Alison has over 25 years of experience in institutional banking and project finance with a focus on the resources sector. Alison is currently Director, Investment at the Northern Australia Infrastructure Facility. She is primarily involved in structuring and executing transactions in the resources, energy, social infrastructure and other sectors in NAIF’s jurisdiction of northern Australia.

Prior to joining NAIF in 2022, Alison spent 20 years at ANZ in the Resources, Energy and Infrastructure team in Melbourne, Sydney and Perth.

Associate Professor at Edith Cowan University, Board Director of the Membrane Society of Australasia, and founder and leader of ECU's Mineral Recovery Research Centre (MRRC). With a diverse, multi-industry background spanning surface engineering, critical mineral extraction (e.g., lithium, rubidium, high-purity alumina), membranes, and sensors, he has published over 210 articles (h-index 56, Citations: 12,000 on Google Scholar, March 2025) and secured significant research funding exceeding $15.4 million ($7.95 million as lead CI), including a $0.5 million Minerals Research Institute of Western Australia (MRIWA) strategic fund for lithium extraction in WA (resulting in 2 patents applications) and a recent $6.4 million CRC-P grant using membrane technology for high purity alumina production. Recognized with awards including the 2023 WA FHRI Fund Innovation Fellowship, 2023 MSA Industry Innovation Award, 2024 ECU Vice-Chancellor's Staff Excellence Award for Excellence in Research, and the 2021 UTS Chancellor Research Fellowship, he has supervised over 40 HDR students. He holds editorial board roles in prominent journals such as Desalination, DWT, and JWPE. He was announced as a Finalist in the Australian Museum's Eureka Awards due to his contribution to desalination using hydrogel-assisted FO technology (2014, ANSTO Eureka Prize for Innovative Use of Technology).

Benjamin (Ben) Lindsey is Alcoa’s Vice President of Global Marketing & Commercial Excellence. In this role, Ben leads global marketing activities, including oversight of our proprietary market views, development of our go-to-market strategies and drives commercial excellence, positioning the company for growth. Prior to this role, he held various positions in Alcoa’s corporate strategic planning and commercial groups, most recently holding the position of Vice President of Bauxite & Alumina Sales & Trading.

He began his career at Alcoa Inc. in 2013 in business development for the Alcoa Defense business.

Prior to joining Alcoa, he held product development roles at Dick’s Sporting Goods where he held category P&L and product life cycle responsibilities for private label golf equipment and components. He holds a patent for the ornamental design for a channel for a golf club head.

He began his career in 2010 at a subsidiary of JP Morgan where he held various back office, market-making and trading responsibilities. He also served as an intern for United States Senators George Voinovich (Ohio) and Sherrod Brown (Ohio).

He earned his bachelor’s of science in business from Miami University, with focuses on finance and marketing. He was also a member of the varsity golf team.

Charles joined RCF in 2013. Previously, he co-founded Jolimont Capital with Lex McArthur, where they both worked together from 2003 through 2012 to complete 30 technology investments. Charles, alongside Lex McArthur and Lyle Bruce, created the mining innovation strategy. Charles has 21 years of private equity experience working with management teams on financings, restructurings, and marketing. Prior roles include membership of investment committees, consulting, marketing, board roles and corporate advisory work.

Chung is a mining executive and strategic planning leader with over 18 years of experience across the mining and metals sector. He has held senior roles with organisations including Rio Tinto, Fortescue Metals Group, Mineral Resources, and Iluka, working across commodities such as iron ore, lithium, mineral sands, and rare earths.

With an Executive MBA from the University of Sydney, a Master’s in Mining Engineering from UNSW, and an Honours degree in Civil Engineering from UWA, Chung combines deep technical expertise with strong commercial and strategic insight. He is known for delivering integrated mine plans that improve performance, reduce costs, and support long‑term business resilience.

Currently, Chung is Group Manager of Mine Planning at Gold Valley, where he leads integrated planning initiatives, embeds AI‑driven decision‑making, and builds systems that unlock value while strengthening operational sustainability.

Elizabeth Imbert is a highly experienced health, safety, and sustainability leader with over 12 years in mining operations and construction. Currently serving as HSS Technical Manager for Minerals Australia Projects, Elizabeth has a proven track record in building high-performing teams and delivering strategic health and safety initiatives in complex change environments.

Her expertise spans human and organisational performance, psychosocial safety, and embedding wellbeing into mining culture. Elizabeth has led major integration projects, overseen safety strategies for multi-billion-dollar developments, and driven initiatives that improve safety culture and diversity across the sector.

