Maria Angelica Paliza is a mining executive with 14+ years of global experience delivering multimillion-dollar cost savings, optimizing capital investments, and driving strategic growth across complex mining operations. She specializes in project development, financial optimization, and strategic investment planning—transforming operational complexity into business value. Her expertise spans engineering execution, mine valuation, and cost-performance analytics, with a proven track record of uncovering multimillion-dollar savings and enhancing asset performance. Angelica has a strong background in identifying cost-saving opportunities—something that brought significant value to her previous management team at OceanaGold, resulting in savings of several million dollars.
Currently completing her Professional Master’s in Mining Industry Management at Colorado School of Mines, Angelica brings a unique ability to bridge the gap between engineering, finance, and strategic leadership. At OceanaGold’s Haile Gold Mine, she led CAPEX/OPEX optimization for Life of Mine, identifying actionable investment strategies and enhancing operational profitability.
Earlier in her career, she played a pivotal role in the development of Las Bambas, one of the world’s largest copper projects, managing EPCM contracts, tailings dam construction, and infrastructure for 14,000+ workers. At Ausenco, she helped align engineering scopes with economic outcomes at the Mina Justa Project, strengthening performance-based delivery.
Angelica leverages advanced analytics tools—including Power BI, SAP, Oracle, and Primavera P6—to translate complex data into strategic insights. Her leadership is grounded in disciplined cost analytics, financial modeling, risk governance, and investor-focused execution. She is fully bilingual (English/Spanish), holds dual U.S. and Peruvian citizenship, and is actively engaged with global mining trends through her involvement in the Project Management Institute (PMI) and events such as PDAC.
Now focused on contributing at the board and advisory level, Angelica is seeking roles where she can apply her operational depth, financial acumen, and cross-cultural fluency to shape high-value investment decisions and advance sustainable mining innovation.
Character
Maria Angelica Paliza is a dedicated and forward-thinking executive with a passion for optimizing mining investments, enhancing long-term value, and driving operational excellence across global markets.
Knowledge
With over a decade of hands-on experience in mine finance, infrastructure development, and industrial management, Maria brings deep knowledge of CAPEX/OPEX planning, asset valuation, risk mitigation, and project execution.
Strategic
She integrates advanced financial modeling with life-of-mine analysis and performance metrics to guide capital efficiency, uncover cost-saving opportunities, and align operations with long-term investor goals.
Communication
A bilingual leader fluent in English and Spanish, Maria excels at engaging cross-functional teams, stakeholders, and international partners to ensure transparency, alignment, and data-driven decision-making.
