International Women in Engineering Day – Christine Blackmore, Associate Director

Christine Blackmore works in our Stoke-on-Trent office as an Associate Director within the Mining Team. For International Women in Engineering Day 2017, Christine gives a brief career history and overview on some of the places that she has visited whilst working on projects since joining Wardell Armstrong.

I came as a late arrival on the mining scene, following a successful career in national intelligence in the Royal Navy. I have now achieved 16 years’ experience in environmental management in the mining industry, with one of my achievements being in a select number of cyanide auditors worldwide.

I re-invented myself at 40 (after having 3 children) and did an Applied Geology degree at Staffordshire University, and basically never looked back. Following my graduation, I joined Wardell Armstrong. My first jobs at Wardell Armstrong was in the landfill engineering, which gave me a great experience in the construction of natural materials (clays) and geosynthetics, so when the opportunity came along to be resident engineer on the construction of tailing dams in the mining industry, I grabbed it with both hands. From then on I developed my career in international mining, undertaking environmental due diligence audits, tailings dam inspections and cyanide auditing in the gold mining industry.

Along the way I have kept the studying momentum going by gaining an MSc in Environmental Management and Environmental Geology, attained my CEnv and CSci through the IOM3 and the Science Council respectively. I am also a registered Principal Auditor with IRCA, which led me on to gaining my accreditation with ICMI as a Lead Cyanide Auditor for operational mines and the transportation of cyanide.

I continue to work on the international mining scene undertaking both long and short deployments from West Africa to South America, with China and the Middle East along the way. I now have 4 grandchildren, and they are delighted when they receive a phone call from a place far away.