COSMO — Stochastic Mine Planning Laboratory

Mário de Freitas Silva is a seasoned mining leader with extensive global experience and a strong technical background in mining engineering. Currently serving as the Global Director of Mining at Vale Base Metals in Canada, Mário oversees strategic mine planning, mineral resource & reserves, geotechnical risk management and value optimization initiatives. His career at Vale includes roles such as General Manager of Mine Technical Services and Manager of the Transformation Office, where he led significant improvements in planning & operational efficiency.

Prior to Vale, Mário worked as an Operations Specialist at McKinsey & Company, contributing to best-in-class operations transformation programs across multiple countries. He also held positions at Deswik Mining as a Product Manager and Senior Mining Consultant, where he led the development of optimization tools such as Deswik Blender, Go and Do and provided consultancy for major mining projects.

Mário holds a master’s degree in mining engineering from McGill University, where he conducted research on stochastic mine planning, and a bachelor’s degree in mining engineering from the Federal University of Minas Gerais.