Professor Colin Roberts practices as an International Resources Geo‐strategist. He is a Chartered Petroleum Engineer, Chartered Mining Engineer, Chartered Scientist, Resources & Investment Legal Academic, International Commercial and Investment Arbitrator, Accredited International Commercial Mediator, Adjudicator, Expert Determiner and Dispute Board Member, with over 40 years of Multi-disciplinary resource industry experience, most of which has been in the developing world. Colin is also a Professor at WASM: Minerals, Energy and Chemical Engineering, Curtin University, and his current project is in Somaliland, Somalia. Professor Roberts has spent most of his working life in the developing world and now specializes in dispute resolution, mitigation of sovereign risk, advising governments in resources law and policy and facilitation of foreign direct investment (FDI) in the resources, energy and infrastructure sectors. His current project is in Somaliland, Somalia.

Janine Herzig FAusIMM(CP), Director, MetVal Consulting & President, AusIMM Janine Herzig first joined the AusIMM in 1991 and was admitted as a Fellow in 2009. She was elected to the AusIMM Board in 2013, and then as AusIMM President and Board Chair for 2019 and 2020. Janine is a Metallurgical Engineer with 30 years’ experience in the resources industry, encompassing executive management, consulting, technical and production roles, across base metals, uranium, precious metals and industrial minerals. In 2009 Janine established a consulting business, undertaking due diligence work, desktop reviews, and independent audits. In addition to her role as an AusIMM Director for the past 7 years, Janine has Chaired the Policy and Advocacy Committee and served on a variety of other committees and task forces as well as on numerous conference organizing committees, including MetPlant, Mill Operators’ and International Uranium. Janine is a keen ambassador for the AusIMM upholding itself as ‘the trusted voice’ and supporting future professionals through scholarships and mentoring.

The Honourable Kim Beazley AC is the 33rd Governor of Western Australia. Prior to being installed as Governor on the 1st May 2018, Mr Beazley had dedicated almost three decades to a career in Federal Parliament, representing the WA seats of Brand and Swan. In 2009, Mr Beazley was awarded the Companion of the Order of Australia for service to the Parliament of Australia through contributions to the development of government policies in relation to defence and international relations, and as an advocate for Indigenous people, and to the community.

Head of the Hydrometallurgy Department of ERAMET Ideas Fabien has been working since 2005 on process development for the separation/recovery of metals by hydrometallurgy. He has expertise in the extractive metallurgy of lithium. After a PhD in coordination chemistry in Burgundy University, he worked as a research engineer at CEA Grenoble and then Marcoule, focusing on solvent extraction of actinides and fission product in the field of the nuclear fuel cycle. At ERAMET Ideas since 2012, first as a senior engineer then as the head of the hydrometallurgy department, his major activity is focused on process development for the ERAMET lithium project based in Argentina. He has also worked in the field of nickel and rare earths extraction as well as in effluent treatment.

Before joining the Minerals Research Institute in November 2018, Nicole spent the last 15 years at the Chamber of Minerals and Energy of Western Australia coordinating industry input on a variety of government regulatory and policy issues and facilitating collaboration within the resources sector. Having had responsibility for the policy portfolios economics and tax; infrastructure; environment; land access; exploration; people strategies; workplace health and safety and training enabled Nicole to develop a comprehensive understanding of the challenges being faced by the mining sector. Nicole has completed a Masters of Science in Industrial and Organisational Psychology from UWA and a Masters in Risk Management from UNSW.