MEI and ALTA- parallel universes

I had a very pleasant evening last night at the ALTA conference dinner in Perth, sharing a table with Alan and Joan Taylor, the conference organisers.

Metallurgical consultant Alan established ALTA Metallurgical Services in Melbourne in 1985, to serve the mining, minerals and metallurgical industries world-wide. He has continued as Principal to the present time. He has over 30 years international experience in the mining, metallurgical and chemical industries, involving consulting, project development, study management, engineering, operations, plant start-up and technology development. Prior to ALTA, Alan spent many years in senior positions with major international engineering firms.

Alan and his Guyanan-born wife Joan have been running the ALTA conferences for the past 15 years, currently with the aid of the part-time assistance of one of their five daughters. While Alan looks after the technical side, Joan ensures that services such as catering run smoothly, much the same as Barbara is involved with MEI events. The success of ALTA conferences is a testament to "small is beautiful" and they have a lot in common in this respect with the MEI team. It has been a pleasure to meet them and long may our relationship prosper.