Keynote speaker

Christine Charles FAusIMM

Non-Executive Director, Tivan

Christine is an experienced board chair, NED, executive and strategic advisor. Christine has extensive experience in the mining and energy sectors.  She chairs EnviroCopper, an innovative ISR copper developer, is a NED of Tivan, a fast moving diversified critical minerals company and also spent a decade with Newmont Mining.  She is a NED of Territory Generation. In addition she has advised a broad range of companies in the mining and oil and gas sectors. 

Christine has a range of industry roles, both governing and advisory. She is the chair of the Centre for Social Responsibility in Mining, University of Queensland, where she is also an Adjunct Professor, a member of the Sustainable Mineral Institute Board, and chairs the South Australian Government’s Resources and Engineering Skills Alliance. Christine is the chair of the CSIRO Resources Sector Advisory Council, a member of the Transition Committee for the new Critical Minerals for Critical Industries CRC, a board member of TiME CRC. and also was a member of the Critical Minerals Hub Advisory Committee.  

Christine is a Fellow of the University of Queensland and a Fellow of AusIMM. 

Presentation title: Betting on the Overlooked: Tivan’s Journey from Explorer to Developer

Presentation synopsis

In a period when the words “critical minerals” have moved from the margins of policy documents to the centre of national security conversations, energy transition challenges, trade negotiations, and investment committees around the world this speech will consider what this means on the ground.

Rather than focus on critical minerals policy in the abstract, it will consider what it looks like to build a critical minerals company from the ground up, in this environment.   The critical minerals sector is not the same as bulk commodities and precious metals.   Our markets are particular, the political and sovereign headwinds strong, our volumes are smaller and our companies are likely to be small or at the most medium cap.   Considering  Tivan’s story — told warts and all — from where we started in late 2022,  to where we stand today, is an opportunity to reflect on what we have learnt on the way - things that worked and mistakes  It's a story about the need to be dynamic and it’s a story about what it means to genuinely partner — with Traditional Owners, with international allies, with strategic private investors, and with your own team — with a view to long term value for all, rather than sticking boxes to achieve each step.