German Lastra is a PhD candidate at the Julius Kruttschnitt Mineral Research Centre (JKMRC), The University of Queensland (UQ), Australia. His research focuses on improving coarse particle flotation in conventional cells through the optimization of design and operational parameters. He earned a Mining Engineering degree with Highest Honours at the University of Concepcion, Chile and received several academic prizes, including recognition as the top undergraduate student in the Mining Engineering program, the Faculty of Engineering, and the University of Concepcion. Prior to his PhD, German worked as a Drill & Blast Engineer at JKTech, gaining experience in blast movement and fragmentation modelling, and machine learning applications in mining. He has also been involved in projects related to mineral processing modelling and Mine-to-Mill optimization.

Jason Begelhole is an accomplished metallurgical professional with over two decades of expertise in metallurgy, mineralogy, geometallurgy and operational leadership across Lead-Zinc, Copper and Iron ore operations. As Senior Project Metallurgist at Glencore's Mount Isa Mines, he applies innovative approaches to enhance plant performance while supporting broader business sustainability. A certified professional of the AusIMM (FAusIMM CP(Met)), Jason serves on the AusIMM CPPC and has co-authored multiple publications, including contributions to MillOps 2024 and MetPlant 2023, providing ongoing insight to the metallurgical community.