講演者

Dr. Daniel S. Alessi is a professor and the Getty Oil Company Centennial Chair in Geological Sciences in the Jackson School of Geosciences at the University of Texas at Austin, who specializes in aqueous geochemistry and geomicrobiology. His research group focuses on developing technologies for critical minerals extraction, on understanding the surface chemistry and reactivity of environmental materials such as pyrogenic carbon, iron oxides, bacteria, and clay minerals, and on improving our knowledge of the water cycle in natural catchments and industrial operations. He was inducted as a member of the College of New Scholars, Artists and Scientists of the Royal Society of Canada in 2022, named a Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry in 2023, and named a Fellow of the International Environmental, Governance, and Society Association in 2026.

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David is Senior Vice President Advisory and Growth for DRA Global. He was formerly Global Vice President of Metallurgy and Consulting at SGS, with over 30 years of international experience in mining, metallurgy, strategy, and consulting. David has also held senior roles at Glencore, Xstrata, and mining consultancies. David is recognized for his expertise in critical minerals and the battery supply chain, with a focus on innovation. He has spoken at global forums including BNN Bloomberg, the White House, Benchmark Mineral Intelligence, and the Canadian Chamber of Commerce. He serves as Co-Chair of the Critical Mineral Council for the Canadian Chamber of Commerce and is a member of the Critical Mineral Expert Advisory Group for the International Energy Agency (IEA).

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Kyle Bartholomew is Chief Metallurgist at Metcom Technologies. Founded by Dr. Robert McIvor, Metcom provides world-leading training and knowledge transfer for mineral grinding circuits. Kyle began his career with Cleveland Cliffs in 1996 and has been with Metcom since 2012. He has conducted grinding circuit audits applying Functional Performance around the globe. Kyle also holds a senior research position with the University of Minnesota Natural Resources Research Institute (NRRI). Kyle has a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from Michigan Technological University, a master’s degree in management of technology from the University of Minnesota, and is co-inventor of five US patents.

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Dr. Ward Burgess is a research scientist working for Leidos at the National Energy Technology Laboratory. His research interest has two main thrusts: (1) the development and testing of processes to recover strategically important rare earth minerals from domestic waste feedstock materials, such as coal combustion byproducts and acid mine drainage solids, and (2) the development and testing of low-cost, portable sensing materials to rapidly detect the presence/concentration of critical minerals in process streams and natural samples. He also works with colleagues to validate thermodynamic models for the selective precipitation of rare earth elements from process streams. He has broad experience in chemical reaction engineering and has studied systems ranging from production of precursor materials for high-performance carbon fibers to membrane-assisted solvent extraction techniques for critical mineral purification. Dr. Burgess received his PhD in Chemical Engineering from Clemson University. Throughout Dr. Burgess’ career, he has authored or co-authored more than 30 papers and numerous presentations. In 2025, he was a member of an R & D 100 (widely regarded as the “Nobel Prize of Engineering”) winning team for the “eMission Critical Sensor” for rapid detection of critical metals in process streams and natural samples. When Dr. Burgess is not in the lab, he enjoys exercising, including running and hiking. He enjoys interacting with the scientific community and inspiring the next generation of scientists.

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Omar Caceres is a Metallurgical Engineer, Project Management Professional, and Six Sigma Black Belt with more than 25 years of experience in mining, metallurgical processing, project development, commissioning, operations, and technology scale-up. He specializes in nickel laterite heap leaching, ion exchange purification, and Ni-Co-Cu MHP production. Omar is currently Head of Project Development for Brazilian Nickel, supporting the Piauí Nickel Project, a 28,000 tpa nickel project advancing through detailed engineering toward FID. His work includes process design criteria, METSIM® dynamic simulation, mass balance development, commissioning planning, project risk management, CAPEX and OPEX modeling, financial valuation, and investor technical due diligence. Throughout his career with Brazilian Nickel, BHP Billiton, Rio Tinto, Samancor Chrome, and Cerro Matoso, Omar has led the design, construction, commissioning, and operation of pilot and demonstration plants to validate metallurgical processes, reduce technical risk, and support feasibility and investment decisions. His experience includes nickel laterite and copper heap leach technology development, process scale-up, feasibility studies, capital and operating cost estimation, and project valuation.

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Dr. Chin-Min Cheng is an Environmental Geochemist at Leidos, serving as a research contractor at the National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) in Pittsburgh PA. With over 20 years of experience, he specializes in resource recovery, advanced wastewater treatment, and hydrogeochemical modeling. Dr. Cheng is currently focusing on critical mineral recovery, especially utilizing mineral waste streams in the developments of highly functional sorbents for lithium extraction-and various environmental applications. He has served as Principal Investigator (PI) for over 30 projects, authored more than 30 peer-reviewed publications. His work bridges sustainable energy production with environmental remediation, supporting the mission of the NETL to develop technologies that recover critical minerals from domestic sources.

