Meet Tim Mbanga, Rocanville rockstar

“There’s no better place to work.”

That’s why Tim Mbanga chooses to come to Nutrien’s Potash mine in Rocanville, Saskatchewan each day.

Tim began his career at Nutrien in 2015 as a Process Engineer, and he served in a variety of roles across the operation before being promoted to his current role of Chief Metallurgical Engineer in 2019.

In this position, Tim provides expertise and technical support for the plant’s recovery improvements, experimental development, process control and capital and investment projects. He also works on many environmental, mechanical, process and continuous improvement initiatives at the site. The best part of his day? Collaboration and mentorship.

“What drives me is the level of commitment and teamwork at Rocanville. We always work as a team, which is something I lacked at several of the mines I worked at before,” Tim explains. “My passion is to mentor young, upcoming engineers, so I’m grateful for the opportunity to support a team of six engineers in training in the metallurgical engineering department.”

When he’s not at work, Tim gives back to his community in much the same way. He volunteers with the Association of Professional Engineers & Geoscientists of Saskatchewan’s (APEGS) Kindergarten to Grade 12 Program and the Canadian Mineral Processors’ (CMP) Mentorship Program and serves as a judge at a Regina high school science fair.

On top of that, his involvement with CMP – a branch of the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum (CIM) – includes previous positions as Co-Chair (2020), Technical Chair (2018-2019) and a member of the National Executive Committee. Tim also provides consulting support for engineering applicants from outside Canada and engineering candidates applying for their professional designation.

As a result of his dedication to the engineering profession and his community, Tim achieved the 2021 CIM Presidents’ Role Model Medal, which is awarded to individuals for setting an outstanding example and recognizing their early career accomplishments as a role model within CIM.

“I’m proud to be recognized for this award and to work at Nutrien,” he says. “When I first started at Rocanville, I met a lot of employees who had been working at the site for 30 years, and I wondered how they did it – now on my sixth year with the company, I get it. At Nutrien, we are one team, all looking out for each other under our culture of care, and that’s the best part about working here.”