John is a chemical engineer and economist with 35+ years’ industrial experience, including 20+ years as a senior executive and managing director in the international minerals and mining sector. Having lived and worked across cultures, he led a global innovation function that co-developed technology with researchers and industry, enabling deployment of step-change minerals technologies. John is a Fellow and Board Member of ATSE, and a Chartered Engineer and Fellow of IChemE, where he served six years, including as President (2017–2018). In 2023 he was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) for services to mining and chemical engineering.

John McGagh, the Global Head of Innovation at Rio Tinto, has led the development of important research and development centres in universities that are addressing key technical issues for the global mining industry. The work in these industry-university partnerships encompasses the development and implementation of automation of surface mines, the advanced recovery of minerals through rapid mineral sorting, the reduction of energy required for crushing and grinding processes, and technologies for massive underground block-cave mines. Many important breakthroughs have been made bringing considerable benefits to the mining industry.