Speakers

Andrew Bailey

Andrew Bailey is currently Chief Executive Officer of MinEx CRC, which he led through the bid process and has been CEO since inception in 2018. Andrew holds a Masters Degree in Geology and an MBA from Deakin University, and is a Fellow of the Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy.

Andrew is a geologist with experience across exploration, mining and research coordination, both in Australia and abroad. He has worked for Major and Junior companies and has explored successfully for numerous commodities and in many countries.

Ivan Belousov

Ivan Belousov is a Senior Research Fellow in Mineralogy and Geochemistry at the Centre for Ore Deposit and Earth Sciences (CODES) at University of Tasmania. He is interested in the fields related to Laser Ablation ICP-MS (LA-ICP-MS), ore deposits geochemistry as well as origin and evolution of magmas. He has been part of CODES Analytical Laboratories since 2013 and is currently a Leader of CODES Program 5: Analytical Research.

Simon Bolster

Simon is a geoscientist specialising in regolith, geochemistry and remote sensing with over 35 years’ experience in the gold industry, working in 30 countries across 5 continents. He has worked for several major mining companies, including Normandy, Anglo American and Newmont, where he held the roles of Consulting Geochemist and Global Manager Remote Sensing.

He has been Head of Exploration for a successful explorer in West Africa, managing teams that resulted in new economic gold discoveries at a number of projects.

Simon is a co-founder and Managing Director of Perth based Portable PPB which has completed the R&D and commercialisation of the game changing patented detectORETM low level gold by pXRF technique, that enables gold explorers to discover, define and mine gold faster and smarter.

Vaughan Chamberlain

Vaughan Chamberlain is an experienced senior executive with a demonstrated history of working in the mining & metals industry. Hhe is skilled in Mineral Exploration, Geology, Sampling, Geostatistics, Mining, Geometallurgy and Metallurgy.

Vaughan has an Honours in Geology (BSc Hons) from the University of Kwa Zulu Natal and a Master of Engineering (MEng) focused on Mining from University of the Witwatersrand.

Mike Christie

Mike is currently Exploration Director at First Quantum Minerals and has been closely involved in an exciting period of growth over the last 17 years assisting the company to take advantage of a raft of exploration, development and acquisition opportunities.

Marina Costelloe

Marina Costelloe is the Mineral Systems Branch Head of at Geoscience Australia and currently leads the minerals component of the $3.4 billion Resourcing Australia’s Prosperity Initiative.

Marina has a B.Sc. and a Grad. Dip. Sci. in Geology and Geophysics from the University of Sydney and a M.Sc. from James Cook University in Mine Site Rehabilitation (2004).

Marina joined Geoscience Australia in 2007 as a senior exploration geophysicist and has worked in areas as diverse as mineral exploration, groundwater, critical infrastructure, data science, earthquake monitoring and has contributed to international nuclear monitoring and space weather. In 2018,

Marina was the President of the Australian Society of Exploration Geophysics (ASEG). Marina is passionate about diversity and inclusion and is the current Secretary of the Australian Geological Society’s Geoscience Indigenous Collaboration and Engagement Specialist Group.

Shauna Edmond

Shauna Edmond is a passionate and experienced geologist with a deep commitment to exploring the Earth’s natural systems.

With a background in Production Geologsy, Shauna brings a wealth of expertise in analyzing geological formations, conducting fieldwork, and utilizing advanced scientific tools to uncover valuable insights. Her work blends a strong technical foundation with a dedication to sustainability, providing impactful solutions for the energy, environmental, and natural resource sectors.

Shauna thrives in collaborative environments and is driven by a desire to contribute to the understanding and preservation of our planet’s dynamic processes.

Jonti Horner

Jonti first became interested in astronomy at the age of five, after seeing the BBC TV programme ‘The Sky at Night’. To pursue his dream of turning his hobby into a career, Jonti studied for a Masters’ degree in Physics and Astronomy at the University of Durham, before moving to the University of Oxford to undertake his doctoral studies. Once his PhD was complete, Jonti worked as a research fellow at the University of Bern and the UK’s Open University before moving to Australia in 2010 to work at UNSW.

