Speakers

Chief Willie Sellars

Speaking At:

• Reconciliation Breakfast

Chief Willie Sellars was born and raised in Williams Lake and is a proud member of the Williams Lake First Nation. Elected to Council at a young age and now in his second term as Chief, he has championed economic development, overseen impact benefit agreements, and led strategic engagement with industry partners throughout WLFN’s Traditional Territory. His leadership focuses on fostering respectful, sustainable partnerships through community-driven consultation and progressive new business initiatives.

Doug Silver

Speaking At:

• Finance Lunch

Douglas Silver’s 45-year career in the minerals industry spans everything from grass-roots exploration to building companies and private equity firms. He regularly shares his private research with others. Mr. Silver is one of three people inducted into both the U.S. and Canadian Mining Halls of Fame.

Adam Lundin

Speaking At:

• Opening Ceremony

Bernard Wessels

Speaking At:

• AME Lunch

Bernard serves as the Managing Director for the North America Business Unit, where he is dedicated to the safe, efficient, and responsible integration of the newly acquired Red Chris and Brucejack operations in Northwestern British Columbia, following the Newcrest acquisition. Additionally, Bernard is currently overseeing the strategic divestment of four legacy assets in North America, ensuring a smooth transition and positioning the business for future growth. Before his appointment as MD North America he held General Manager roles at mines in Mexico, Ghana and South Africa. He also served as the Vice President of Productivity in Africa for Newmont.

Nathan Bridge

Speaking At:

• Critical and Base Metals

Nathan Bridge is a geologist with over 15 years of experience in uranium and critical metal exploration. He has played a key role in several uranium discoveries across the Athabasca Basin. Currently he leads the Exploration team at CanAlaska Uranium, focused on the new high-grade ‘Pike Zone’ discovery.

Nicole D Barlow

Speaking At:

• Geoscience Innovation

Nicole D Barlow, P.Geo., is the Founder & CEO of Purple Rock Inc., established in 2006. With a passion for archival geoscience, Nicole and her dedicated team unlock historical exploration data, turning past research into valuable resources that can inform today’s geoscientists in their search for new discoveries.

Mark Gibson

Speaking At:

• Geoscience Innovation

Mark Gibson is an experienced geoscientist with over 34 years of experience in the natural resources sector. He was instrumental in shaping Ivanhoe Electric’s early stages, including the building of the first Typhoon™ geophysical transmitters in 2011, the formation of Kaizen in 2013, the strategic partnership with Cordoba in 2015, and the joint venture with SAMA Resources in 2018. He currently serves as the Chief Geophysics Officer for Ivanhoe Electric and sits on the board of the company’s data processing subsidiary, Computational Geosciences Inc. Prior to Ivanhoe Electric, Mr. Gibson worked at Anglo American and founded a geophysical service company specializing in seismic surveys for the mining industry. He holds an M.Sc. in Geophysics from the University of Leeds and a B.Sc. (Hons) in Geology from the University of Southampton. Mr. Gibson is a registered Professional Geoscientist (P.Geo.) in British Columbia and also holds a Pr.Sci.Nat (Professional Natural Scientist) designation with the South African Council for Natural Scientific Professions.

Amber Chong

Speaking At:

• The Gathering Place 1/2

Amber Chong, Technical Lead, Engagement at Two Worlds Consulting, supports collaboration between proponents and Indigenous Nations for regulatory applications. Her experience as a proponent and a technical reviewer gives her a unique perspective, enhancing her ability to support the application of Indigenous Knowledge meaningfully and holistically into regulatory applications.

Jacqueline Williams

Speaking At:

• Theme Session: Securing Our Future

Jacqueline Williams is a Data Scientist and Consultant in the AI & Analytics team at IBM Canada. She has a Bachelor of Science (Hons) in Astrophysics from the University of Calgary, and she has over six years of experience building custom AI solutions for clients across a broad range of industries. With a focus on AI for mining and oil & gas, Jacqueline specializes in developing Generative AI, optimization, and predictive modelling solutions that unlock the potential of data to improve decision-making.

Alex Harvey

Speaking At:

• Theme Session: Securing Our Future

Alex Harvey is a Toronto-based Consultant in IBM Canada’s AI & Analytics practice. With Bachelor (2014) and Master of Applied Science (2016) degrees from the Queen’s University department of Geological Sciences and Geological Engineering, Geodesy & Geophysics Group, he brings his background and experience in AI and analytics to client projects such as machine learning for mineral exploration, supply chain optimization reporting, and product strategy. Alex has been with IBM for over 6 years.

Christy Smith

Speaking At:

• The Gathering Place 2/2

Christy Smith, a member of the K’omoks First Nation, is Falkirk’s Senior Vice President, specializing in Indigenous Engagement. She has 25 years of expertise in British Columbia and the Yukon, focusing on reconciliation and decolonizing business and assessment processes.

