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Melissa Santos Martinez, known professionally as Miss Dynamite, is a mining blaster, technical consultant, and industry leader based in Montréal, Canada. She specializes in large-scale open-pit mining operations, with field experience across Québec and northern, remote regions.

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She completed her professional training in Drilling and Blasting at CFP Baie-James, under the mentorship of Harold Blackbourn, a respected blaster and pedagogue with more than 30 years of international experience.

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With over 2,000 hours of hands-on field experience and participation in 30+ successful blast operations, Melissa has worked exclusively in lithium and iron mining environments. Her experience includes lithium operations at Élévra in Abitibi and iron mining operations with ArcelorMittal, the largest open-pit iron mining operation in Canada and North America, as well as work with Tata Steel in Schefferville an isolated northern community accessible only by plane or train.

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Beyond field operations, Melissa plays an active leadership role within the industry. She serves as a Board Director of the Société des Explosifs du Québec (SEEQ), contributing to governance and professional development in the explosives sector. She is also a Board Director of Women in explosives, where her mandate focuses on diversity, academia, and emerging talent, supporting mentorship, knowledge transfer, and collaboration between industry and educational institutions.

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Her career path and commitment to inclusion have been formally recognized by the Government of Québec, which awarded her the Grand Prize of the Chapeau, les filles! Program a prestigious initiative highlighting women who pursue and succeed in traditionally male-dominated technical and industrial careers.

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Melissa holds a degree in Cultural Anthropology from the Université de Montréal, with academic specialization in Italian and Chinese studies and linguistics. She is fluent in Spanish, French, English, Italian, and Mandarin Chinese.

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Through Miss Dynamite, she brings together field expertise, safety culture, governance, and strategic communication, contributing to safer blasting practices and a more inclusive future for the mining and explosives industries.

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