In 2014, he moved to Toowoomba, to join the University of Southern Queensland, where he is now Professor of Astrophysics. His research ranges from the study of our Solar system to the search for planets orbiting other stars. He is particularly interested in understanding the various factors that will affect whether the planets we discover are suitable as targets for the search for life beyond the Earth.

Jonti is regularly interviewed by national and international media, talking about the latest news on Astronomy and Space research, and has appeared in Australian documentaries and a variety of international podcasts. In 2023, the International Astronomical Union (IAU) chose to name an asteroid after him: (32520) Jontihorner – a small and unusually reflective object moving near the middle of the Asteroid belt.

Linda Iaccheri

Linda Iaccheri started her career in Italy with her MSc project on VMS ore petrology at the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia in 2000. She expanded her solid multidisciplinary background by collecting work experiences in geotechnical engineering, mineral exploration, geochemistry, and mining geology in Italy, Germany, Australia, and South Africa. In 2017, upon completion of her PhD at the University of Western Australia (UWA, CET, Perth), she relocated to South Africa to set up a brand-new state-of-the-art isotope geochemistry laboratory at Wits School of Geosciences, a unique isotope facility on the African continent.

Since 2021, Linda has been a Senior Lecturer in Mining Geology at Wits University and uses geochemistry and mineralogy for a better understanding of the formation of ore deposits and the definition of new targets in mineral exploration. She is currently involved in projects in South Africa, Zimbabwe, Zambia, and Angola, unravelling structurally controlled gold and copper deposits.

She is passionate about training and mentoring the next generation of geoscientists. She takes advantage of any opportunity to spend time in the field and look at rocks.

Richard Inglis

Richard is a seasoned professional with over 30 years of global experience in exploration and mining. Renowned for his expertise in geological mapping, QAQC, mineral exploration, and geological modelling,

Richard excels in leading innovative projects and implementing cutting-edge solutions. Driven by a passion for learning and a commitment to advancing our understanding of ore systems, he continues to make significant contributions to the field.

Mark Jessell

Mark Jessell is a Professor at the Centre for Exploration Targeting, School of Earth and Oceans at The University of Western Australia.

His scientific interests revolve around the integration of geology and geophysics in 3D (the Loop project), the tectonics and metallogenesis of the West African and Guyanese Cratons (WAXI & SAXI) and microstructure studies (the Elle platform). He returned to Australia from France on a Western Australian Fellowship focused on improving the links between geological and geophysical data analysis in 3D via analysis of the geological and topological uncertainty.

He is a director of the not-for-profit Agate Project Ltd which supports higher education in the Earth Sciences in Africa, and of the not-for-profit Loop3D Foundation which supports the research, development, maintenance, and training of software that concerns 3D geological sub-surface modelling software.

Jessica Keast

Jessica Keast is the CEO of Prospectors, and the driving force behind industry-leading brands Casper and CoreSafe – helping mining operations worldwide to protect, catalogue, and care for their most valuable asset – their core.

With 12+ years in the mining game, she’s part innovator, part connector, and full-time champion of geoscience. She’s the heart behind GeoHug, hosting 330+ sessions (and counting) that have brought the global geo community together to share stories and spark ideas that shape our industry’s future.

Danny Kentwell

Danny is a Geostatistian with a background in Mine Surveying, Mine Planning and Geological Modelling. He started his mining career as an open pit mine surveyor at several mines in Australia and Ghana, before completing his Masters in Geostatistics at Edith Cowan University in Perth.

Danny then joined SRK Consulting and has been with SRK for nearly 28 years, between the Perth, Johannesburg, Brisbane and Melbourne offices. In that time Danny has had exposure to over 300 different mineral deposits and has been a regular presenter at various mining related conferences around Australia.

In 2023 and 2025 Danny was the AusIMM Mineral Resource Estimation Conference subcommittee chair for the AusIMM Parker Challenges. These challenges each involved the provision of a mature exploration drilling data set to all interested parties, with the challenge being to model, estimate and classify a Mineral Resource from the provided data.

Christopher Kirkland

Chris Kirkland is the director of Curtin Frontier Institute for Geoscience Solutions and also the inaugural leader of the Timescales of Mineral Systems Group, established in 2015, at Curtin University.

He specialises in using isotope geoscience to tackle key industry challenges, focusing on reducing exploration risks, fingerprinting material sources, and providing geological insights that drive better decision-making in mineral exploration.

