Brad Cam

Director - Orana Opportunity Network

Brad has delivered a number of strategic projects during his extensive experience in senior management roles within local Government and private enterprise. He has a strong network of government, a broad range of industry contacts and is a team player. In his capacity as General Manager of Mid-Western Regional Council, his knowledge of the Mudgee region tourism product is very strong. His insight and relationships with key industry players is valuable. Brad is a Board Member of Central Tablelands Community Housing Association Inc, and delivered a number of strategic projects during his extensive experience in senior management roles within local Government and private enterprise.

Megan Dixon

Director - Orana Opportunity Network

Megan brings over 20-years’ experience in regional development including local government, strategic planning, major project development, facilitation, community economic and events development, funding strategies and business development. Her broad career has seen her involved in a large number of industries which have included mining, manufacturing, aviation, agriculture, tourism, retail, property development, construction and the public sector. Megan has had success as a management consultant and with major project facilitation, design and delivery of stakeholder engagement strategies, strategic planning, community capacity building, marketing and policy development. Prior to 2017, Megan’s work experiences included senior management, market research and economic & demographic analysis, policy development, change management, marketing and brand development, budget development and reporting, financial and feasibility analysis, and major project management. Megan has also specialised in Economic Development, developing and implementing advice and policy in regional communities. Megan holds an Executive MBA from the University of Technology Sydney, a Bachelor of Commerce degree majoring in Agriculture Economics and Economic Analysis and Policy from the University of New England, and an Associate Diploma in Applied Science.

Tracy McIntyre

Director - Orana Opportunity Network

For more than 30 years Tracy has managed the administration tasks for Corambie Pastoral Co., a farming business run in partnership with her husband. This has involved managing all financial aspects to assist and grow the business while maintaining its viability through adverse seasonal and challenging marketing conditions. Specifically, she manages a sophisticated accounting package delivering concise data for pertinent decision making, assist in management of contractors, and managing all legal requirements including WHS. The business has achieved substantial growth, including several off-farm investments. Having an MBA, Bachelor of Arts, Diploma of Leadership & Management and various other qualifications, Tracy has also conducted training and assessment in management, business and workplace training for many RTOs, including the Australian Institute of Management. She has achieved the status of Chartered Manager and has been accepted on the board of assessors to conduct an assessment of this designation in Australia.

Alex Tonks

Head of CRU Australia and New Zealand - CRU International (Australia) Pty Ltd

Commodity and resources analyst with extensive experience and knowledge of metals & bulk markets and companies. Key areas of expertise include analysis of commodity markets and preparation of trading ideas and detailed market & strategy reports. An ability to interpret statistical data to generate trading ideas and a strong appreciation of business imperatives. Other skills include expertise in financial analysis of resource companies and assets with a CFA, Master of Commerce with a background in Mining Engineering.

Chris Celovic

Director Industry Development - Department of Regional NSW - Mining, Exploration and Geoscience.

Chris Celovic has guided innovation in business, government and not-for-profits in Australia and globally. His extensive professional experience, honed in high pressure, multi-disciplinary environments has given him the ability to work collaboratively to improve the organisational processes and increase business productivity using technology, data and by facilitating joined-up services. Chris has the network skills and experience to connect people across multiple ecosystems. He has an MBA from the UNSW School of Business, several post-graduate qualifications in Public Administration and Learning and is a trade qualified Plant Mechanic He is strategic by nature and a keen business tactician. Loyalty and a commitment to lifelong learning are highly ranked in his personal attributes. He is at his best when he is part of a like-minded team anchored in a dynamic supportive environment. Chris values smart work that leverages data and tech and believes in developing individuals to prosper in a high performing business environment.

Professor Mark Jones

Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Education Innovation -  University of Newcastle

Professor Mark G Jones BSc (Hons), PhD, FRSN, FIMechE, CEng, FIEAust, CPEng

Professor Mark Jones is Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Education Innovation) at The University of Newcastle, Australia. He was previously Head of the School of Engineering and President of the Academic Senate. He is currently the Director of the Centre for Bulk Solids and Particulate Technologies and TUNRA Bulk Solids. He has held the Chair in Bulk Solids Handling at the University since 1999. His research interests span the broad area of Bulk Materials Handling and he specialises in pneumatic conveying. He is currently Chair of the Australian Society for Bulk Solids Handling, Vice-President of the International Federation of Measurement and Control of Granular Materials and has been appointed Visiting Professor at several Universities in China, India and the UK.

