Keynote speaker

Sally Glen

Director, IPA Asia-Pacific

Presentation title

Critical Minerals: Boom-Bust-Now! The Challenge of Thinking Long Term- In a Short Term-World

Presentation synopsis

It is well established that mining is critical if we are going to reach net-zero by 2050. The numbers are staggering and well documented by others – the development of new assets (mines and metal refining capacity) is fundamental to this. This means more capital projects and the 2050 target gives us an opportunity to think more long-term and create stability.
 
We have been here before. The sector is pretty hot right now, and we know what makes projects succeed and what makes them have problems. However, this time is also different. We have a people problem; we have largely lost the skills needed to manage new technology risk in asset development projects; and the external headwinds of supply chain, regulatory and stakeholders are considerable and increasing. And of course, we have price volatility for some commodities, even some of those critical minerals needed for 2050.
 
So how do we balance this clearly stated long-term need with short-term challenges and volatility to have successful projects? I will walk through some IPA data and research from previous hot markets, share some key lessons from past critical minerals projects and the discuss the current state of large, complex project performance. I will leave you with a set of actions critical for these world-building projects. One thing is guaranteed – it won’t be easy!

Biography

Sally heads up IPA’s Asia-Pacific operation. In this role, she is responsible for continuing to strengthen IPA’s relationship with global and local clients in the region, including renewables, mining and minerals, oil and gas, power and infrastructure, new ventures, and other industries. Her focus is on collaborating with client capital champions and decision makers to enable IPA clients to manage project risk and innovate and improve within their capital project systems. Sally was IPA’s Global Manager of Mining, Minerals, & Metals (MMM) between 2021 and 2023 and strengthened IPA’s relationships with global and local clients investing in capital projects in the MMM sector following a long period of low investment in the sector.

As Director, Sally has overseen the rebuilding of IPA Australia since 2020, after spending 5 years away from IPA working in the media and telecommunications sectors. She spent 2 of those years running the construction program for Australia’s National Broadband Network, the country’s largest infrastructure project. As a previous director and senior analyst at IPA Australia and having started her career as a Project Manager at Rio Tinto, Sally has personally reviewed hundreds of capital projects, spent nearly 10 years delivering construction projects, and has a particular interest in the study of leadership. Sally rolled out the Mine Front-End Loading Index at the 2005 Industry Benchmarking Conference and researched and presented IPA’s Hot Spot Research for Western Australia during the resources super-cycle in the mid-2000s. Sally has been client coordinator for three of IPA’s largest clients from the mining, minerals, and metals and oil and gas industry sectors, and has been a Senior Instructor across a range of capital effectiveness-related topics for the IPA Institute. She has reviewed projects throughout the Asia-Pacific, South Africa, Canada, and South America. Outside of work, Sally is a trained volunteer surf lifesaver and has two teenage daughters.