Meet the speakers
Meet the speakers
Hear from world-leading industry experts at Critical Minerals 2026.
Gain insight from across the entire critical minerals supply chain, exploring demand and investment drivers, mineral economics, the role of government, ESG priorities, discovery and development, processing and manufacturing, emerging technologies and more.
Keynote speakers
Click through to read biographies for each #CMC2026 keynote speaker.
Opening address speakers
The Honourable David Crisafulli MP
Queensland Premier and Minister for Veterans
The Honourable Dale Last MP
Minister for Natural Resources and Mines, Manufacturing, and Regional and Rural Development
Stephen Durkin
FAusIMM
CEO
AusIMM
Featured speakers
Annaliese Eames
Chief Legal & External Affairs Officer
Australian Strategic Materials
Rob Williamson
Managing Director
Alpha HPA
Phoebe Whattoff
Director
Minviro
Robert Wulff
Principal
Griffith Hack
Donna Kitsos
Director
Rata Group
Prof Sara Couperthwaite
MAusIMM
Professor
Queensland University of Technology
Dr Anita Parbhakar-Fox
Technical and Innovation Lead-Geoscience
KCB
Govind Goenka
Principal
Pacific Continental Resources
Mukhamad Mansur
Risk Management Professional
Vale Indonesia
Dr Mark Breitfuss
Mining Sector Leader
Onterris Australia
Dr Danni Luo
Metallurgist
Core Resources Pty Ltd
Panel Speakers
Taishi Sato
Chief Representative
Representative Office in Sydney, Japan Bank for International Cooperation
Lance Domm
Minister Counsellor (National Security)
British High Commission in Canberra
Patrick Fullenwarth
International Cooperation Officer
French Embassy in Australia
Chris McCombe
General Manager - Sustainability
Mineral Council of Australia
Mikaela Jade
Founder and CEO
Indigital
Narelle Wolfe
FAusIMM
General Manager Professional Standards
AusIMM
Nicole Roocke
CEO and CFO
Minerals Research Institute of Western Australia
Paul Holden
Head of Critical Minerals Queensland
CMQ
Dr Helen Degeling
FAusIMM
Technical Director Geoscience and Sustainability
Mining3
Nicole Roocke
CEO and CFO
Minerals Research Institute of Western Australia
Paul Holden
Head
Critical Minerals Queensland (CMQ)
Sam Taylor
Critical Minerals Lead
GHD
Wayne Dicinoski
Vice President Operations Australia
Australian Strategic Materials (ASM)
Chief Technology Officer
Critical Minerals Group
Juleen Brown
FAusIMM(CP)
Non-Executive Director
AusIMM
Lauren McGregor
Director, Investments (Resources)
National Reconstruction Fund Corporation (NRFC)
David Proud
Vice President - Australia and East Asia
Sedgman
Kristy Young
FAusIMM
Non-Executive Director
Brazilian Rare Earths, Livium, Tasmea, MinEx CRC