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David has Bachelor and Ph.D. degrees in Metallurgical Engineering from Queen's University (Canada) and since 1984 has worked at the University of British Columbia as Professor and Chair of the Industrial Research Chair in Hydrometallurgy. David is a co-founder of Atlas Materials and serves as CEO and CTO. David’s current work focuses on materials processing for decarbonization of battery materials production. David has received a number of professional awards including the Sherritt Hydrometallurgy Award (METSOC), the EPD Science Award (TMS), the Wadsworth Award (TMS) and the INCO Medal (CIM). David is a Fellow of CIM, Engineers Canada and the Canadian Academy of Engineering. He was recently inducted into the US Academy of Engineering as an International Member.

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BSc Chemical Engineering , University of Cape Town, South Africa PhD (Eng) University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa Past Chair, Hydrometallurgy Section of MetSoc, Canada Extraordinary associate professor, North West University, South Africa. Mike has 40+ years’ experience in R&D, primarily in the application of hydrometallurgy to the extraction of metals. Since 2003 he has been operating as Arithmetek Inc., offering process and cost modelling services to the industry at large.

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Eileen Espiritu is a Senior Metallurgist at SGS with over 14 years of experience in metallurgy, specializing in extractive metallurgy and mineral processing. She holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Metallurgical Engineering from the University of the Philippines, and a PhD in Materials and Mining Engineering from McGill University in Montreal, Canada. Her work focuses on the development and optimization of metallurgical process flowsheets for critical minerals, including rare earth elements, nickel, cobalt, manganese, and other specialty metals such as beryllium, rubidium, cesium, niobium, tantalum, etc.

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Nicolas (Nico) Grosso Giordano is a chemical engineer with deep expertise across process R&D, scale-up, and intellectual property in the lithium extraction and critical minerals sector. At Lilac Solutions, he has held a range of technical leadership roles, including spearheading the company’s new process R&D initiatives, scaling strategies, and development of its intellectual property portfolio. Most recently, Nico has focused on advancing Lilac’s technical partnerships in emerging lithium markets, including produced water, battery recycling, and downstream processing. Nico earned his Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from the University of California, Berkeley, where he collaborated with Chevron to develop novel catalytic materials for petrochemical applications. He holds a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from Northwestern University. He is the author of over 20 peer-reviewed publications in leading scientific journals and is an inventor on four U.S. patents covering advanced materials, separations, and critical mineral extraction technologies.

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David is a Senior Metallurgist at Core Resources with a PhD in Chemical Engineering from The University of Newcastle, Australia. He specialises in hydrometallurgical testwork design, project management and flowsheet development. He has worked on a range of critical mineral projects but in recent years has had a primary focus in both rare earth elements and lithium.

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Wolfgang KELLER is a Senior Process Engineer and Head of R&D at EKATO Ruehr- und Mischtechnik. He has more than 25 years of experience in the field of chemical and mechanical process engineering. From 1996 to 2000, he worked at LONZA as a Production and R&D Engineer in a polymer plant. In 2000, he joined EKATO’s R&D department, where he has focused on various applications, including polymers and mineral processing. He holds a Master’s degree (Dipl.-Ing.) in Process Engineering from the Technical University of Karlsruhe, Germany. Wolfgang Keller is the author of numerous papers on industrial mixing technology and holds several patents. Memberships: - EFCE (European Federation of Chemical Engineering): board member of the ‘Working Party in Mixing’ - VDI (Verein Deutscher Ingenieure)

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Kurt is currently the vice president of battery cell and pack for General Motors. Prior to that Kurt was the VP of Automotive at Sila Nanotechnologies, a battery materials company that enables lighter, higher energy density lithium-ion batteries for mass adoption of electric vehicles, longer-lasting portable electronics, and broader use of renewable power sources. Kelty brings more than 25 years of experience in the battery industry, including 11 years at Tesla, where he most recently served as Senior Director of Battery Technology. There he was responsible for leading numerous key initiatives, including setting the company’s battery cell usage strategy, delivering the batteries implemented in the Roadster, Model S/X and Model 3, and leading partnerships and material sourcing efforts at the Gigafactory, among many others. Prior to Tesla, Kelty was Director of Business Development at Panasonic, where he founded the U.S. battery R&D lab. Kelty holds a BA in Biology from Swarthmore College and a Master of Science from Stanford.

