Dr Fatih Birol

As the Executive Director of the International Energy Agency, Dr Fatih Birol (@fbirol) has moved the Agency to the forefront of global efforts to shape a secure and affordable energy future while ensuring climate objectives are met. After taking office, Dr Birol led the IEA in its first modernisation programme since its creation in 1974. These efforts focused on broadening the IEA’s energy security focus beyond oil to also cover electricity, natural gas, renewables and critical minerals; making the IEA the global hub for advanced energy technologies; and “opening the doors” of the IEA to major emerging economies. These efforts have seen new governments join the IEA Family, resulting in the IEA’s share of global energy consumption rising from 40% to over 80%.

Dr Birol took up his position after rising through the ranks of the IEA over two decades. He joined as a junior analyst in the mid-1990s and rose to the position of Chief Economist responsible for the IEA’s flagship World Energy Outlook among other topics. Throughout his career, Dr Birol has pioneered and passionately supported efforts to expand access to electricity and to clean cooking technologies and fuels in Africa and beyond.

Dr Birol has been included in the TIME100, TIME’s annual list of the world’s most influential people, and named by Forbes as one of the most influential people in the world of energy. He is the recipient of numerous decorations, including the French Legion of Honour bestowed by the President of France, the Japanese Emperor’s Order of the Rising Sun, the highest Presidential decorations from Germany, Italy and Austria, the Order of the Polar Star from the King of Sweden and the highest Emirati decoration bestowed by the President of the United Arab Emirates Sheikh bin Zayed.

Prior to joining the IEA, Dr Birol worked at the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC). He earned a BSc degree in power engineering from the Technical University of Istanbul and received an MSc and PhD in energy economics from the Technical University of Vienna. He has been awarded an honorary Doctorate of Science from Imperial College London. He chairs the World Economic Forum’s (Davos) Energy Advisory Board and is an honorary life member of Galatasaray Football Club.

Brad Thompson

Brad Thompson is The Australian’s mining reporter, covering all aspects of the resources industry and based in Perth.

Daniel Price

Danny Price is the co-founder and Managing Director of Frontier Economics Pty Ltd. He is a leading expert in energy economics, and has 30+ years of experience advising governments, regulators and private firms on energy market design, energy reform and implementation, regulation, power trading and hedging, and asset sales and acquisitions. He has advised many of the world’s largest energy utilities.

Her Excellency Beatriz de la Fuente

Beatriz de la Fuente served as the Chief of the North America, Central America, and Caribbean Affairs Division at the Chilean Ministry of Foreign Affairs until December 2024. In November 2024, she was appointed Ambassador of Chile to Australia. Prior to this, she held the position of Deputy Chief of Mission at the Embassy of Chile in Washington, D.C. until June 2022. A career diplomat in the Chilean Foreign Service, she was promoted to the rank of Ambassador two and a half years ago. 

Previously, she was Chief of Staff at the General Directorate for Consular and Immigration Affairs at Chile's Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Santiago from 2015 to 2017. Before that, she was the Consul of Chile in Ottawa, Canada, from 2010 to 2015. She was the Energy and Environmental Issues Coordinator at the Foreign Ministry’s Directorate for Science, Technology, Innovation, and Energy from 2008 to 2009. She served as the Deputy Chief of Mission at the Embassy of Chile to Cuba from 2007 to 2008. Mrs. De la Fuente worked at the U.S. and Canada Desk at the Foreign Ministry after being posted to the Embassy of Chile in Washington from 2000 to 2005. She was also a Cabinet Officer at the Ministry’s General Administrative Office from 1997 to 1998. 

De la Fuente received her Master’s in International Public Policy from the Johns Hopkins University’s School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) in 2005 and a Diploma in International Relations at the International Institute for Public Administration (IIAP) in Paris, France, in 1998. She graduated top of her class from the Diplomatic Academy of Chile in 1996 after obtaining, also with honors, her Bachelor’s in Humanities and a minor in History in 1994 from the University of Chile.

Laura Helm

As the Executive Director, Regulatory Operations at Resources Victoria, Laura Helm leads a team of regulatory and technical experts who administer Victoria’s mining laws across the full exploration and mining lifecycle. 

