Nelson Amoah
Western Australia Operations Manager & Senior Principal
PhD, MBA, MEng. BSc (Hons), Dip (WHS), FIEAust. CPEng, MASCE
Nelson is an exceptional technical and operations leader in multidisciplinary environments with over 30 years of experience in major projects management, civil, geotechnical and hydrogeology, process and non-process infrastructure design, tailings dam engineering and mine closure. A versatile engineer, Nelson draws on global experience in the resources sector across commodities such as gold, copper, nickel, bauxite/alumina, hematite and magnetite iron and lithium.
Highly regarded as a global technical leader in the area of Filtered Tailings Stacking (commonly referred to as Dry Stacking), Nelson spent 10 years leading the research, design, and operations management of the world’s largest Tailings Dewatering and Stacking Facility at Karara Magnetite Mine, Western Australia.
He has played pivotal roles in developing business plans at corporate, departmental, and business unit levels. His strategic mindset and ability to plan for long-term objectives contribute to the success of organisations.
Dr Amoah is a Fellow of the Institution of Engineers Australia, and a Chartered Professional Engineer.
As Operations Manager, what are your immediate plans for the WA office?
To begin with, I’m working with the ATCW People & Culture team to implement a recruitment plan to ensure we build the best technical team for our areas of practice in tailings management, tailings infrastructure, water management, mine closure and related disciplines. Since opening in 1993, the WA operations have established a 30-year legacy of delivering geotechnical excellence for our WA clients that we will leverage as we expand capacity.
Featured Left Behrooz Ghahreman-Nejad, Right Nelson Amoah
How long have you lived in Australia?
Our family moved to Australia 26 years ago after I completed post-graduate studies in Newfoundland, Canada, in 1997. I have travelled extensively with my work through North America, South America, Indonesia, Africa, and New Zealand, and our three children were born in Ghana, Canada, and Australia, respectively. My wife and I are from Ghana, so we like the warmer climate here in Perth.
Tell us about one of your favourite past projects.
I worked at Karara Mining for ten years, from 2012-2022 and during that time, I led technical design and operations for a pioneering engineering project for the largest Filtered Tailings Storage Facility (Dry Syack) in the world at the time. From a technical perspective, it was a challenging and fulfilling project. Afterwards, I was promoted to General Manager of Projects and Asset Compliance and accountable for regulatory compliance management of the Karara magnetite processing operations with a site workforce of over one thousand.
Do you have a recent career highlight?
I recently had the opportunity to visit a multidisciplinary project I led as a consultant engineer and later managed its execution and operation at BHP Billiton Worsley Alumina until 14 years ago. At the time, it was the second-largest tailings facility ever built in Australia. I met with several people who had been there then and were happy to see me. It was rewarding to be welcomed back and see everything working as planned.
Why do you like operations and management roles?
I love technical work, but I find great joy in being a manager and helping others to solve problems. It is fulfilling to have input into the success of others and watch their careers grow. Many people I mentored when they were younger are now in senior roles, and we keep in regular contact. I completed an MBA in 2008, and the course provided me with many tools to guide an organisation and people, which I have successfully applied since then.
What is exciting you about your new role at ATC Williams?
In the past, I’ve had professional relationships with senior members at ATC Williams, including Behrooz Ghahreman-Nejad and Paul Williams, and I deeply respect their professional approach to work. I was a guest presenter at the Tailings Management Training course organised by ATCW for BHP Americas in Chile and a guest presenter at an ATCW in-house technical forum a few years ago. So I already have a great relationship with many staff members. I am excited to work closely with the senior leaders in Brisbane, Melbourne and the other offices as we engage with our stakeholders to understand their future needs. I am pleased to be leading the Perth office to grow and thrive.
