Yan Li is a Senior Geometallurgist at BHP’s Olympic Dam operation, with over 15 years of experience spanning geometallurgy and process engineering across multiple commodities. Trained as a chemical engineer, she specialises in integrating mineralogical and metallurgical data to optimise processing strategies and unlock value across the resource value chain. Yan is recognised for her technical leadership in developing geometallurgical frameworks that align with both orebody characteristics and plant performance objectives.

As the Founder and CEO of Geopyörä, I am driven by a passion for innovation in the mining industry. My career has spanned over 18 years, where I have combined technical expertise with strategic leadership to push the boundaries of what’s possible in mineral processing and comminution circuit design. My journey began with a Bachelor's degree in Mining Engineering from the University of São Paulo, followed by a PhD in multi-component autogenous and semi-autogenous grinding from the University of Queensland, where I was honored with the Ian Morley Prize. This academic foundation laid the groundwork for a career focused on the intersection of research, technology development, and practical applications in the mining industry. Prior to founding Geopyörä, I held senior engineering roles at Ausenco and served as a senior researcher and lecturer at the University of Oulu. My work has taken me around the globe, contributing to projects across key mining commodities and collaborating with some of the industry's leading companies.

Adam Shaikh is an early career process engineer in the minerals processing industry with three years of professional experience in metallurgical test work, process design and detailed design. Since completing his Bachelors of Chemical Engineering and Metallurgy (Hons) in 2023 at The University of Queensland he has been working at Lycopodium.

Harry Beal Joined Northparkes in 2024 and has since worked in Specialist Evaluation Metallurgy and Project teams as a metallurgist. His role currently in the projects team is as a Project Metallurgist providing technical input for major capital projects upcoming in the Northparkes Operation. He holds a B.Eng (HONS) in Chemical and Materials Engineering from the University of Auckland.

Nicholas Bristow is a chemical engineer with over 15 years’ experience in advanced separation processes applied to mining, hydrometallurgy, and high-purity water. He has worked across laboratory, pilot, and full-scale operations, specialising in process development, optimisation, and scale-up. His project experience spans uranium, gold–antimony, and sulphate of potash, with particular focus on flotation, geometallurgical modelling, and fluid separation. Nicholas has held technical and research roles with Agrimin, Alcoa, and Hatch, delivering solutions that bridge fundamental research with practical plant outcomes. He holds a PhD from the University of Western Australia, where his work advanced novel methods for studying membrane separation. He has presented at international conferences on water, membranes, and mineral processing, and published widely on separation technologies.