies through good times and bad .
He is the Chief Executive Officer of Saudi Arabian Mining Co ., Ma ’ aden , the Middle East ’ s largest mining and metals company . Previously , Bob served as president and CEO of Sofina Foods , a privately held meat and seafood processor with 44 locations in Canada and Europe , from 2020 until January 2022 . He holds an MBA from Harvard Business School and a bachelor ’ s degree in Engineering Management from the United States Military Academy at West Point , New York .
Upon completing his MBA from Harvard Business School , Bob enlisted in the US Army . During his service in the 101st Airborne Division , he served as a combat engineer officer and platoon leader . During the Gulf War , he oversaw construction of two base camps while planning and leading combat engineering missions . At the time , Bob had no idea he ’ d be carving a path to the upper echelons of the mining industry or he ’ d be leading the largest mining company in the Middle East .
When he left the US Army , Bob worked as a senior consultant for the organising committee for the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta . In 1999 , Bob began working as a production supervisor at Alcoa , one of the world ’ s top 10 aluminium producers with headquarters in Pittsburgh , Pennsylvania .
From plant manager , he rose through the ranks to become VP of energy development , VP of operations , and ultimately the company ’ s executive vice president in 2013 , responsible for the company ’ s upstream business , including the world ’ s largest mining and refining of bauxite , and the third largest smelting process . In 2017 , he became President of Precision Castparts Corporation ’ s Metals Group , managing its aerospace and industrial subsidiaries .
As a leader , Bob has demonstrated exceptional strategic and operational results in a variety of challenging environments over the course of 30-plus years in various leadership positions . His appointment coincided with Ma ’ aden ’ s rapid expansion in search of untapped mineral deposits across the Kingdom .
On the sidelines of the UN Climate Change Summit in Egypt , he spoke at the Saudi Green Initiative about Ma ’ aden ’ s plan to become the third pillar of the Saudi Arabian economy as the Gulf nation steps up efforts to diversify its revenue sources and progress in line with Vision 2030 . miningdigital . com 19