Alan Kobussen

Alan Kobussen is an exploration geologist with Rio Tinto Exploration, currently as Senior Manager – Technology Development based in Melbourne, Australia. He’s held roles in field exploration and technology development teams primarily focussed on the discovery of copper, diamond and nickel resources globally.

Alan completed a BS and MS in geology & geophysics from the University of Wisconsin before moving to Australia and earning a PhD from Macquarie University in Sydney and is particularly skilled in mineralogy, micro- analytical techniques and geochemistry.

After a brief stint in academia and government surveys he joined Rio Tinto Exploration in 2011, where his time has included assignments in both Australia and Canada.

Fawna Korhonen

Fawna completed a PhD at the University in Minnesota in metamorphic geology in 2006, followed by post-doctoral positions at the University of Maryland and Curtin University.

She has been with the Geological Survey of Western Australia since 2012, with roles as a Senior Geologist (Capricorn Orogen), Specialist Metamorphic Geology, Manager Proterozoic Margins and Acting Director Geoscience.

She is currently Manager Critical Mineral Systems.

Stephen McIntosh

Stephen McIntosh has more than 38 years of experience in the resources sector. He spent 33 years with the Rio Tinto Group culminating in the role as Group Executive Growth & Innovation where he led all of the group’s technical functions. Prior to that he held the role as the global head of exploration.

Stephen is a geophysicist by training and holds a Master of Science from the University of Auckland. He is the chairman of Datarock, a computer vision AI/ML start-up focused on the resources sector. He is a senior advisor to EMR Capital, a private equity company focused on the resources sector. He is also a director at the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA). He advises several other resources companies through his consultancy. He is also active as a mentor and investor to a number of technology start-ups.

Sandra Occhipinti

Sandra is a geologist with 30 years of experience. She has worked across the government, industry and academia sectors. Her work has bridged the scales from mapping and understanding the tectonic development of a region to vectoring to ore deposits at the prospect scale using geology, geophysics, mineralogy and geochemistry. More recent work in mineral systems science includes integrating multi-scale interdisciplinary datasets in order to complete multicommodity analyses using fuzzy logic methods that include integrated geological domain knowledge into the analyses. She has worked in project generation for the minerals industry within regions of Australia, areas in southeast Asia and the Americas.

In her current role, she is focussed on supporting fundamental science programs and working to translate them into application for advancement of minerals discovery and recovery, to aid the energy transition. Sandra currently serves as President of the Australian Geoscience Council (AGC), is an ex-officio member of the National Committee for Earth Sciences and is working or has worked across advisory committees for AuScope, MinEx CRC, geophysical research, Universities, and allocation of public funding for cooperative research programs.

Adam Pacey

Principal Geoscientist with the Resource and Commodity Knowledge team of Rio Tinto Exploration, specialising in economic geology, hydrothermal geochemistry and alteration. Passionate about mining and minerals. Following a PhD from Imperial College London on porphyry Cu deposits, Adam has worked extensively on the development of internal exploration technologies and workflows, as well as leading and implementing new company-wide exploration models and strategies.

Adam is currently focused on provision of technical guidance and multi-commodity insights across the RTX portfolio and into business development. This work blends technical and commercial insight with practical application and mentoring to drive innovation and best practice.

Suziany Rocha De Souza

Suziany Rocha de Souza is a strategic exploration leader with over 25 years of global experience delivering results across the mining value chain—from early-stage discovery to resource development and portfolio growth. She has held senior technical and executive roles at BHP, Rio Tinto, and Power Minerals, where she built and led multi-jurisdictional exploration portfolios, advanced orebody knowledge frameworks, and drove technical excellence at the project and regional levels. Her expertise spans multiple commodities, including copper, bauxite, critical minerals, and base metals, and she is widely recognised for translating complex geological insight into strategic decision-making.

Suziany now leads Future Minerals Insights (FMI), a boutique consultancy dedicated to generating value through orebody knowledge, ESG integration, and strategic planning. As a trusted advisor to both government and business, she assists clients with exploration strategies, portfolio prioritisation, risk-reward analysis, and investment readiness. Her recent work has included consulting on portfolio building, ESG risk integration, and portfolio prioritisation, as well as streamlining investment narratives and permitting results. Suziany adds significant technical credibility and commercial clarity to the conversations, based on firsthand experience producing results in exploration, operations, and corporate strategy.