Her team helps unlock the state’s resources while protecting public safety, health, infrastructure and the environment through licensing, approvals, bonds and compliance. 

With 18 years’ experience in law, policy and regulation, Laura is committed to timely, transparent decisions. She recently led efforts to streamline approvals and lift industry performance.

Andrew Greene

Andrew Greene has covered Federal Parliament for more than two decades. He began his career in commercial radio and while at the Seven Network was a finalist in the Walkley Young Journalist of the Year Awards. 

In 2010 he joined the ABC where he was Defence Correspondent for a decade before joining The Nightly and the West Australian. 

In 2023, Mr Greene was appointed an Adjunct Professor at The University of Canberra in the faculty of Business, Government and Law. He also spent a year reporting from Prague and speaks Czech.

Cass McCarthy

Cass McCarthy is an experienced corporate affairs specialist with a demonstrated history of working in the mining & metals industry. Skilled in Mineral Exploration, Corporate Social Responsibility, Environmental Impact Assessment, Occupational Health, and Mining. 

Cass is a strong media and communication professional with a BA Modern Asian Studies focused in International Politics & Political Science from Griffith University.

Janette Hewson

Highly regarded industry leader, Janette Hewson, is the Chief Executive Officer of the Queensland Resources Council. Janette is a born and bred Queenslander with more than 25 years’ experience in resources at a senior executive level. Her past positions include Executive Vice President, Environment, Sustainability & Governance at Santos and senior positions with global resources companies South 32 and Peabody Energy. 

Janette has served on the Climate Advisory Panel for the Minerals Council of Australia, and the Boards of the Queensland Resources Council, NSW Minerals Council and Low Emissions Technology Australia. She has a Bachelor of Laws degree from Queensland University of Technology, a Bachelor of Arts (Modern Asian Studies with a major in Japanese language) from Griffith University and is a former winner of Queensland’s Exceptional Woman in Resources award.

Louie Trajkoski

Louie Trajkoski is Senior Investment Director at NAIF, based in Brisbane. Louie leads origination and execution activities for investment opportunities across northern Australia. He works across multiple sectors including energy, tourism, manufacturing, agriculture and water. 

Early in his career Louie practiced law out of Melbourne and London, he also spent over a decade at ANZ bank in various roles in structured lending and project finance. Louie has been part of the NAIF Investment team for over seven years helping deliver key infrastructure projects across the north.

Kate Russell

Kate Russell is a proud Awabakal woman from Lake Macquarie and is committed to empowering her community. Kate draws on her extensive experience working across public and community sectors and is driven by a desire to promote opportunities for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples - making sure to approach all programs, policies and initiatives through an intersectional lens. Kate is passionate about engaging Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and communities to co-design programs and services using international best practices to make tangible changes in policy. 

Kate has spent time working at the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade in Sydney and Canberra and for the Catalan Department of Education in Spain. Her work has primarily focused on employment, education and economic empowerment. Kate returned to Australia to work in the community sector to focus on Aboriginal employment and leadership development, and eventually joined the NSW State Government in 2016. Kate’s broad expertise and experience in diversity and inclusion, organisational culture, leadership, human resources and knowledge, and project management enables her to develop programs that recognise the intersectionality of diverse experiences. 

Currently, Kate is a Director of the Committee for Sydney and the inaugural Advisory Board of the ASEAN-Australia Centre. Kate holds a Bachelor of International Studies (Distinction), an MBA and an Executive Masters of Public Administration.

Tania Constable PSM

Tania Constable PSM joined the Minerals Council of Australia in July 2018 where she is proud to promote and advocate for a strong, vibrant and innovative minerals industry in Australia.

Prior to joining the MCA, Tania was Chief Executive Officer of the CO2CRC (Collaborative Research Centre for Greenhouse Gas Technologies) a leading global research organisation testing carbon capture and storage low emission technologies in Australia.

