David Johnson

About David

David Johnson is a UK-based mining engineer with more than 50 years of international experience, working extensively across the US, Russia, India, China, Poland, Canada, and Australia.

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He has held senior leadership roles throughout his career, including Managing Director of Dosco Overseas Engineering Ltd (1960–1990), where he expanded underground mining equipment sales into 45 countries, and Chairman & Managing Director of Joy Mining Machinery UK Ltd (1990–2015), overseeing operations and market growth in the UK and major emerging markets.

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David is currently Executive Chairman of Brownlee Cale Consultancy Services Ltd, focused on supporting the safe and sustainable development of underground coal mining operations globally, drawing on the UK and Poland’s extensive expertise. He also brings significant governance experience from non-executive board positions with Mechel Group, Coal Energy, Hargreaves Mining India, and advisory roles with Buckthorn Partners LLP and Energybuild Ltd.

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A Past President of ABMEC, David has played a pivotal role in advancing mechanised underground mining and building international partnerships that continue to shape the industry.

Key points to note include:

• Pioneered the introduction of Dosco Roadheaders and Dintheaders to Coal India Ltd and SCCL in the late 1970s.

• Initiated and promoted risk/gain share arrangements with CIL, enabling the first introduction of mass-production Continuous Miner systems at Chirimiri Mine in 2002.

• Established Joy Mining Services in India, supporting the adoption of continuous miners — now trading successfully as JMS.

• Partnered with Shenhua in China to achieve world record longwall production levels from Joy equipment.

• Created a Joy service support facility in Baotou, Inner Mongolia, strengthening local capability.

• Formed one of the first mining joint ventures in Russia after the fall of the Berlin Wall, working with Raspadskaya Mine in Siberia.

• Delivered record longwall production levels across Russian mines, including Raspadskaya and Kirov.

• Extensive career travel: over 118 visits to the US, 91 to Russia, 70 to India, 60 to China, and 49 to Poland since the 1970s.

Competencies: 

• ABMEC Lifetime Achievement Award (2019)

• The Order of Friendship (awarded by President Yeltsin, 1996) for services to the Russian coal industry

• Led Joy Mining UK to two Queen’s Awards for Export Achievement during his tenure