The Mayans predicted that 2012 would bring the end of days. Let’s hope it doesn’t, but it’s sure to be a turbulent year, says Peter Leeds.

Whether the Mayans were right or not remains to be seen, but I am predicting a turbulent year in which major events will play out on the world stage that may forever alter our history. Based on analysis which I conduct for my financial newsletter, the following 12 points are what I'm expecting to see in 2012.

Rod Steele, founder of the mining advisory firm TesMan, shares with Jane Alverca his unique approach to generating process improvement through innovation.

Rod Steele, founder of TesMan, is a man very much at home in the deep, dark voids of the earth’s interior. After a long career managing complex mining operations and maintenance programmes around the world, he decided to found his own company to shine a new light on the technical challenges of this subterranean world.

The northern regions of Canada are again experiencing a mining boom and behind every mining operator there has to be solid support, as Alan Swaby discovers from the Gibeault family.

For a case study on man’s ability to adapt and prosper; look no further than Ron Gibeault and his family. Early in his career, Ron decided that a new start in the northernmost reaches of Canada was what he and his new bride needed. 

President and CEO Jeremy Wyeth talks about how this Canadian junior mining company is using cash flow from its Mexican operations to move into the mid-tier with a diversified portfolio of silver, gold and rare earths.

Colossus Minerals is on the brink of gold, platinum and palladium production at Serra Pelada in Brazil’s northern Pará State: this is one of the highest grade deposits in the world, fully funded and permitted for production in 2013. For the investor, gold projects don’t come much better than this.

When the world’s second largest diversified mining company Vale acquired the iconic Canadian nickel miner Inco five years ago it was the beginning of the largest investment in Canadian mining in the country’s history, as Cory McPhee explains to Gay Sutton.

This Canadian engineering company is making its mark in the mining industry with a contribution to energy saving and the environment. Alan Swaby talks to co-CEOs Marc Boudreau and Denis Pitre and to the corporate services/sales & marketing manager Pat Dubreuil.

Aficionados of Doctor Who will be familiar with the Tardis concept – a deceptively small exterior encompassing a surprisingly large interior. In engineering terms, the Canadian company BESTECH is not dissimilar.

Google has been named as the company UK adults most want to work for—with rival Apple coming a close second.

In a survey carried out of more than 2,133 UK adults by research and consulting organisation YouGov for Croner, Google was named 81 times and Apple 80 times as the most desirable companies to work for.

High-profile UK companies also featuring in participants’ responses included John Lewis (72 mentions), Virgin (62 mentions) and the BBC (55 mentions). The NHS also featured high on the list.

US convenience retailer 7-Eleven announced completion today of its deal with ExxonMobil to acquire retail interests in 51 sites in North Texas.

The sites are all in the greater Dallas/Fort Worth area and include two unused parcels of land.

The majority of locations will be rebranded as 7-Eleven stores, although they will retain the Exxon gasoline brand.