Adrian Beer

CEO - METS Ignited Australia Ltd

Adrian is the CEO of METS Ignited, an industry-led growth centre for the mining equipment, technology and services sector funded by the Department of Industry Science, Energy and Resources. Adrian has a broad range of global experience spanning over 20 years, and most recently with two of the world’s leading industrial technology companies, ABB and General Electric (GE). His background is in electrical engineering in the mining industry and has technical experience across a broad range of sectors including energy transmission, distribution, and the power generation sector. He is passionate about collaborative transformation, business efficiency, maximizing the performance and effectiveness of operations for the benefit of all stakeholders.

John Fennell

CEO - ICAA

John Fennell was educated at the University of Adelaide before starting a career at Price Waterhouse. At an early age John bought and built up a successful global manufacturing business which was sold in 1997. He has been CEO of the International Copper Association Australia since 1998 and has overseen some unique projects to develop new markets for copper, often underpinned by technology Roadmaps developed by the University of Sydney’s Warren Centre. 

Ashley Brinson

Director - Brinson and Associates

Ashley supports organisations to develop strategies for innovative and technology-driven sectors. He is the Founder of Greener Technologies, a cleantech / green tech consultancy, and Solarobotix, an automation system for large scale solar energy deployment. Ashley previously held positions as the CEO of The Warren Centre for Advanced Engineering and the Solar Energy Alliances Manager for Dow Corning Corporation. Ashley holds a BChE from Georgia Tech, an MBA from Rutgers University and a Juris Doctor from Sydney University Law School. Ashley is a Fellow of Engineers Australia, a Fellow of IChemE, and a lawyer of the Supreme Court of NSW.

Ian Smith

Director - Office of Regional Economic Development, Department of Regional Australia

Ian Smith is the Director of the NSW Office of Regional Economic Development. Ian has over 25 years' experience in international trade and investment across a broad range of industries and multiple disciplines. He previously served as Australian Trade Commissioner based in Chicago with responsibility for 13 states in the Midwest region of the United States. In his current role, Ian leads the only regional-specific investment promotion agency in Australia, providing targeted assistance to investors to establish and expand in regional NSW.

Ben Stockdale

Chief Financial Officer -Sunrise Energy Metals Limited

Ben is a financial and commercial executive with extensive mineral resources industry experience including project and corporate debt and equity financing, mergers and acquisitions and metals and concentrates marketing and logistics.
Over the past 20 years, Ben has held a number of executive roles at public and private mining companies including MPI Mines Limited, Oxiana Limited, Citadel Resource Group and Unity Mines Limited. Ben is a graduate in commerce from Melbourne University and completed a post-graduate diploma in applied finance and investment.

David Woodall

Managing Director - Australian Strategic Minerals

David joined Australian Strategic Materials as Managing Director in February 2020. He has over 30 years experience in the mining and resources sector, including operational, senior executive and board roles across Australia, Fiji, Central Asia, Indonesia, China, PNG and North America. Most recently, David was CEO of an ASX-listed Canada-focused base metals development company, where he drove the development of a new mineral resource and secured investment. His wide and varied international career also includes leadership roles at Newcrest Mining, Fortescue Metals Group and Rio Tinto. 

Relevant Qualifications and Memberships include: 

- MSc (Mineral Economics) – Curtin University

- Graduate Diploma (Business)

– Curtin University - Member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (AICD)

- Member of the Australian Institute on Mining and Metallurgy (AusIMM)

Tim Willets 

CFO and Strategy Lead - 3ME Technology

Timothy Willetts is the CFO and Strategy Lead for 3ME Technology. He began his career as an F/A18 Fighter Pilot in the Royal Australian Air Force. After leaving the Air Force, his career has focussed on Strategy, Technology and Operations across the Defence and Banking sectors. Tim has an MBA (with excellence) from UNSW and is currently studying a Masters of Commercial Law at Melbourne University.

