Brady has a Hons Degree in Chemical Engineering from Sydney University Australia and has over 30 years experience in industry. He has extensive experience in conducting feasibility studies, plant and equipment design, development of new process technologies and project execution having spent over 20 years on the feasibility and subsequent detailed engineering and commissioning phases of major projects. Brady has experience in flowsheet development for gold, lateritic nickel, graphite purification and ultra clean coal. Over the last 20 years, Brady has also led the evolution and implementation of new technologies for processing of lateritic alumina ores from Australia to Saudia Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. Currently, Brady is the Director for Hatch’s Hydromet Technologies group where he leads a global team of hydrometallurgy specialists with a mission to advance process technologies for the rapidly changing Battery and Critical Minerals industries.

Wensheng Zhang has over 30 years of extensive research experience in hydrometallurgy. Wensheng joined CSIRO in 2005, and since then, he has held Research Team Leader and Project Leader roles. His current focus is on hydrometallurgical processes for selective leaching, purification and recovery by solvent extraction, ion exchange, precipitation and crystallization for high purity, battery grade nickel sulphate, cobalt sulphate, manganese sulphate, vanadium pentoxide, and high purity alumina products and strategic metals including lithium, scandium and rare earths, niobium and tantalum, platinum group metals. Most recently, as part of the Hydrometallurgy Innovation team, he has focused on research that delivers critical innovations related to the development of new flowsheets.

Neda completed her PhD in Materials Science and Engineering from The University of Western Australia before joining Curtin University as a Postdoctoral Research Associate, where she focused on nickel cobalt manganese precursor cathode active materials (pCAM) production; both lab-scale and pilot scale. She has since joined CSIRO and has continued her work in pCAM production as well as multiple other critical minerals projects focused on developing processes and transitioning technologies from the laboratory to ready for industrial application.

James is a Senior Hydrometallurgist with over 10 years’ experience in the minerals industry. James is responsible for the management of desktop, laboratory and pilot plant scale commercial studies, principally in the areas of solvent extraction and ion exchange, with particular focus on uranium, rare earths, lithium and zirconium/hafnium. James has developed and applied modelling techniques for rare earth solvent extraction circuits as well as uranium ion exchange plants. His main areas of expertise are in design and optimisation of ion exchange and solvent extraction circuits, with a focus on data analysis.

Damian is a Consulting Engineer managing a multidisciplinary engineering team with extensive experience in the gold, copper, lead, zinc, uranium, nickel, lithium, vanadium and iron ore industries with particular emphasis on gold. Experience has been gained in plant operations feasibility studies, detailed design, construction and commissioning, and all unit operations. He is an internationally recognised specialist in Mineral Processing and Hydrometallurgy having worked in North and South America, South East Asia, Africa and Europe and is highly sought after as an International Expert. The last +30 years working as a Principal Consulting Engineer on many resource projects and for mining, banking and engineering companies has provided a broad range of experience. Damian is a Registered Expert Witness and has been engaged on many cases. He is the author of over 220 technical papers on mineral processing, hydrometallurgy and pyrometallurgy.

Mark Halligan is an accomplished executive with over a decade of experience in leading mid-to-large project and service delivery companies across various sectors, including oil and gas, mining, transport, infrastructure, power, and new energy. Currently serving as the Business Leader for Energy and Resources at Stantec, Mark is responsible for overseeing project delivery, demonstrating exceptional strategic leadership and project management expertise. With a profound understanding of business strategy and planning, he has a proven track record of driving sustainable growth and achieving value for stakeholders, aligning perfectly with the goals of the critical minerals sector. In previous roles prior to Stantec, Mark successfully managed global teams to deliver multimillion-dollar projects, negotiated complex contracts, and led initiatives to optimise operational efficiency. His commitment to Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) principles and continuous improvement has been a cornerstone of his career. As a leader, Mark excels in stakeholder relationship management, fostering collaboration and innovation, and ensuring operational excellence. His global perspective and dedication to quality and client satisfaction make him a valuable asset in the critical minerals industry, where he continues to drive growth and innovation.