Tania previously worked as chief advisor in the Personal and Retirement Income Division of Treasury, working on tax-related matters, and has had a long association with resources and energy, holding various senior executive roles in the Australian Government. Tania had responsibility for policy advice to the Minister for Industry on oil and gas regulation, exploration and development, and sustainable mining activities.

During this time Ms Constable also had the privlege of being the Australian Joint Commissioner and Sunrise Commissioner for Australia and Timor Leste, leading joint activities on the development of the Joint Petroleum Development Area and Greater Sunrise Project. She was awarded the Public Service Medal in 2014 for outstanding public service in the development of Australia's liquefied natural gas and other resource and energy industries.

Geraldine Slattery

Geraldine Slattery, President Australia, leads BHP’s Australia business comprising Iron Ore, Copper, Nickel, Metallurgical and Energy Coal operations in Western Australia, South Australia, Queensland and New South Wales. Prior to her current role, Geraldine was President of the BHP Petroleum business headquartered in the US with Assets across the Americas, Caribbean, Australia and North Africa. 

In her 30 years with BHP, Geraldine has progressively taken on more complex technical, commercial and business leadership roles in Australia, the UK and the Americas, establishing a reputation for creating value through empowered, safety, performance and growth-oriented teams. She also has extensive experience of working with partners, communities and governments in diverse jurisdictions. 

Geraldine began her career in project engineering roles in Europe and Australia, within the refining and pharmaceutical sectors.

Michael Mahy

Michael’s military experience in defence, national security and crisis management covers numerous command and staff roles here in Australia, and in the USA, Malaysia, East Timor, Iraq and Afghanistan. This includes appointments as the Director General Joint Plans at Australia’s Joint Operations Command and Director General Military Strategy in the Department of Defence. These strategic roles encompassed planning global Defence campaigns, operations and response options, providing foreign investment advice to Treasury, designing Defence capability requirements to guide the Defence Integrated Investment Program and the use and utility of strategic deterrence capability in areas such as space, cyber, ballistic missile defence, and undersea warfare. 

Michael has led Synergy Group Australia’s Defence advisory since leaving full-time military service 8 years ago, and provides strategic advice to national, state and territory governments and agencies, national institutions and global corporations. He specialises in the development and execution of competitive strategies that enable enterprises to successfully navigate disruptive and accelerating change. This includes extensive work on the capability and capacity of Australia to respond to complex change in its strategic circumstances.

Stuart Knowles

Stuart Knowles serves as the Territory Coordinator for the Northern Territory Government. With a distinguished career spanning both private and public sectors, Stuart brings extensive executive level experience and deep local knowledge to this pioneering position, aimed at driving economic growth and streamlining complex project approvals in the Northern Territory.

Prior to his appointment as Territory Coordinator, Stuart held the position of General Manager for the Northern Territory at INPEX’s LNG project in Darwin, where he played a key role in overseeing one of the Territory’s most significant economic contributors. His tenure at INPEX, Japan’s largest oil and gas company, saw him lead efforts toward decarbonisation and manage regulatory compliance and approvals, cementing his reputation as a seasoned industry leader. 

Before joining INPEX, Stuart worked with the NT Department of the Chief Minister, further grounding his understanding of the Territory’s governance and economic landscape. 

His earlier career also included roles in the armed forces and transportation sectors, showcasing his versatility and leadership across diverse fields. A long-time Territorian, Stuart has cultivated strong ties to the region, including serving as a director of the influential Chamber of Commerce Northern Territory. 

His appointment as the inaugural Territory Coordinator reflects his ability to bridge industry and government, a critical asset in a role designed to enable private investment and enhance the NT’s economic competitiveness. 

With a proven track record and a commitment to the Territory’s prosperity, Stuart stands as a pivotal figure in its ongoing economic transformation.

Dr Jennifer Purdie

A chemical engineer by training, Jenny has more than 30 years of global management and leadership experience spanning operational, business improvement, technology and corporate roles in the mining, energy, heavy manufacturing and infrastructure sectors. She is recognised as an authentic, caring and strong leader who demonstrates the capability to align and engage diverse stakeholders and teams, combining strategy development with execution to deliver results. 