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During his PhD studies at University of Mainz, Germany and Seoul National University, Korea, Daniel focused on functional and reactive inorganic/organic surface coatings. Afterwards he joined the research and development department at Steuler-KCH GmbH using his experience to continue development of coatings and linings for severe corrosion protection. Later Daniel holds several international management positions within the heavy corrosion industry. He was involved in different international projects within mining, chemical industry or power generation. Since 2024 Daniel is Managing Director of DSB, a corrosion protection lining company specialized on HPAL and POX vessels. He has authored numerous technical papers in distinguished journals, and has contributed to several international meetings and exhibitions related to polymer science and corrosion engineering.

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Recognized for more than 25 years of developing and commercializing lithium-ion batteries, Dr. Christina Lampe-Onnerud is Founder and CEO of Cadenza Innovation, a growth-stage company transforming energy storage for grid, EV, commercial and industrial, and urban battery deployments. Previously, Dr. Lampe-Onnerud was Founder, CEO, and International Chairman of Boston-Power, a battery company providing products to the consumer electronics, transportation, and other end markets. Earlier in her career, Dr. Lampe-Onnerud held executive positions with Bridgewater Associates and Arthur D. Little, where she led the world’s largest non-captive battery lab. A two-time World Economic Forum Technology Pioneer and former co-chair of its Global Future Councils, Dr. Lampe-Onnerud is a co-chair of Li-Bridge, a public-private alliance convened by the U.S. Department of Energy to accelerate the creation of a robust domestic manufacturing base and supply chain for lithium-based batteries. She is also a former board director with the New York Battery and Energy Storage Technology (NY-BEST) Consortium, a coalition working to build a vibrant, world-class, advanced battery and energy storage sector in New York State. Dr. Lampe-Onnerud holds a Ph.D. in Inorganic Chemistry from Uppsala University, Sweden, conducted post-doctoral work at MIT and currently sits on MIT’s Chemistry Department Visiting Committee.

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Eric is CEO of Viridian Biometals, which is developing a technology to refine critical minerals using bacteria that breathe rocks. Prior to that, he founded Element Energy (acquired), which develops innovative energy storage technologies for grid-tied and renewable energy systems. He also served in the Clinton Administration White House as the lead financial analyst for research and technology policy. He has a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from UCLA and a master's degree in public and international affairs from Princeton University.

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Rob is one of the founders of NOVA Hydromet, a company specializing in severe service applications for pressure hydrometallurgy worldwide, and currently serves as its director of research and development. Using an interdisciplinary approach based on first principles, Rob has helped resolve multi-million-dollar production issues at some of the world’s largest autoclave production sites and pioneered industry best practices in letdown analysis and design. He is passionate about solving complex problems, often using mathematical models that draw on various sciences and his experience in control theory from the aerospace and instrumentation industries. Rob has authored multiple patents, previously worked at Memorex, Textron, and Caldera Engineering, and holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in mechanical engineering from Brigham Young University.

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Andrew Nissan is the senior director of strategic sourcing for Lyten with a focus on building the supply chain for their lithium-sulfur battery production. Lyten recently announced a 200MWh/year facility in San Leandro, CA, USA starting production in 2025 and a 10GWh/year facility in Reno, NV, USA starting production in 2027. Prior to working at Lyten Andrew was the director of materials engineering at Panasonic Energy of North America (PENA) in the Tesla Giga-Factory in Sparks, NV, USA and before that was a staff metallurgist for Tesla in Palo Alto, CA, USA. Andrew specializes in material characterization, fracture mechanics, metallurgical engineering, and physical metallurgy. Andrew received his PhD in Metallurgical and Materials Engineering from Colorado School of Mines and his Bachelor of Science in Material Science and Engineering from the University of California, Davis.

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Minerals Engineer practising in the nickel/copper/cobalt with PGM's industry from production through project development and financing. Focused on challenging the conventional processing routes to address the capital and operating cost challenges of the industry. Bacterial leaching of base metals and the development of alternative nickel laterite processing. Financing out of London to develop the various projects since 1995.

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Jonathan Radcliffe has over 15 years of expertise in battery materials development and process technology, specializing in scale-up, technology evaluation, and flow sheet design. As Technical Specialist at Worley, Jonathan drives front-end development for first-of-a-kind battery materials projects, supporting the battery value chain and advancing critical mineral solutions essential for the energy transition.

