Odette is a highly experienced operations, workforce & talent expert. Odette is the Group Manager, Workforce Resourcing for Whitehaven Coal. She is responsible for the mobility & talent deliverables, whilst being involved in the internal & external marketing activities to attract, engage & retain motivated team members for Whitehaven Coal. Odette’s varied sector experience is extensive, working across a number of business disciplines including food manufacturing, health, mining, disabilities & industrial / blue (both heavy & light). Odette’s success is driven by her results orientated approach, whilst developing strong stakeholder relationships. Odette is passionate about making a difference to people’s lives & empowering teams to deliver solutions. She is a highly motivated individual, who focuses on team dynamics, their development & encouraging people to realise their full potential.

Carib Phillips is a current fifth-year student at the University of Queensland, pursuing a Bachelor of Engineering (Hons) and a Bachelor of Arts, majoring in Civil Engineering and Economics/International Relations. With a multidisciplinary approach, Carib has gained two years of site-based experience across Western Australia, Queensland, and South Australia, developing a robust skillset in engineering design, data gathering, infrastructure installation, and maintenance. Carib has most recently worked as an Undergraduate Mining Engineer with Byrnecut, contributing to the 29 Metals Technical Services team at the Capricorn Copper site. This role has provided in-depth exposure to the mining production cycle, including designing drill charges, tracking production performance, and conducting hydrological modelling. Previously, Carib has also worked at the Carrapateena site, focusing on service crew operations. Carib's commitment to safety, creative problem-solving, and teamwork is demonstrated through various roles, including an engineering intern at SO4, where responsibilities ranged from hydrogeological sampling to drone piloting. Additionally, Carib has held leadership positions such as Treasurer of UQ MAMA and Councillor for UQ Union. Bilingual in English and Spanish, Carib is passionate about tackling complex problems with innovative solutions and is eager to contribute to the field of mining engineering.

Nikky LaBranche is the Dust and Respiratory Health Program Leader in the Minerals Industry Safety and Health Centre (MISHC) within the Sustainable Minerals Institute (SMI) at the University of Queensland. She oversees a $2.4M dust research portfolio which includes reviewing occupational lung diseases to identify occupational and individual risk factors associated with developing respiratory diseases and the rapid progression of disease among dust-exposed workers and identify factors critical to the development, severity, and progression of coal workers pneumoconiosis (CWP or black lung) and silicosis. Her PhD thesis characterised the impact of dust on the respiratory health of coal mine workers using the Minerals Liberation Analyser (MLA), for which she was awarded the AusIMM Education Endowment Fund Postgraduate Scholarship. The world leading method for respirable dust characterisation developed through this research has garnered significant media attention in multiple countries. Nikky is currently Chair of the AusIMM Health & Safety Society, and a member of the Occupational Lung Disease Network Steering Committee. She is Past-Chair of the AusIMM Southern Queensland Branch and has been awarded the John T. Boyd Young Engineers Award and the J. Richard Lucas Award from Virginia Tech.

Ms Khan is an accomplished academic and researcher with expertise in public relations, commerce, and environmental studies. She has a strong track record of contributing to academic governance, research initiatives, and interdisciplinary projects. Sofiya is committed to integrating youth perspectives, advocating for sustainable practices, and enhancing stakeholder engagement through her diverse experiences in academia and research.