Jenny’s previous executive roles have been as Olympic Dam and Copper SA Asset President for BHP, leading the team to deliver record performance and position the asset for growth, and as EGM, Gas Distribution at Jemena, leading the NSW gas distribution business. She has also held senior leadership positions with Adani Renewables, Rio Tinto and Alcoa and serves on the board of ASX listed Metro Mining (ASX:MMI).

The Hon Arthur Sinodinos AO

The Hon Arthur Sinodinos AO is the chairman of the US Studies Centre, former Australian Ambassador to the US and an experienced board member and corporate adviser, including on defence, national security and critical minerals. He is chairman of Hypersonix Group Holdings and an adviser to Cove Capital. He is a former Senator, Minister and Prime Ministerial Chief of Staff.

Chris Uhlmann

Chris Uhlmann is a freelance journalist who was political editor at the ABC and Nine News. His three co-authored books of political fiction were adapted into the Netflix miniseries Secret City. He has written and presented documentaries on the Ukraine war, the real cost of net zero and the dismissal of Gough Whitlam. 

He is a columnist with The Australian, a political contributor on Sky News and publishes on Substack as Powerlines.

Senator Susan McDonald

From growing up on her family’s cattle property in North-West Queensland to running a business in South-East Queensland, Susan has a deep appreciation of the issues affecting Queenslanders across the state. A qualified accountant and mum to three kids, Susan also ran a chain of butcher shops for six years, responsible for over 100 staff across five stores, before being elected to the Australian Senate for Queensland. 

Susan is based in Townsville, making her the Coalition’s northernmost Senator in Queensland.

Darren Stralow

Darren Stralow is a mining engineering graduate from the Western Australian School of Mines with over 20 years’ industry experience, predominantly in hard rock underground mining. 

He joined Bellevue in 2021 and has overseen the transition from explorer, to developer, and now to producer with one of Western Australia’s newest, large scale, high-grade, underground mining operations.

Dr Huw McKay

Dr Huw McKay is a Visiting Fellow in the Crawford School of Public Policy at the ANU, and Founder of Dark Matter Advisory, a boutique strategy and foresight firm. He is an economist and historian by training. His research is centred on the concept of the “quadrilemma” – the simultaneous pursuit of prosperity, populism, rivalry and the energy transformation. His advice and counsel are widely sought by multinational companies, governments, and the investment community, and he is a regular commentator on major issues in public policy, financial markets and the real economy. Prior to his current roles, he spent eight years as Vice President of Market Analysis and Economics [Chief Economist] at BHP, the world’s largest mining company, based in Singapore. He has also practiced in finance, government, think tanks and academia, and served on the Chief Economists council of the World Economic Forum. Huw has an exceptional forecasting track record established over 25 years of professional experience, spread across a broad range of themes and encapsulating time horizons from the very short term to as far out as 2100. 

He is the author of The Strategic Logic of China’s Economy, published recently by Springer, and he is also the discover of the “Kuznets Curve for Steel”, which is a non-linear relationship between economic development and steel demand per capita. 

Huw has a PhD in Economics and History from the Australian National University and a Bachelor of Economics (1st Class, University Medal) from the University of Sydney.

Mike Kaiser

Mike Kaiser was appointed Secretary of the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water with effect from 14 July 2025. 

Mike’s most recent position was Director-General of the Queensland Department of the Premier and Cabinet, where he led the Queensland public service. Prior to that, Mike was the Queensland Coordinator-General, and Director-General of the Departments of Resources, and State Development, Infrastructure, Local Government and Planning. Mike also has experiences in politics, last as a Chief of Staff to the Premiers of Queensland and New South Wales. Mike has a reputation for authenticity, candour, pragmatism and values the role of the public sector in society. 

In the private sector, Mike was a partner at KPMG where he contributed to the Queensland COVID-19 Taskforce Economic Recovery Plan. Mike was also an executive at NBN Co leading the business change and improvement function to enhance customer satisfaction. 

Mike holds qualifications in electrical engineering, economics, and a Graduate Certificate in Management, from the University of Queensland.

