Uncle Thomas Coghill is a respected First Nations Elder and Traditional Owner from the Brisbane (Meanjin) region. He is widely recognised for his cultural leadership and for delivering Welcome to Country ceremonies across Queensland. Uncle Thomas is deeply involved in sharing Aboriginal history, knowledge, and cultural practices, contributing to educational, community, and cultural events that promote understanding and respect. He is frequently acknowledged by organisations and community leaders as a highly regarded Elder, recognised for his wisdom, generosity, and ongoing commitment to strengthening cultural awareness and connection. Max Dillon, custodian of the lands encompassing the Gold Coast region, proudly represents the Kombumerri People. A virtuoso in his craft, Max captivates audiences with a captivating blend of dance, music, and spoken word, showcasing his deep connection to his heritage. Hailing from Gurang (Southport) and with ancestral ties to Nunukul, Gorenpul, and Ngugi, Max embodies the spirit of his Saltwater lineage with grace and reverence.

Stephen Durkin is CEO of AusIMM, the peak body for professionals working in the resources sector. Founded in 1893 and operating under Royal Charter, AusIMM represents 15,000 members all over the world. Since being appointed CEO in 2017, AusIMM has embarked on a significant change program to be a more contemporary organisation with a stronger external focus. AusIMM now delivers an expanded range of professional development and plays a more influential role in upholding professional standards and shaping some of our most important industry conversations. Stephen has extensive experience in association management, including five years as CEO of Engineers Australia and previously over 15 years experience at National Australia Bank in several executive roles.

Daniel Howe had no concept of geology until he attended an inspiring and mind-blowing first lecture at the Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Australia in 1998 – Planet Earth. From that point his desire to understand the earths systems and processes has continued. An opportunity to take a 12-month work placement with Western Mining Corporation in Kambalda in 2000, as part of his Bachelor of Applied Science (Geoscience) was the spark that ignited a passion for mining geology. Following completion of his Bachelor of Science (Honours) degree at The University of Western Australia he returned to Kambalda to pursue his interest in combining geology with value creation at the St Ives Gold Mine. Throughout the last 20 years Daniel has been fortunate to experience and apply his learnings across the eastern goldfields of Western Australia, centred on gold and nickel, open pit and underground, and across both small and large mining operations. In his leadership roles within several companies, he continues to seek excellence in mining geology, through developing talent and skills, continued focus on understanding mineralisation controls and systems, ensuring decisions are made with value outcomes in mind, and optimising systems and processes for efficiency and accuracy.

Mark is a geologist with over 45 years of experience spanning exploration, feasibility and development, mine operations, management, research and development, consulting, and professional development. He has had the privilege of contributing to and attending all but one of the International Mining Geology conferences and considers that this conference is the pre-eminent event for mining geology professionals.

René has undertaken geological projects in many countries in Africa, Australasia and Europe and has experience with a wide variety of geological settings and commodities. He specialises in QA/QC, successful sampling, and resource development for gold and base metals, and has a strong skill set in resource estimation, grade control, reconciliation. He is a Competent Person under JORC for gold (alluvial, shear zone, Carlin, epithermal and porphyry), REEs (regolith-hosted and hard-rock), base metals, seabed mineralisation (nodules) and industrial minerals (garnet sand, HMS, diatomite). René is the principal author of many resource and exploration studies prepared under the guidelines of the Canadian NI 43-101 and the JORC Code. He has assisted Barrick with exploration programmes for these and other projects. He holds a master’s degree in Structural Geology and Tectonics. René is a Chartered Professional and a Fellow with the AusIMM, a Member and Registered Professional Geologist with the AIG, and has published papers and provided training on sample collection, QA/QC, and resource estimation. René is a director of the AusIMM, a director of opaxe (monitoring public resource reports), and a director of Straterra (New Zealand’s peak body and national voice for the natural resources industry).

Bianca Byrne is an accomplished geologist with over 25 years of experience across the gold and nickel sectors, having worked with WMC, Gold Fields, Saracen Gold Mines, and currently Northern Star Resources. Her expertise spans operational and growth-focused geology management, supported by strong capabilities in resource geology and QAQC systems. Bianca has held multiple superintendent roles and now serves as Geology Manager, overseeing technical and risk management for open pit operations. Driven by a passion for strategic thinking and risk mitigation, Bianca is also actively involved in education, coaching, and the integration of the arts with STEM. She has served on the board of John Curtin College of the Arts and was Chair of the Saracen 2030 advisory board, contributing to future-focused leadership in the mining industry.