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The development of resilient supply chains in pursuit of in-country climate change goals and energy security has become the imperative of the century at both the national and international levels. Adele is responsible for reviewing regulatory and policy trends and risks impacting global critical mineral supply chains, from fractious geopolitical forces to the challenges of implementing effective policies. She has also completed extensive mine-level due diligence, providing an objective view of ESG and regulatory risks for critical mineral supply chains. With increasing scrutiny of how corporations operate in multiple jurisdictions, fulfilling and demonstrating high standards of ESG is no longer an option but a requirement from both a market access and investment perspective. She brings her techno-legal background and experience working with stakeholders throughout the mineral supply chain to identify effective ESG strategies in support of responsible business practices.

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Danielle Singleton works at ExxonMobil as a Customer Application Developer for the hydrocarbon fluids business. Her previous experience at ExxonMobil as a catalyst R&D chemist for 10 years allows her to think of the products on a molecular level. This has allowed her to better understand her customers’ quality and application needs. She supports the well-established mining industry and the emerging battery recycling application, which allows her to leverage her deep knowledge of the Escaid™ products, the unique binding characteristics of metals, and how Escaid products are advantaged over traditional solvent products in hydrometallurgy. She holds an M.S. from the University of Michigan and has been listed as an inventor on 9 different global patents from her time at ExxonMobil.

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Dr. Kent Sorenson is the Chief Technology Officer at Allonnia in Boston, Massachusetts. He is a globally recognized expert in innovative technologies, with over 30 years of experience addressing environmental challenges in contaminant treatment and mineral processing across North America, Europe, Asia, and Australia. His work has earned numerous accolades, including the 2020 Henry L. Michel Award from the American Society of Civil Engineers for Industry Advancement of Research. Kent holds six U.S. patents and has more than 15 pending patents related to remediation of contaminated sites, water treatment, and sustainable mining.

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David St. Angelo is the Chief Technology Officer at Mangrove Lithium in Vancouver BC. He brings over 30-years experience in sustainable technology commercialization, plant construction, technoeconomic analysis, and technical leadership. At Mangrove he leads the operations and advanced development teams commercializing an electrochemical process for converting lithium feedstocks into lithium hydroxide. David holds a BS in Chemical Engineering from the University of Massachusetts and an MS in Electrical Engineering from Northeastern University.

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Since joining Cambridge EnerTech in Feb 2024, Sarah has worked within the recycling, mining and mineral processing areas of the battery value chain. She has industry experience in power supply and conversion for clean energy applications, Li-ion battery cathode research, oil and gas and mineral processing. Sarah holds a PhD in Materials Science & Metallurgy from the University of Cambridge and a BEng in Mineral Engineering from the University of Leeds.

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Dr. Katsuhide Takenaka is Deputy General Manager of the Engineering Department at Sumitomo Heavy Industries Process Equipment Co., Ltd. (SHI-PE), Japan, and Adjunct Lecturer at Osaka Metropolitan University. He holds a PhD in Chemical Engineering from Yamagata University and conducted research at the University of Birmingham, UK. With more than 25 years of experience in mixing, agitation, mass transfer, and reactor engineering, he has contributed to the development, scale-up, and commercialization of advanced mixing technologies for chemical and process industries worldwide. Dr. Takenaka has authored numerous peer-reviewed publications and is the inventor of multiple Japanese and international patents, including recent innovations in agitation systems. He serves on the executive committees of the Kansai Branch, the Particle and Fluid Processing Division of the Society of Chemical Engineers, Japan.

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Will Talbot is a Research Manager at Benchmark Mineral Intelligence, where he manages research and analysis within Benchmark’s Raw Materials Forecasting market area, with a particular focus on the nickel and cobalt markets. Will has a background in research and consulting across commodities and has specialised in the lithium-ion battery and electric vehicle markets for the past six years.

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Johann Verster is a chemical engineer with over 25 years of experience in the mining and downstream refining industries. He began his career in pressure leaching base metal refinery operations in the platinum sector before moving into engineering, where he spent 17 years specializing in process development, process design, commissioning, and project management. An internationally recognized autoclave expert, Johann has led the installation and commissioning of over five autoclave circuits. He played key roles in two uranium pressure leach projects and has been at the forefront of refractory gold POX and HPAL development. He has consulted independently into several operating companies and autoclave related projects. He is currently employed by Caldera Engineering as an industry process specialist.

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Craig currently serves as the General Manager of Cambridge EnerTech with primary responsibilities for scientific conference organization and program development within energy market sectors with conferences based in the United States, Asia, Australia and Europe. Prior to that and since 2014, Craig served as Executive Director of Conferences for Cambridge Enertech. Previously to joining CII and forming Cambridge EnerTech, Craig was the Founder and President of the Knowledge Foundation, a scientific conference and publishing company until it was acquired by CII in 2014. Additionally, Craig was a Director at IBC USA (now Informa), and has previous experience in conference development, publishing and technical marketing.

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