Dr Florian Anderhuber

Dr Florian Anderhuber has gathered extensive experience in EU public affairs, both from a corporate and an association angle and within the EU institutions. Prior to his engagement in Euromines, Dr Anderhuber headed the office of Aurubis. 

In his capacity as Director for Energy, Climate and Sustainability for Euromines, he is also responsible for sustainability matters such as Sustainable Finance and sustainability reporting, addressing EU mining causes in various EU Expert Groups and at OECD level.

María Eulalia Silva

María assumed the Executive Presidency of the Ecuadorian Chamber of Mining in 2020. Before taking on this responsibility, she led the Communications Department at Ecuador’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. 

Since assuming the presidency, she has also become a spokesperson for Ecuador’s mining industry, both nationally and internationally, contributing to positioning the sector within public dialogue and global conversations. She has worked to give voice and visibility to an industry that had previously remained largely absent from mainstream discussion. 

With more than twenty years of experience in the media, she directed, produced, and hosted several educational and scientific television and radio programs, many of which aired in prime time. Among them are “Mitos y Verdades,” “Día a Día,” “Futuro Incierto,” “30 Plus,” and “La Televisión.” 

She has managed edu-communication projects for universities, various industries, and organizations, and has been a columnist for publications such as El Telégrafo, Revista Cosas, Revista Clave, and Mundo Diners. 

She is passionate about mining because she understands its strategic importance for Ecuador’s future and believes the country has the potential to become a key and reliable supplier of critical minerals in the global energy transition. 

She is passionate about music, writing, traveling, and continuous learning — and is a proud mother of three.

Michael Hudson

Michael Hudson is a professional geologist and entrepreneur with over 30 years' experience across six countries and four continents. He is the founder and Managing Director of Southern Cross Gold Consolidated Ltd (ASX: SX2, TSX: SXGC), advancing the Sunday Creek Gold-Antimony Project in Victoria, Australia — one of the most significant gold-antimony discoveries in the Western world. Under his leadership, the company has grown from a single-person grassroots explorer to a $2.5 billion market capitalisation. 

Michael graduated with First Class Honours in Geology from the University of Melbourne and has been integral to multiple significant mineral discoveries, including Portia (gold, South Australia), Duddar (lead-zinc, Pakistan), Norra Kärr (rare earths, Sweden), Rajapalot (gold-cobalt, Finland), and Sunday Creek. He has raised over US$500 million for exploration and development throughout his career and founded several public mining companies, including Hannan Metals Ltd. 

A fifth-generation Victorian with deep roots in the Sunday Creek region, Michael is a Fellow of the AusIMM, a Member of the SEG, and a Member of the AIG.

Ambassador Kazuhiro Suzuki

Ambassador Kazuhiro Suzuki was appointed as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Japan to Australia in March 2023. Preceding this assignment, he was Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Japan to the Republic of Turkey from October 2020 to April 2023. 

He began his career in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan in 1986. During his time in the Foreign Ministry, he has held a variety of positions, including Principal Deputy Director in charge of the Korean Peninsula, and Senior Coordinator in the Foreign Policy Bureau. One of his overseas postings was as a Political Counsellor at the Embassy of Japan in the People’s Republic of China from 2004 to 2007. From August 2007 to October 2013, he served as Director for Japan-U.S. Security Affairs, Director for Embassy and Consulate Management, and Director of Aid Policy and Management for the International Cooperation Bureau. He served as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Japan to Ethiopia and Permanent Representative of Japan to the African Union from December 2013 until September 2016, simultaneously acting as the Co-Chairman of the African Union Partners Group in the diplomatic corps of Addis Ababa.

From September 2016 to January 2018, he served as Minister for Economic Affairs at the Embassy of Japan in Washington D.C. From January 2018 to July 2020, he was Assistant Minister/Director-General of the North American Affairs Bureau of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. 

He holds a Bachelor of International Relations from the University of Tokyo, a Master in Political Science from Stanford University and Master of International Affairs from Columbia University.

Veronika Shime

Veronika Shime is a skilled, solutions oriented and enthusiastic industry strategist with over 20 years of global experience in the mining sector including multi-stakeholder engagements, international relations, trade policy and Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) challenges and leadership. 

