Antonio 'Tony' Nieto, is the Director of the FLS Mining Technology and Research Center in Salt Lake City, USA. Nieto has served in different executive and academic roles in the United States, Australia, Mexico, and Africa. Previous to his current role, Nieto served among other roles, as Chief Technology Officer with the CRC-Mining in Australia, as VP of Innovation & Technology with Gold Fields, and as VP of Engineering with Laurate Universities. Nieto also served in academia as Chair and Professor at Wits University in Johannesburg and at Penn State University in the United States.

Nieto, with 25 years of industry, consulting, and academic experience, brings in-depth expertise in corporate strategy. He specializes in risk and innovation strategy, engineering economics analysis, and technology assessment, with rich domain expertise spanning prospecting, exploration, production, processing, and market solutions. Nieto holds a Ph.D. and MSc in Earth Systems from the Colorado School of Mines and an MSc from the Ecole des Mines de Paris. He is the author of the book 'The 5S Innovation Model: A Tech Strategy' published in 2024, and co-author of the 'SME Mining Engineering Handbook'. Nieto has authored over 80 peer-reviewed papers and articles worldwide. Nieto is QP member of the Mining and Metallurgical Society of America, and is a member of the US Society for Mining, Metallurgical, and Exploration Engineering. He was inducted to Mexico's National Academy of Engineering in 2018.

Nieto has been featured in various news and media outlets, including Newsweek and Mining Magazine. He regularly advises graduate students on mineral innovation and economics from prestigious universities such as Harvard, Cambridge, and Clausthal. He is a frequent speaker on mining innovation and technology at conferences and events globally.

Nieto's latest list of researchpublications, and courses