Oswell Kapotsa has been at Talison’s Greenbushes Lithium Operation for just over 12 months and is enjoying his role at a large lithium operation with opportunities to work with a wide variety of processing technologies and as part of a close knit-team of 17 metallurgists. Oswell was born in the coal mining town of Hwange in Zimbabwe where his father was employed as a Fitter. It was in this environment that he was inspired to pursue a career in engineering. He studied a five-year BSc in Chemical Engineering (Hons) at the National University of Science and Technology in Zimbabwe and after graduating moved to Namibia where he worked at a Water Treatment Plant and then as a Process Engineer at a Copper Smelter. Oswell emigrated to Australia three and a half years ago with a goal to pursue a career in Western Australia’s huge resources industry and after two and a half years at a gold mining operation in Leonora he was attracted to the lithium industry because of its significance to the global green economy. He says working on daily problem solving and striving to get better and better process efficiencies at the Greenbushes Lithium Operation creates an intellectually challenging work environment that keeps him motivated.

Joseph has over 25 years’ experience working in mining and mineral processing industries for titanium and zircon sands, diamonds and more recently lithium. With a Bachelor of Commerce degree in marketing and MBA in International Business, he is the Commercial Manager for the Tianqi Lithium Hydroxide Plant located in Kwinana and responsible for the development of commercial solutions for non-lithium products. He is also Chair of the Australasian Pozzolan Association in which both Tianqi Lithium and Covalent Lithium are founding members.

Ross’s professional background includes 14 years’ experience in the energy management, monitoring, and critical power space. His previous roles have seen him guide world best products to the Australian & New Zealand markets and deliver innovative solutions through microgrid, battery storage and large distributed solar projects for a broad spectrum of clients in the built environment and utility sectors. Ross has a Bachelor of Engineering Science – Electrical & Electronic Engineering from Victoria University.

Cameron has over 20 years of experience across infrastructure investment, consulting, financial advisory, investment banking, operational and executive management roles both domestically and globally. Cameron has had a particular focus on infrastructure development, project financing, risk & credit, renewables & energy, water, transport, fuel terminals and ports. Cameron has significant international manufacturing experience including as CEO of a Northern German biofuel & energy company which he led the acquisition, significantly increased growth & profits and eventual sale. He co-wrote the 2018 Lithium Valley report for the Federal Government. Cameron is a Founder and Vice Chairman of Lithium Valley, a Foundation Member of the Australia Microgrid Centre of Excellence and is a Director of companies focusing on carbon emissions reductions, financing for SMEs and microgrids.

Dr Olga Narygina is an XRD application and product specialist at Malvern Panalytical. She holds an M.Sc in Condensed Matter Physics and a PhD in Natural Sciences. Olga has nearly 17 years of experience in the field of X-ray diffraction, including nearly 12 years with Malvern Panalytical. Olga started as an XRD application specialist in the Malvern Panalytical Supply Center in the Netherlands, focusing on powder XRD applications before moving into an XRD product managerial role. Recently Olga moved to Australia and joined the product/application specialist team in the Asia-Pacific region.