Veronika has demonstrated expertise working at all levels to ensure positive mining outcomes and continued sustainable development of our communities and natural resources.

Senator Pauline Hanson

For more than 25 years, Pauline Hanson has been one of Australia’s most recognisable political leaders. She exploded upon the national political scene with her landmark maiden speech to Parliament after she was elected to represent the Queensland Federal seat of Oxley, the first ever woman to be elected as an independent to the House of Representatives. 

Pauline is a proud Queenslander born in Brisbane, and a proud Australian. She’s a devoted mother with four children and six grandchildren. Before she entered Federal politics, she ran a potato chip processing business, a plumbing business and then a fish-and-chip shop while also being a primary producer with cattle. She first held public office as a councillor on the Ipswich City Council before she stood for election in Oxley. 

Pauline is passionate about all Australians being empowered to rise above adversity and enjoy the many opportunities which come with living, learning and working in this great nation.

Sarah Withell

Sarah Withell is a seasoned executive leader with over 25 years of experience in health, safety, and environmental (HSE) management across Australia’s mining and resources sector. Currently serving as the Executive General Manager – Health, Safety and Environment at Whitehaven Coal, Sarah has been instrumental in elevating HSE performance to the executive level, driving strategic change including the doubling the size of the business, and embedding governance frameworks that have led to measurable improvements in safety and environmental outcomes. 

Her leadership has resulted in a 25% reduction in total recordable injury frequency (TRIF), reduction in serious incidents and the elimination of environmental enforcement actions across Whitehaven. She has also championed biodiversity initiatives, securing over 10,000 hectares of land for conservation, and has played a pivotal role in promoting inclusion and diversity through national mentoring programs. 

Prior to her current role, Sarah held senior HSE positions at BHP, Peabody and Rio Tinto where she led high-performing teams, developed innovative risk management systems, and secured major environmental approvals. Her work has been recognized with multiple industry awards, including the 2020 Women in Industry – Excellence in Mining and the 2019 NSW Exceptional Woman in Mining. 

Sarah is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and holds a Master of Engineering Science and a Bachelor of Science. She actively contributes to industry advancement through her roles on government advisory panels, conference committees, and judging panels for national awards. 

Sarah brings a wealth of knowledge, strategic insight, and a collaborative approach to every forum, making her a compelling speaker on leadership, sustainability, and the future of mining communities.

Mayor Kelly Vea Vea

Kelly Vea Vea has served on the Isaac Regional Council since 2012 and was elected unopposed as Mayor in 2024. She has spent most of her life in Bowen Basin coal communities and her family has been in the Australian mining industry for four generations. 

Isaac is the largest resource council in Queensland, home to more than 30 operating coal mines. Kelly has previously successfully lobbied the Queensland Government to legislate Social Impact Assessments for new mine developments, and she continues to work with state government and mining companies to ensure local communities’ benefit from the mining industry and there’s a shared understanding of the social licence to operate.

Hon Madeleine King MP

Madeleine King has been the Federal Member for Brand since 2016, proudly representing the wonderful region where she was born and raised. In 2019, she was promoted to the role of Shadow Minister for Trade. After the 2022 election, she was promoted to the roles of Minister for Resources; Minister for Northern Australia. 

Madeleine grew up in Shoalwater. Her father worked at BP’s Kwinana oil refinery and her mother and grandmother ran a popular drapery store, The Family Traders, on Railway Terrace, Rockingham. After graduating from Safety Bay Senior High School, she moved to Perth to attend university, where she graduated with a law degree. 

In her leadership of the Perth USAsia Centre, she helped to bring a unique Western Australian perspective to the international discussion on Australia’s role in the emerging Indo-Pacific region. 

As Member for Brand, she is building on the important work of Gary Gray, Kim Beazley and Wendy Fatin. Her priority is to ensure the people of Brand are given a strong voice in Canberra. 

Madeleine believes in opportunities for people to improve their lives through job opportunities, quality education and training, universal healthcare and access to affordable childcare. She believes those less fortunate deserve respect and dignity. She wants to see a strong and resilient economy that rewards enterprise and hard work, but is also based on fairness for everyday people.

