Stephen Durkin is CEO of the Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy (AusIMM), the peak body representing the 65,000 professionals who work in the Australian resources sector. Stephen is a civil engineer by qualification and throughout his 30-year career has worked in a wide range of industries around the world. His experience encompasses association management and business leadership, including CEO of Engineers Australia for 5 years and AusIMM CEO since May 2017. Stephen is passionate about transforming associations so that they continue to lead the way in upholding professional standards and supporting members’ careers. He is a champion of professionals and their vital role to provide trusted advice to the communities and organisations they serve.

Professor Robin Batterham joined the Melbourne School of Engineering as Kernot Professor in the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering in 2010. He has wide interests including reducing emissions through soil sequestration, application of mesoscience to mining, dewatering of tailings and elimination of tailings through in place leaching. He is past President of the Academy of Technology and Engineering (2007-2012), former Chief Scientist of Australia (1999-2005) and for over 20 years Global Head of Innovation (and other positions) in Rio Tinto. He has twice chaired the International Mineral Processing Congress, Chairs the selection panels for both the Australia India Strategic Research Fund and the Australia China Strategic Research Fund and chaired the International Energy Agency Expert Group on Science for Energy.

BSc degree in Physics from the University of Melbourne in 1967 and subsequently a PhD degree from the same University in 1972 for development of a new electron microscope system and its use in electron diffraction studies of the structure of barium titanate. Joined the CSIRO Division of Mineral Physics in November 1971 to work on the application of nuclear techniques to the on-stream analysis of iron ore and subsequently other mineral commodities, including coal. Over the last twenty years has been involved in mineral processing research, particularly iron ore processing. Currently Chief Research Scientist with CSIRO Mineral Resources, focussing primarily on ore characterisation, comminution, beneficiation, agglomeration, process instrumentation and quality control. Currently an Honorary Fellow of the Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy (AusIMM), an AusIMM Chartered Professional in Metallurgy, a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Physics, President of the International Mineral Processing Council, and President of the International Pierre Gy Sampling Association.

Ian Macfarlane was elected to Federal Parliament in 1998 and became Australia’s longest serving Federal Resources and Energy Minister and the Coalition’s longest serving Federal Industry and Innovation Minister with over 14 years of experience in both Cabinet and shadow ministerial positions before retiring from parliament in May 2016. Ian became Chief Executive of the Queensland Resources Council in 2016 and is a non-executive director of Woodside Petroleum, the Chairman of the Innovative Manufacturing Co-operative Research Centre and a Board Director of CSIRO.

Silvia França has been a member of CETEM's staff since 2002, where she has served as head of the New Mineral Products Development Service, Coordinator of Mineral Processes and internal member of the Center's Technical-Scientific Council. Silvia has experience in RD&I projects in the mineral processing area, with an emphasis on solid-liquid separation operations, rheology of pulps and mineral tailings, dewatering, reuse of industrial water and application of new methods of disposal of tailings from the mining and metallurgical industry, among others. As an international experience, she carried out an exchange program in the United States and, at the invitation of the International Atomic Energy Agency/UN, in Vienna-Austria, was part of a working group that debated issues related to monitoring the quality and uses of water in mining activities, consolidating document dealing with the matter. At the 8th World Water Forum, she also gave a lecture on the topic of water in mining. He worked on the development of 35 technological products, with results presented at events abroad and in Brazil. She is one of the authors of a letter patent granted by INPI to CETEM on the process of concentrating zinc ore by reverse flotation. She is one of the editors of the books Treatment of Minerals – 5th and 6th editions and Treatment of Ores - Laboratory Practices, both used as a text-base in Mining Engineering courses in Brazil, and is a Productivity Scholar in Technological Development and Innovative Extension (DT /CNPq) - Level 2.

Andrew has over 30 years of experience in the minerals industry, across a range of technical, operational and strategic leadership roles. He completed a Bachelor of Engineering (Chemical) from Melbourne University in 1987, and an MBA at Melbourne Business School in 1996. Following employment as a Senior Research Engineer with Comalco Ltd (now Rio Tinto Aluminium) from 1988-1996, he worked for WMC Resources Ltd from 1997-2005 in a number of strategic and operational management roles. Andrew re-joined Rio Tinto in 2006 as GM Technology for the Iron Ore product group, before moving into Rio Tinto’s corporate Technology & Innovation group, as GM Innovation and then Director Partnerships. While working for Rio Tinto, he also served as a director on the Boards of CRC Mining and the Parker Centre. In 2020, Andrew joined CSIRO as Research Director – Mineral Processing.