Rod Henderson

CEO - Ampcontrol

Rod Henderson is the Managing Director and CEO of Ampcontrol, one of Australia’s largest and most successful electrical engineering and manufacturing companies operating across 30 sites around the world. Rod Henderson’s career with Ampcontrol spans over 25 years, starting with the company in 1991 managing the development and release of new electronics products. Rod has held various positions with the company, including Group Manager for Electronics and Chief Operating Officer of Australian Operations, prior to being appointed Chief Executive Officer in June 2014. As Managing Director and CEO, Rod oversees the Ampcontrol Group of Companies, including 6 member companies and over 1000 employees, with responsibility for strategic direction, profitability, group structure, and risk management. In 2019, Rod is leading the business with a strategic plan for sustainable growth in the energy, infrastructure and resources sectors, as well as continued innovation and diversification of its capabilities in new and emerging markets.

Clare Sykes

Cluster Manager - NewH2 - Hunter Hydrogen Technology Cluster

Clare is an engineer and innovation strategist with expertise in resources and energy sector value chains. She has worked across government and listed companies and brings a broad perspective to the scope and possibilities of energy and resource sector innovation. She has led and supported various multi-stakeholder initiatives including resource technology and decarbonisation roadmaps, industry cluster development, challenge-based innovation programs, and provides direct assistance to firms with strategy development and funding opportunities. She is a mining engineer (UNSW), a Graduate of AICD, holds a Graduate Dip. of Applied Finance, is a Churchill Fellow, and has completed the Women in Leadership Australia Advanced Leadership Program. She serves on the Advisory Board of the Newcastle Institute of Energy and Resources (NIER), is Chair of Resources NSW an initiative of the NSW Energy and Resources Knowledge Hub and leads NewH2 – Hunter Hydrogen Technology Cluster.

Nigel Buchanan

Head of Infrastructure at Lumea

Nigel Buchanan is the Head of Infrastructure at Lumea, and is responsible for organisational strategy, leading teams responsible for the investment and development of a variety of renewable energy assets.
His professional and empathetic approach to commercial negotiations is informed by over twenty years’ experience in consulting, business development and leadership within the large-scale infrastructure industry. Nigel started his career in oil and gas, moving to the UK in 1998 before relocating to Azerbaijan. Passionate about improving the standard of living for future generations, Nigel’s early career focused on delivering projects that built the economic prosperity of developing nations through IMF and World Bank funding. For eight years he had an incredible opportunity, he says, to walk across regions such as Georgia and the Caucuses, and be involved in research projects on Western Grey Whales off the coast of Russia. His primary interest has always been environmental with a lens on commercial outcomes and business development, and believes some of the biggest gains come from working inside the industry. Joining Transgrid in 2010, Nigel was given the job of building a non-prescribed business to drive revenue by providing customers with an energy gateway to renewables. At the outset, his team set a target to bring 1GW of renewables. Within four years, he had expanded the business across Australia and successfully added 3GW of renewable power into the National Energy Market. Now that number has more than tripled. Aside from his commercial work, Nigel has a strong interest in developing good policy for a rapid transition to renewables. He also sits on the Diversity Council and feels strongly about changing the gender skew in the electricity industry.

Professor Alan Broadfoot

Director - Newcastle Institute for Energy and Resources (NIER) University of Newcastle

Prof Alan Broadfoot is the Executive Director of the Newcastle Institute for Energy and Resources (NIER) at the University of Newcastle. Charged with an ambitious agenda linking industry and academia for transformational research in energy and resources efficiency, productivity and sustainability. Alan's strategic direction and enterprising leadership has promoted a number of new and exciting initiatives at NIER, aligned to emerging challenges and national priorities associated with the sector. In 2006 he was awarded Engineers Australia's  Professional Engineer of the Year. He is a Fellow of the Institution of Engineers Australia and was Chair of the Australian Industry Group Hunter Manufacturing Council from 2004 to 2009.