Pierre Gratton

Pierre Gratton was appointed President and CEO of the Mining Association of Canada (MAC) on June 1, 2011. Based in Ottawa, MAC is the national organization for the Canadian mining industry. Its members are engaged in mineral exploration, mining, smelting, refining and semi-fabrication. 

Prior to his appointment to MAC, Pierre was President and CEO of the Mining Association of British Columbia (MABC). From 1999-2008, he served as Vice President, Sustainable Development and Public Affairs for the Mining Association of Canada (MAC). In this capacity, he was instrumental in the development of Towards Sustainable Mining, MAC’s flagship program that is gaining international recognition and adoption. In 2005-06, Pierre was honoured as a Distinguished Lecturer for the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum (CIM). 

Pierre is First Vice-President of the Interamerican Mining Society (SIM – Sociedad Interamericana de Mineria). A board member and former Chair of the Canadian Mining Hall of Fame, he is Co-chair of the Green Mining Initiative Advisory Committee, sits on Minister’s Advisory Council on Impact Assessment and serves on the Board of Ottawa’s Thirteen Strings Chamber Orchestra. 

Pierre holds an M.A. degree in political science, a B.A. from McGill University, and a third-degree black belt in Karate.

Amanda Lacaze

Amanda Lacaze was appointed Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Company on 25 June 2014 following her appointment as a Non-Executive Director of the Company on 1 January 2014. 

Amanda brings more than 25 years of senior operational experience to Lynas, including as Chief Executive Officer of Commander Communications, Executive Chairman of Orion Telecommunications and Chief Executive Officer of AOL|7. Prior to that, she was Managing Director of Marketing at Telstra and held various business management roles at ICI Australia (now Orica and Incitec Pivot). Amanda's early experience was in consumer goods with Nestle. 

Amanda is currently a board member of the Minerals Council of Australia and a member of Chief Executive Women and the Australian Institute of Company Directors. She holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree from the University of Queensland and postgraduate Diploma in Marketing from the Australian Graduate School of Management.

Joshua Kroon

Joshua Kroon is the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Textiles, Consumer Goods, Materials, Critical Minerals & Metals at the U.S. Department of Commerce’s International Trade Administration, where he leads U.S. policy and industry engagement across strategic industrial sectors vital to America’s economic and national security. In this role, he advances domestic and allied competitiveness in critical minerals and metals, strengthens trade and investment partnerships, and works to ensure secure, diversified, and resilient supply chains for key manufacturing inputs. 

Prior to his appointment, Joshua served as Senior Director of Public Affairs at SAFE (Securing America’s Future Energy), where he led national communications strategies focused on energy security, critical minerals, and industrial resilience. He positioned SAFE as a premier voice in shaping public and policy discourse around domestic mining, supply chain independence, and the energy technologies of the future. 

Joshua’s background spans strategic communications, institutional investment, and national security. As Executive Vice President at Allison (Stagwell), he advised global corporations on geopolitical risk, reputational strategy, and executive positioning. Earlier, he managed assets for institutional clients at UBS, designing long-term investment strategies for pension funds, foundations, and corporations.

A U.S. Army Special Forces veteran, Joshua brings operational experience from deployments across Europe, Asia, the Middle East, and Africa. He holds advanced degrees from Columbia University and Nova Southeastern University and has been recognized for leadership in both public and private sector roles.

Vanessa Torres

Vanessa Torres is a global chief executive with a track record of driving business transformation and growth. Her experience includes strategy, operations, M&A, greenfield development, project delivery, and innovation along the value chain. She has led large teams at global organisations (BHP, Vale, and South32) in four continents and across multiple commodities, including base metals, critical minerals, bulk commodities, and gold. In addition to her executive roles, she has been a non-executive director for the last 20 years in not-for-profit, membership and government organisations. She is currently Chair of the Minerals Research Institute of Western Australia and a Director of the Committee for Economic Development of Australia and a Director of the Minerals Council of Australia.