Glenton is an experienced climate strategist with nearly 20 years’ experience in environmental and climate science across government, consulting and the mining and resources sector in both Australia and around the world. He specialises in climate strategy design, carbon management, decarbonisation pathways, energy efficiency and climate risk management. Glenton leads the climate action portfolio for PLS, collaborating across the company to champion the climate change strategy and drive meaningful, long term decarbonisation efforts.

Julie Sunday (BSc Hons [Integrated Science], Carleton University, 1996; MA [Geography], McMaster University, 1999; PhD [Political Anthropology], McMaster University’s Institute on Globalization and the Human Condition, 2005) joined the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade in 2005. She has served at 2 of Canada’s central agencies—the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat and the Privy Council Office—and was director general of Clean Technology Innovation at Natural Resources Canada. At Global Affairs Canada, she has served as director for science, technology and innovation; director general and adviser to the chief financial officer; director general, security and emergency management, and chief security officer; and director general for pandemic response, a role in which she led the department’s COVID-19 vaccine distribution campaign. Most recently, she served as assistant deputy minister for the Consular, Security and Emergency Management Branch and led Canada’s consular policy and operations; travel advice; and international emergency policy, operations and response. She also spearheaded efforts to advance the Canada-led Declaration Against Arbitrary Detention in State-to-State Relations. Julie was named Canada’s first senior official for hostage affairs in October 2023 and has led diplomatic engagement to support the release of hostages abroad.

Helge Janicke, Professor of Cyber Security in ECU School of Science, is also Deputy CEO and Research Director of the Cyber Security Cooperative Research Centre, Australia. He holds a visiting Professorship in Cyber Security at De Montfort University, UK. Prof. Janicke’s research interests are in the area of cyber security, in particular with applications in critical infrastructures using cyber-physical systems, SCADA and Industrial Control Systems. Prof. Janicke’s current research investigates the application of Agile Techniques to Cyber Incident Response in Critical Infrastructure, Managing Human Errors that lead to Cyber Incidents, and research on Cyber warfare & Cyber peacekeeping. Prof. Janicke established DMU’s Cyber Technology Institute and its Airbus Centre of Excellence in SCADA Cyber Security and Forensics Research. He has been the Head of School of Computer Science at De Montfort University UK, before taking up his current position as Research Director for the Cyber Security Cooperative Research Centre. Prof. Janicke founded the International Symposium on Industrial Control System Cyber Security Research (ICS-CSR) and contributed over 150 peer reviewed articles and conference papers to the field that resulted from his collaborative research with industry partners such as Airbus, BT, Deloitte, Rolls-Royce, QinetiQ, and General-Dynamics.

Joshua Smith has years of experience in the resources media sector, having worked as a markets reporter, features writer, and editor for various publications since completing a Journalism degree and a Creative Writing degree at Edith Cowan University. Josh is an avid board game enthusiast and a self-professed coffee snob.

Ms Bylund joined Pilbara Ports in March 2010, serving in property and commercial management roles before being appointed Director Commercial from October 2017. In June 2020 she was appointed Managing Director - Hedland Maritime Initiative, before taking on the role of Executive General Manager Customer and Strategy in July 2023. Ms Bylund has extensive experience in commercial management and corporate governance, and the maritime industry, including critical infrastructure and service provider projects. In her current role Ms Bylund’s responsibilities include customer relationships, strategy, sustainability, critical port services, and Hedland Maritime Initiative

Lauren McGregor is an Investment Director at the National Reconstruction Fund Corporation (NRFC), which manages a $15 billion Australian Government mandate to drive industry transformation across priority sectors, including resources. With two decades of experience in institutional banking, project finance and private equity, she focuses on backing complex, capital-intensive projects and advancing mining technology and innovation to strengthen Australia’s resource value chain.

Luca Giacovazzi is the Chief Executive Officer of Wyloo, which manages a diverse portfolio of production assets, projects, exploration growth opportunities and cornerstone investments in Australia and Canada. In early 2022, Wyloo acquired Canadian-based Noront Resources and its world-class nickel-copper-platinum-palladium Eagle’s Nest project and large-scale chromite resource. In 2023 Wyloo acquired Mincor Resources, a nickel producer in Western Australia’s prolific Kambalda region delivering 15 thousand tonnes of nickel from its Cassini and Northern Operations mines per year. The company also plans to develop downstream processing facilities in Kwinana, Western Australia and Ontario, Canada. Luca is committed to enabling a safe supply of high-grade critical materials, from extraction to processing, using the highest standards of environmental sustainability
and in partnership with local and First Nation communities. Luca was previously at Credit Suisse, where he successfully completed numerous
metals and mining transactions in Australia and internationally. He holds a Bachelor of Commerce (Chartered Accounting) from the University of
Johannesburg, a Master of Management from the University of Sydney and a Master of International Management from the London School of Economics (CEMS).

