Biography

More than 35 years of experience in mining, quarrying, heavy manufacturing, and chemical production with Anglo American Plc, SSR Mining Inc., Dyno Nobel Ltd, Rinker Group Ltd, Phelps Dodge Corp, and Mobil Oil Corp. Previously an executive for safety, health, environmental, risk management (ERM and ORM), asset security, and sustainability with experience in 35 countries worldwide. He is currently the Principal of Hethmon Associates LLC. From 2010 to 2015, he served as the Western Mining Presidential Endowed Chair in Mine Safety, associate professor, and director of the Center for Mining Safety & Health Excellence in the University of Utah, Department of Mining Engineering. He also served as an adjunct faculty member in the University of Utah School of Medicine and at the University of British Columbia, NBK Institute of Mining Engineering. He earned a B.S. in kinesiology from the UCLA, an M.S. in health science from California State University, Northridge (CSUN) and completed post-graduate training at the American Graduate School of International Management (Thunderbird). He is a Certified Mine Safety Professional (CMSP) through the Society for Mining, Metallurgy and Exploration (SME) and a Fellow of the American Industrial Hygiene Association. He maintained occupational hygiene credentials in the U.S. (CIH, 1991-2018), Canada (ROH, 1994-2018), and Australia (2006-2016). A published author and subject matter expert in management systems, risk management, safety and health management, and safety-related organizational development (culture & leadership). Tom led the world’s employers in the development of the ILO Code of Practice for Safety and Health in the Nonferrous Metals Industry in Geneva, Switzerland in 2001 and was the primary consultant and developer of U.S. NMA CORESafety initiative. He is the developer of the Whole Systems Safety framework.