Title: Consultant and Country Manager
Company: REDCO Mining Consultants
Location: Eden Prairie, Minnesota, United States
Patricio Vergara Lara, Consultant and Country Manager at REDCO Mining Consultants, has been recognized by Marquis Who’s Who Top Executives for dedication, achievements and leadership in Mining Engineering.
Marked by significant contributions and leadership roles across various global projects, Mr. Vergara has established a distinguished career in the mining industry. Currently serving as a consultant and country manager at REDCO Mining Consultants USA, which he co-founded in 2024, he coordinates studies and engineering work with North American-based companies. His expertise in consulting for mining projects, design, operations and development is supported by a vast network of international subject matter experts.
In addition to his role at REDCO, Mr. Vergara has been a self-employed mining consultant since 2023. This venture has seen him advising large corporations in a specialized area of mining called block caving, which allows ore bodies to progressively and safely collapse under their own weight.
From 2020 to 2023, Mr. Vergara served as the executive vice president of mineral resources and development at Corporacion Nacional del Cobre de Chile (Codelco) where he had an important role in the transformation of the vice presidency, extending its reach with the creation of multiple corporate technical groups. Under his leadership the corporate groups of water, tailings, geoscience, planning, and major studies were created to provide technical stewardship.
From 2017 to 2020, Mr. Vergara was the practice lead of underground mining at BHP Minerals Americas, where he provided his technical expertise to the joint ventures, studies and business initiatives within the region. Before that, he was the director of mining at Twin Metals Minnesota LLC from 2012 to 2017, during which he led the study design and planning of a major copper-nickel deposit in northern Minnesota. His tenure as the manager and general superintendent of engineering at PT Freeport Indonesia from 2008 to 2012 saw him lead the development and construction of the Grasberg Block Cave Project in Indonesia, one of the largest caving operations in the world, designed for 160,000 tons of ore per day.
Mr. Vergara began his career as the chief of mine operations at Codelco Chile from 2005 to 2007. His steadfast dedication to excellence and mining accomplishments around the world have earned him numerous recognitions throughout his career. Looking back on his achievements thus far, he attributes his success to his ability to form cohesive teams, tenacity, resilience, networking and having great mentors and role models — particularly his father, whom he credits for his adventurous mining career as well.
The foundations for Mr. Vergara’s career stem from his equally accomplished, awarded, and well-traveled academic background. He earned a Master of Science in mineral economics from Western Australian School of Mines at Curtin University in 2003 as well as a Bachelor of Science in engineering mining in 1995 and a mining engineering diploma in 1998 from Universidad de Chile. He is also an active member of the Society of Mining Engineers, reflecting his commitment to staying engaged with industry advancements.
Complementing his professional journey, Mr. Vergara Lara maintains involvement with industry-related organizations, such as the Society for Mining, Metallurgy and Exploration, where he has been an active member since 2016. His civic engagements include serving on the board of BHP Senegal, consulting for a Swedish company, and chairing joint ventures between Codec and Rio Tinto.
Happily married and a proud father of three, Mr. Vergara aspires to watch his children continue to grow into their best selves. He takes great pride in his oldest child’s acceptance into the Cleveland Clinic College of Medicine, his middle daughter’s excellence at the University of Madison-Wisconsin, and his youngest daughter’s success in both academics and sports at Eden Prairie High School. While continuing his pursuit of personal and professional growth, he is passionate about repositioning mining as a technologically advanced industry in the United States and aims to inspire future generations to pursue careers in the field.
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