George Edwards is a metallurgy graduate from the University of New South Wales, and has spent his life in the coal sector initially in metallurgy, then establishing, operating and selling his own export coal mines, in coal negotiations and trade missions around the world, and then in trading coal shipments. He has worked for BHP, Coal and Allied, the Joint Coal Board and was latterly chief executive in Australia for Consolidation Coal Company of the USA (now Consol Energy).
Since establishing his own companies 32 years ago, Mr Edwards has been responsible for export sales of up to 5 million tonnes of coal a year from his own and other mines in Australia, and some from other countries.
He has close links with Asian and Indian coal buyers and has been mandated by several Chinese companies to secure coal and coal projects.
He was chair of ASX-listed SAI Global from listing in 2003 until 2008, the Energy Council of Australia from 1993 to 2006, and Standards Australia from 2000 to 2004. In 1995, he was president of The AusIMM. Mr Edwards has authored more than 150 talks, articles and presentations in Australia and in 14 countries overseas, mainly on mining and coal-related matters.