Professor Anna Giacomini

Professor in Civil Engineering -  University of Newcastle

Prof. Anna Giacomini received her PhD in 2003 from the University of Parma, Italy, and joined the University of Newcastle in 2005. She is currently a Professor in Civil Engineering at the University of Newcastle and since May 2019, along with her full-time research and teaching academic role, she is also the Director of the Priority Research Centre for Geotechnical Science and Engineering in the College of Engineering, Science and Environment. Anna has been working in the field of rock mechanics and rockfall analyses for more than 20 years. Adapting to the new Australian Environment, she has extended her extensive research experience in rockfall analysis and rock mechanics from civil engineering to mining. Since 2009, she has been leading several major research projects through industry and government funds on rockfall hazard and mitigation developing new designs for engineered barriers to protect valuable major corridors, infrastructures, and recreational areas from rockfall hazards. Anna’s contribution to science in rock mechanics and rockfall analysis has been recognised by several awards such as the recent 2019 John Booker Medal from the Australian Academy of Science and the 2019 Best Practice Industry Engagement Award she received from the Newcastle Institute for Energy and Resources.

Professor Kenneth Williams

Professor in Mechanical Engineering -  University of Newcastle

Professor Williams is motivated in the translation of research and innovation to the industry through the implementation of advanced systems technology and the training of associated personnel. Over the past decade, he has built a research team and research area focussing on the dynamics of aerated flows, the dynamics of moisture migration and retention, handleability of wet and sticky material and materials handling challenges associated with biomass feedstock. As Academic Convenor of the Advanced METS Doctoral Training Centre, Professor Williams has assisted in the growth of Higher Research Degree students working with industry, and he facilitates student collaborations, industry site visits and annual industry presentations. He has also established productive cross-disciplinary links with researchers from the geotechnical group, chemical engineering work in technical marketing of coal and iron ore and self-heating assessment, environmental science collaboration with the Global Centre for Environmental Remediation (GCER) and the Global Innovation Centre for Advanced Nanomaterials (GICAN) and also importantly advanced control technology for bulk material handling systems with the University’s mechatronics group. Professor Williams also leads international collaborative endeavours with Germany, China, Brazil, Turkey and the USA, in materials handling. This collaboration, combined with his external university and research institute collaboration shows the expanded vision that Professor Williams has for national and international research and innovation.

Ismet Canbulat

Professor and Head of School - UNSW

Prof Ismet Canbulat has 30 years of experience in operations, research, consultancy, management, and academia. He has BSc, MSc and PhD Mining Engineering degrees. He is currently Professor, Head of School and Kenneth Finlay Chair of Rock Mechanics at the School of Mining Engineering at UNSW Sydney. Ismet is a Fellow of the Institute of Engineers Australia and the Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy and, a member of International Society for Rock Mechanics, the Australian Geomechanics Society and Society of Mining, Metallurgy and Exploration.

Claire Beattie

Executive Director, Asset Activations - School Infrastructure NSW

Claire is a proud Yorta Yorta woman and is a prominent senior NSW Public Servant with over 21 years of experience in government across agencies such as Transport, Treasury and Education. Claire was the Head of the School of Leadership and Management at Charles Sturt University. Claire is the Executive Director for Asset Activations in School Infrastructure NSW within the Department of Education. Claire’s team delivers on the $120 million NSW election commitment to provide accessible Before and After School Care, as well as leases and licenses for uniform and canteens across NSW. Claire holds degrees in education, law, psychology and Diplomas in Project Management, Disability, Social Work, Workplace Training and Assessment, as well as traffic engineering.

James Moran

Adrian Beer

CEO - METS Ignited Australia Ltd

Adrian is the CEO of METS Ignited, an industry-led growth centre for the mining equipment, technology and services sector funded by the Department of Industry Science, Energy and Resources. Adrian has a broad range of global experience spanning over 20 years, and most recently with two of the world’s leading industrial technology companies, ABB and General Electric (GE). His background is in electrical engineering in the mining industry and has technical experience across a broad range of sectors including energy transmission, distribution, and the power generation sector. He is passionate about collaborative transformation, business efficiency, maximizing the performance and effectiveness of operations for the benefit of all stakeholders.