Mark is the Managing Partner of Orion Industrial Ventures (OIV), a venture capital offering focused on technologies to enable a sustainable and economic supply of critical minerals, materials and new energy solutions. OIV sits within the Orion Resource Group, an $8 billion private markets fund manager that provides investment solutions for metals and materials requires for sustainable economic growth. Prior to joining Orion, Mark was Head of BHP Ventures, where he led the initial design, establishment and scale-out of BHP Ventures’ investment platform and portfolio.

As a Director in the Institutional division of Export Finance Australia, Mat works with customers across all domestic sectors, including natural resources and critical minerals to support Australian exports and export supply chains. The Institutional Division is responsible for the origination, execution, and delivery of financing solutions to support export-related and infrastructure projects.

The team also supports the Australian government to meet strategic initiatives and targeted objectives, including the critical minerals sector.

Mat has nearly a decade’s experience across project finance, institutional and corporate banking, covering a range of industries include mining, mining services, diversified industries, healthcare, professional services and retail.

Mat holds a Bachelor’s degree in Geology from UWA and is in the process of completing a Masters degree in Data Science at Deakin University.

Namali is the Managing Director of the recently formed Critical Minerals Association of Australia. Previously, Namali led on the critical minerals agenda for the Australian Trade and Investment Commission (Austrade) in London where she worked with UK and Australian critical minerals stakeholders, on behalf of the Australian Government.

Namali is a former Australian diplomat and trade negotiator, covering the trade, industry, resource and climate portfolios during her posting at the Australian High Commission in London. After her posting, Namali was appointed Group Head of International Relations at Prudential plc UK in London where she managed the Group's trade and international agenda across the ASEAN region. Following Brexit, Namali was the Trade Advisor to Make UK (the UK’s largest manufacturing industry body) where she worked with UK manufacturers on supply chain and trade strategies for Brexit-readiness.

Rick began his career 47 years ago in 1974 in the securities business and has been involved in it ever since. He is known for his expertise in many resource sectors, including agriculture, alternative energy, forestry, oil and gas, mining, and water. Mr. Rule is actively engaged in private placement markets, through originating and participating in hundreds of debt and equity transactions.

Robert Wilson is Head of Western Australia and Resources at the Clean Energy Finance Corporation, working to accelerate the development of clean energy investment opportunities in Western Australia.

Robert has extensive experience throughout the business investment cycle, from concept through to operations, as well as mergers and acquisitions, advisory and commercial experience across the renewables, infrastructure and resources sectors. Robert has held leadership positions in the Macquarie Capital’s African infrastructure business and Atlas Iron, and worked on the establishment of Climate Investor One, a European climate fund focused on emerging markets. Robert holds a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering, and an MBA from the University of Cape Town.

Rob joined RCF in 2014 as Chief Commodities Strategist. He provides a macro and micro level perspective on the factors that impact RCF’s underlying fund performance. This cross-fund role contributes to RCF’s commodity market insight and how investment decisions create value for investors. Prior to joining RCF, Rob held a variety of economic, strategy, risk, valuation and finance roles at PwC and Merrill Lynch.

Samantha Langley has more than 20 years' experience in the mining, energy and resources sector, with expertise in environmental and sustainability management, operational compliance and reporting, climate change action planning and decarbonisation project delivery across complex mining and mineral processing value chains. Prior to joining Vulcan Energy as its Head of Sustainability, Ms Langley was Superintendent of Asset Decarbonisation at BHP Nickel West.

She has been publicly recognised for her leadership in sustainability and has been the recipient of the 2023 Chamber of Minerals and Energy WA Women in Resources Technological Innovation Award, and was a finalist in the 2023 National Minerals Council of Australia Women in Mining and Resources Awards. Ms Langley holds a Bachelor of Science (Environmental Science) from Murdoch University and postgraduate qualifications in occupational health and safety.

Steve Davis is the Sales Director at Delta Electronics Australia, based in the Greater Sydney Area. He has a rich background in power electronics, with three decades of experience, including 25 years within the telecommunications sector. His role involves providing innovative, clean, and energy-efficient solutions for various industries. Steve Davis is known for his leadership and has held senior roles throughout his career.