Rokhaya Samba Ep Diene

Dr. Rokhaya Samba DIENE is Doctor-engineer in applied geology from University Cheikh Anta Diop of Dakar (UCAD) after attending the Institute of Earth Sciences of Dakar where she went out as Engineer geologist, specialised in Public Administration of Mines (CESAM) from the National Superior School of Mines of Paris, and Executive MBA in Advances Finances and Management of West African Polytechnic University (UPOA) in Dakar.

She successfully completed the course on Regulation and Management of mineral resources at Curtin University, Western Australia, as part of the Australian Awards for Africa in 2011, and the course on “mining policy and commercial contract negotiations” at the African Institute of Economic Development and Planning (IDEP) in 2012.

Inside the Ministry of Mines and Geology, she served successively as Director of Geology, Prospection and Mining Promotion, head of the Documentation and Mining Cadaster Center, Chief of the Division of Mines and Careers, Regional Chief of Mines Dakar.

Currently, she is the President of the Organisation of African Geological Surveys (OAGS), President of the Senegal-Australia Alumni Association (SEN3A) and Member of the Board of Women In Mining Senegal (WIM SENEGAL). She has coordinated six bi-annual editions of the Senegalese International Mining Exhibition (SIM SENEGAL).

Richard Schodde

Richard has a B.E. degree in Materials Engineering and an MBA. For over three decades he worked in a wide variety of project analysis, business development and strategic planning roles within WMC Resources and BHP.
In 2008 Richard founded MinEx Consulting to provide strategic and economic advice to industry and government. His main focus is on the economics of mineral exploration and building the business case for why & how exploration adds-value to a company.
He has given over 50 papers and presentations and is internationally recognized by his peers as a world leader in mineral economics.

He serves on the organising committees for the Melbourne Mining Club and the Melbourne Branch of the AusIMM.

Libby Sharman

Libby is an exploration geologist with a research background working for BHP as Lead Principal Generative Exploration. She completed her PhD at McGill University and has since gained experience in different facets of the exploration and mining industry across multiple continents, commodities, and roles, and joined BHP seven years ago to work on global exploration strategy through mineral systems application, project generation and prospectivity analysis.

Libby spent the last two years as Technical Lead for the BHP Xplor program, coaching technical and operational excellence within Cohort companies. Her personal experiences have fostered a drive to improve the mining industry, making a more inclusive and appealing sector in which to work.

Ross Sherlock

Ross is a professional geologist with over 28 years of experience in the mining industry and academic research. His career has spanned junior and senior mining companies, consulting and government surveys working nationally and internationally.

Most recently Ross was Vice President, Geoscience at Kinross Gold Corp. and Exploration Manager, North America at Gold Fields. Ross joined HES in August 2017 as a Chair in Exploration Targeting and the Director of MERC.

Ross completed a Post-Doctoral Fellowship at the Mineral Deposits Research Unit at UBC, PhD at the University of Waterloo, MSc at Lakehead University, and BSc (Honours) at McMaster University, Canada. He is a member of the Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of BC and Association of Professional Geoscientists of Ontario (APGO).

Anil Subramanya

After 31 years in the exploration industry, gaining a wealth of leadership experience at a senior level in ferrous metals and the gold and non-ferrous metals industry, I’ve now spent 10+ years in the R&D collaboration and innovation space and also sometime now as a non-executive director.

I look forward to continuing my work in governance and strategy to help organisations realise their potential.

Marcus Tomkinson

Marcus is a professional and highly experienced exploration and mine geologist with strong technical field-based knowledge and familiarity with an extensive number of mineralised terranes and individual mineral deposits globally. He specialises in project generation, structural geology and alteration/vein relationships in gold and base metal deposits.

These skills are complemented by more than forty years experience in the mining industry ranging from project generation and grassroots exploration to resource definition and Geoscience management to executive level.
He has been involved in planning, executing and managing gold, base metal and diamond exploration for a number of companies including Avmin, Pasminco, Delta Gold, AurionGold, OZ Minerals, Oxiana Ltd,, Normandy/Newmont, MMG Limited (as GM for Geoscience and Acting GM for Operational and Technical Excellence).

