Dr Penny Stewart

Chief Executive Officer, Petra Data Science

Dr Penny Stewart is a mining engineer, Fellow of the Australian Academy of Technical Sciences and Engineering and founder and CEO of mining AI software company Petra Data Science. Penny worked on mine sites for five years in Tasmania and Western Australia before obtaining her Queensland 1st Class Mine Managers’ Certificate of Competency. She commenced PhD studies at UQ’s Julius Kruttschnitt Mineral Research Centre, where she received the Ian Morley prize for Best Minerals Engineering Postgraduate student. In 2009, she instigated the application of self-organising maps (neural networks) for the study of SLC recovery analysis.  In June 2015, Penny founded PETRA to extract value from mining data.  PETRA is a world-leading provider of machine learning and optimisation solutions to the global mining industry, including their flagship MAXTATM digital twin value chain optimisation suite. In 2016, PETRA collaborated with Newcrest Mining to develop and deploy some of the mining industry's first machine learning algorithms. 

Dr Penny Stewart's keynote title and synopsis:

Protecting mining supply chains from cyberattacks

In 2025, mining executives and boards will be confronted with reports that over the past two to three years, software vendors have been increasingly targeted by cyber criminals. According to the 2025 Verizon Threat Research Advisory Centre, analysis of 22,052 real-world security incidents, these incidents have escalated from occasional mishaps to widespread and insidious problems with potentially devastating impacts on operations. 

Encouragingly, mining technology suppliers are responding quickly to these threats, with some achieving the highest internationally recognised certification. Achieving certification requires significant investment as well as ongoing commitment. ISO 27001 certification requires continuous improvement in how new and emerging threats and vulnerabilities are managed, as well as ongoing training and awareness raising. Despite the rise in threats and incidents, the mining technology sector is well equipped to manage cybersecurity threats. Our advanced technical capabilities into existing procedures and working closely with our industry partners to secure supply chains. 

Join me at APCOM 2025 to explore how the mining industry can navigate these cybersecurity challenges and safeguard its future.