Darryl Cuzzubbo

Darryl Cuzzubbo is the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Arafura Rare Earths. Mr Cuzzubbo has more than 30 years of experience in the global resources industry. Previous roles have included President of Olympic Dam, one of BHP’s most strategic mining and processing assets in Australia, and Group Executive and President of Auspac Asia at Orica, one of the world’s leading mining and infrastructure solutions provider. Throughout his extensive career he has been focused on delivering complex technical processing infrastructure and projects to commercial production and organisation-wide transformational change programs. Mr Cuzzubbo has a degree in Mechanical Engineering, two master’s degrees and is a member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

Sarah Watson

Sarah Watson is an accomplished environmental and sustainability professional with extensive experience in project approvals, impact assessments, feasibility and development studies, mine closure planning, and stakeholder engagement. She holds professional qualifications in environmental science and water resources management and has provided strategic leadership on major mining and infrastructure projects across Australia, Papua New Guinea, and the United Kingdom. During her 17-year tenure with Harmony, Sarah has been instrumental in advancing both operating and growth assets within the company’s Australasian portfolio.

Jennifer Hewett

Jennifer Hewett is the National Affairs Columnist for the Australian Financial Review. She writes a daily column usually focused on business and politics. 

She is a former US foreign correspondent and has worked for a range of Australian publications and also appears regularly on tv and radio. Originally from Perth, she divides her time between Sydney and Melbourne.

Cameron Mitchell

Cameron Mitchell joined ANZ in 2021 to set up and manage the bank’s geopolitical risk function. In this role he coordinates the production of tailored geopolitical risk assessments and advises the board, management and clients. He assists enterprise-wide geopolitical risk management by supporting portfolio and exposure reviews, stress tests, and crisis and response planning.

He is also an invited member of the National Security College Futures Council within the Australian National University and lectures on the theory and application of geoeconomics. 

Previously, Cameron worked for HSBC in Hong Kong and London, where he was Global Head of Geopolitical Risk.

Prof James Curran

James Curran is Professor of Modern History at Sydney University and a foreign affairs columnist for the Australian Financial Review, where he was also International editor from 2023-25. James has written for major US foreign policy journals such as Foreign Affairs, Diplomatic History, The National Interest and Foreign Policy. In 2025 he delivered one of the ABC Boyer lectures. His study of Paul Keating's foreign policy will be published later this year. 

James is a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Social Sciences, a Fellow of the Australian Institute of International Affairs and previously held the Keith Cameron Chair in Australian history at University College Dublin. He was a Fulbright Scholar at Georgetown University in Washington DC and before academia worked in the Prime Minister's Department and the Office of National Assessments.

Elsabe Muller

Elsabe Muller joined Alcoa in October 2024 in the role of Vice President of Operations – Australia and President Alcoa Australia. Based in Perth, she leads Alcoa’s Australian operations as a key member of the global operations leadership team. 

Elsabe has 32 years of international experience within the resources industry, spanning four continents and across six commodities, including aluminium, iron ore, nickel, energy coal and metallurgical coal. 

Elsabe has a wealth of experience and broad knowledge having held various roles during her time with BHP, including Asset President for BMC and NSW Energy Coal mines; General Manager roles in WA Iron Ore, General Manager Marketing based in Singapore, and various roles within the aluminium business at the start of her career. Most recently Elsabe held the role of Group HSE Officer where she has been responsible for the strategic direction of Health, Safety & Security, and Environment for BHP globally. 

Elsabe has a Bachelor of Science from Northwest University, South Africa, and an MBA from Heriot Watt University (Edinburgh Business School). 

Michael Stutchbury

Michael Stutchbury is the Executive Director of the Centre for Independent Studies (CIS). He is the former Editor-in-Chief of The Australian Financial Review, a role he held from 2011 until 2024, when he became the masthead’s Editor-at-Large. With a career in journalism spanning several decades, and including a stint as a Washington correspondent, he is widely respected for his expertise in economic and public policy issues and his engagement with business issues. 

Before leading the Financial Review, he served as Economics Editor and later as Editor of The Australian, where he played a key role in shaping national discourse on fiscal policy, industrial relations, and economic reform.