Exclusive interview with Tony Warner, the 2022 recipient of the MetSoc Airey Award

Anthony Warner is a highly regarded metallurgical engineer and the 2022 recipient of the prestigious MetSoc Airey Award. With a career spanning over five decades, Tony has significantly impacted the field of extractive metallurgical engineering. In this exclusive interview,

Tony shares his journey from studying metallurgical engineering at the Royal School of Mines to working for companies such as INCO Ltd and 沃利 . He highlights his proudest career accomplishments and involvement with MetSoc: Metallurgy and Materials Society of CIM . He also offers valuable advice to new professionals on achieving success and maintaining a fulfilling career.

Can you tell us about your career and how you got started in the field of extractive metallurgical engineering?

When I was 16 at school, it was apparent that my best subjects were chemistry and math. I was at the age to start applying for University, and I was thinking of chemistry but was unsure. My chemistry teacher suggested metallurgy!

So, I researched what metallurgy entailed; I got accepted into Metallurgical engineering at the Royal School of Mines, Imperial College, London, UK, completed my bachelor's degree and Ph.D. in extractive metallurgy then married and joined INCO ltd in Port Colborne, Ontario.

I went on to spend 35 years mainly in pyrometallurgy at Inco ltd in Port Colborne, at the Thompson Smelter, PTINCO Indonesia Smelter during construction, commissioning and first years of operation. After PTINCO, I moved to the Copper Cliff, Sudbury Smelter, during the SO2 abatement development years that resulted in a significant flowsheet change at this smelter and finally at the J Roy Gordon Research Laboratory at Sheridan park.

As I was retiring from Inco after 35 years, I was asked to join HG Engineering, which was bought by WorleyParsons and today is Worley, with whom I'm still working "part-time" today.

Could you tell us about a specific project or accomplishment in your career that you are particularly proud of?

Two major things:

1. The time at PTINCO (now PTVale Indonesia) participating in bringing the first three process lines on line, which became a vital asset for the company.
2. The years at the Copper Cliff Smelter as part of the smelter team in developing the flowsheet that was subsequently implemented in 1994.

Can you discuss your history and involvement with The Metallurgy and Materials Society (Metsoc) of CIM?

I originally joined CIM in the early 1970s in Thompson and attended one or two conferences at the time and local meetings. Then got transferred to Indonesia, during which years I was not part of CIM. Once back in Canada, I rejoined CIM, attended several conferences, and assisted on several conference organizing committees, precisely one in Chile, the 2007 Carlos Diaz symposium and, more recently, the Phillip Mackey symposium in 2019. I have also been and still am a member of IOM and TMS throughout these years, where I have also assisted with conference committees and presented several papers at all these venues.

Can you speak about receiving the 2022 Metsoc Airey Award, what that recognition means, and what it represents for your career?

Being informed about winning the award, I was thrilled to think a number of my long-term colleagues thought I deserved the award and took the time to make it happen. Thank you to those involved. As this is now 52 years since I joined Inco, and now with Worley is great recognition for the mostly fun metallurgical experiences I have had over this time. This is why I continue part-time, as my career has become a hobby.

What advice would you give to new professionals in the metallurgical field on achieving success?

The first thing is to be a Team player and also develop professional relationships with others in the field outside of your immediate organization or company. Attendance at conferences such as the annual COM Metsoc meetings, participating and presenting in technical papers and especially mingling with others at these events or local meetings is invaluable for your long-term career advancement and a good reason why I'm still working part-time. Also, enjoy time off and re-energize from time to time. In the summer, mine is sailing, which I have loved since I was a teenager!

Check out MetSoc Awards & Scholarships here