Paul Holden currently serves as the head of Critical Minerals Queensland (CMQ), where he leads the state’s efforts to become a global leader in the critical minerals sector. Tasked with executing Queensland’s Critical Minerals Strategy, Paul is driving initiatives to unlock the state’s vast mineral wealth. His leadership focuses on building strong partnerships across government, industry, and communities to fast-track project approvals and create sustainable jobs, especially in regional hubs like Townsville and Mount Isa. With over 25 years of experience in senior executive roles, including at the Office of the Coordinator-General and the Department of State Development, Paul has a proven track record in delivering major infrastructure and resource projects. He is highly skilled in navigating regulatory frameworks, securing project financing, and facilitating complex stakeholder negotiations. Paul’s extensive expertise covers sectors such as minerals, water, agriculture, and tourism, making him a trusted figure in Queensland’s development landscape. Under his leadership, CMQ is not only driving investment in critical minerals but also promoting environmental, social, and governance (ESG) standards, positioning Queensland as a sustainable powerhouse in the global energy transition.

Lichoo Tay is a seasoned finance professional with more than 22 years of experience in global markets, spanning investment banking and private wealth management. She is currently pursuing her PhD in Finance at the University of Western Australia and is the lead researcher for the PCMX project at the Digital Finance Co-operative Research Centre, which seeks to improve the price discovery process for critical minerals to support the Australian national interest in resource security. Prior to academia, she was Head of Investment Counselling, Southeast Asia at HSBC Private Banking, where she led a team of 40 investment professionals managing USD25 billion in client assets, and before that Head of Credit Sales at MUFG Securities. She began her career in fixed income at JP Morgan and Merrill Lynch, where she gained a deep understanding of how market structure, liquidity, and information flows shape price discovery. This early foundation in bond and credit markets informs her current academic work on price formation and market design in mineral markets. Lichoo holds a BA (First Class Honours) in Philosophy, Politics and Economics from the University of Oxford, an MBA (Distinction) from INSEAD, and is a CFA charterholder.

Govind R. Goenka is an India-based strategic investment and PSU engagement advisor specialising in critical minerals, mining and resources. He has over 30 years of experience working with Indian public sector undertakings, large industrial companies and international resource and technology providers. His work focuses on structuring overseas strategic investments, combining minority equity participation, long-term offtake and downstream alignment to improve project bankability. Govind has extensive familiarity with the operating and approval frameworks of Indian PSUs, including mining and energy sector entities, and regularly advises on market access, financing structures, risk mitigation and audit-defensible investment models. He is currently engaged in developing India-linked strategic pathways for lithium and other critical mineral projects across multiple jurisdictions.

Sidharth Talan is a Senior Consultant at Hatch Pty Ltd in Melbourne, specialising in technical due diligence, transaction advisory, and mergers and acquisitions across the metals, mining, and energy sectors. With an academic foundation spanning a Mining Engineering degree from IIT Kharagpur, an MSc in Metals & Energy Finance from Imperial College London, and an MBA with Distinction from AGSM/UNSW, Sid brings a rare convergence of engineering rigour and financial acuity to complex resource transactions. His career spans global commodities trading at Trafigura, operational experience at Hindustan Zinc, and advisory work at Hatch - where he leads due diligence and transaction mandates across critical minerals and clean energy assets. His work spans the full investment lifecycle, from asset-level technical assessment through to financial modelling and deal structuring across metals and energy sectors. Sid is recognised for translating technical complexity into strategic investment insight -bridging the gap between engineering reality and capital market decision-making.

Ralph Breaden is the Director of Investment at Critical Minerals Queensland.