He is the principal of Epigenesis Consulting Pty and has been acting as a geological consultant for thirty years. More recently he has been the Head of Geoscience for Foran Mining running all aspects of their Geoscience surrounding exploration at the McIlvenna Bay deposit in Canada as well as the geological inputs into the process of building the mine at McIlvenna Bay.

Rick Valenta

Rick Valenta specialises in multidisciplinary research meeting the challenges of future mineral supply.

He is the Director of the Sustainable Minerals Institute at the University of Queensland. He leads research aimed at improving the discovery, mining and processing of hydrothermal ore deposits, as well as understanding and mapping the risks associated with future mineral supply. His areas of focus include structural geology, geophysics and ore deposit geology, with an overall theme of better understanding the underlying processes which lead to the localisation and characteristics of these deposits. Rick also has a strong focus on development of 4D mineral systems models from deposit to region scales, using these models to improve targeting techniques, better formulate geological and resource models, and inform prediction of mineral processing performance.

Trained as a geologist, Rick worked for a short time in Petroleum exploration in Western Canada before coming to Australia to complete a PhD on the George Fisher Zn-Pb-Ag deposit in the Mount Isa region. He then spent 5 years as a lecturer at Monash University in an industry-supported role aimed at developing the science and practice of structural interpretation of geophysical data. During this period, Rick was involved in the development of very successful industry training programs and a significant number of publication and software outputs.

Rick then spent 23 years in industry roles including Chief Geologist, Chief Operating Officer, and multiple CEO roles. Companies and exploration teams under his direction have been involved in a significant number of mineral discoveries of copper, uranium and gold, as well as several transformative company transactions. In his career, Rick has held senior executive roles in teams which have raised over $150m in venture capital investment, leading to the creation of over $2b in shareholder value.

Rick is a Fellow of the AusIMM and the Society of Economic Geologists, a practising member of the Association of Professional Geologists of Ontario (APGO), and a member of the Geological Society of Australia.

Martie-Louise Verreynne

Martie-Louise Verreynne is a Professor in Innovation and Associate Dean (Research) in the Faculty of Business, Economics and Law at the University of Queensland. Her research in open innovation and university-industry collaboration focuses on how small firms leverage capabilities and networks to gain a competitive edge.

Martie-Louise is a regular contributor to leading small business, entrepreneurship, strategy, and interdisciplinary journals and serves as Senior Associate Editor of the Journal of Small Business Management. She actively works with policy-makers and industry bodies to influence outcomes for the small firms that are the engine of the Australian and global economy. For this work, she has received both national teaching and university research engagement awards.

Xin Wang

Xin Wang is a PhD student at the University of Queensland studying hydrothermal systems. Her work centres on minerals including garnet, calcite, and apatite as potential indicators of ore deposits.

Through petrology, geochemistry, and geochronology, she explores the timing and conditions of ore formation, enhancing the understanding of mineralization processes.

Toby Whincup

Toby Whincup is a globally recognised leader in sustainability, investment, and geopolitics within the mining and critical minerals sector. A geologist by training, Toby brings nearly 30 years of experience as a sustainability consultant, including 25 years with the global advisory firm ERM.

Toby advises multinational organisations on investment strategy and reputational protection by identifying, mitigating, and managing material sustainability risks and liabilities. His core expertise lies in de-risking major capital projects during the pre-operational phase, through the development and implementation of robust strategies that inform Environmental and Social Impact Assessments, stakeholder engagement, permitting and accessing project finance.

He has led high-profile and often complex projects in remote and logistically challenging regions across Australia, Asia, Africa, North America, and Latin America—many of which have involved sensitive geopolitical and social dynamics.

Jarra Smith holds a Graduate Diploma in Mineral Exploration Geoscience (Geology), a Graduate Certificate in Mineral Economics and a Bachelor of Commerce.

He is Head of Commodity Sales, Australia for S&P Global Market Intelligence with over 15 years’ experience within the global resources, financial services, and technology sectors.

He is a Fellow member of The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy (FAusIMM) and Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (GAICD).

S&P Global Market Intelligence is a division of S&P Global Inc. (NYSE: SPGI).  The company is a leading provider of technical mining and exploration industry data, utilised by clients across mining, investment banking, capital markets, private equity, professional services, and government that have a focus on the global exploration and metals sector.