Michael McPhie

Speaking At:

• The Gathering Place 1/2

Michael McPhie, with over 30 years in the mining industry, specializes in regulatory, Indigenous, and financial issues. Co-author of “Weaving Two Worlds,” he is also a notable speaker on reconciliation and sustainability.

Melissa Friend

Speaking At:

• Advances in Geoscience

Bio coming soon.

Neil McCallum

Speaking At:

• Critical and Base Metals

Mr. McCallum is a geologist with over 20 years of experience in North American mineral exploration, specializing in critical metals like lithium, uranium, and cobalt. He has played key roles in several companies, notably identifying significant lithium resources and guiding early-stage projects to successful exploration and discovery.

Miguel Martinez

Speaking At:

• Geoscience Innovation

Geologist with more than 18 years of experience. The first 11 years he worked in successful copper deposit exploration teams, with special emphasis on the innovative use of new methodologies and techniques. He has been part of ALS since October 2017 in the position of Senior Geochemist, working in communication, support and development of new technologies and methodologies.

Kody Penner

Speaking At:

• The Gathering Place 1/2

Kody is an Indigenous mining professional with a diverse background in the capital markets, mining, Indigenous business, and Indigenous governance. He brings a holistic approach to resource development by aligning values from all parties towards common goals. He is passionate about developing sustainable resource projects and growing Indigenous wealth.

Dr. Rebecca Hunter

Speaking At:

• Critical and Base Metals

Rebecca has 15 years of experience as a uranium exploration geologist in Saskatchewan and Nunavut. Dr. Hunter worked for Cameco as a project geologist from 2005 to 2016. Rebecca led Cameco’s Turqavik-Aberdeen exploration project, which discovered the high-grade Tatiggaq and Qavvik uranium deposits adjacent to Orano’s (formally AREVA) Kiggavik Project in Nunavut. Dr. Hunter completed her Ph.D. degree at Laurentian University on the Tatiggaq-Qavvik uranium trend in the northeast Thelon Basin.

Doris Hiam-Galvez

Speaking At:

• The Gathering Place 1/2

Doris is a transformative leader, known for her “Designing Sustainable Prosperity approach, which positions mining as a catalyst for regional prosperity

Paul Mircea Ivascanu

Speaking At:

• Critical and Base Metals

Growing up on an exploration camp within a family of exploration geologists in the famous “Golden Quadrilateral” in Western Transylvania in Romania, Paul followed the family passion for rocks and graduated top of class BSc in Geology follow by MSc in Petrology and Ore Deposits at University of Bucharest. This was complemented by additional training and research at University of Salzburg and ETH Zurich. While working on greenfield and brownfield exploration on Western Tethyan Belt for nearly 20 years with Barrick, Eldorado Gold and DPM, Paul gained a broad experience on exploration management, effective targeting and drill testing, resource modelling and evaluation of a wide range of ore deposits and has been championing discovery of more than 10 Moz Au Eq.

Erin Carswell

Speaking At:

• Critical and Base Metals

Erin Carswell is a growth-driven executive with 17 years of base metal exploration and mergers & acquisitions experience that has taken her across six continents, eight countries and a variety of deposit styles. Her latest role leading Foran Mining’s Geoscience & Discovery team in Canada is her most exciting yet.

Ronald Voordouw

Speaking At:

• Theme Session: Securing Our Future

A researcher turned explorer, Ron’s crooked path to an exploration geoscientist began in oil country. From there, he transected Canada to land on The Rock, went intercontinental to a post-doc in South Africa, and ultimately arrived in Vancouver to join Equity Exploration in 2011. Now, as a Partner in the company, Ron is responsible for high level oversight of Equity’s operating projects and deliverables, as well as providing reality checks on how much exploration work is feasible within a client’s budget.

Cathy Fitzgerald

Speaking At:

• Precious Metals

Ms. Fitzgerald is an executive & professional geoscientist with over 20 years resource industry experience in technical and leadership roles, driving the strategy, execution & advancement of projects across various commodities. Currently, President & Chief Geologist, and Director of South Pacific Metals Corp., leading exploration of copper-gold exploration projects in Papua New Guinea. Previously, she was Vice President Exploration & Resource Development at Apollo Silver and Director Resource Evaluation, Ivanhoe Electric.

Daniela Jara

Speaking At:

• Environmental, Social and Governance Session

Daniela is an MSc. Chemical Engineer with over nine years of experience in energy management and operational performance evaluations in heavy industries. She is consistently recognized for performance excellence and contributions to success in energy and GHG performance improvement. Daniela’s expertise in energy usage analysis and Energy Management Systems is backed by certifications in Energy Management (CEM), and Lead Auditor in ISO 50001:2018 (IRCA).

Scott Heffernan

Speaking At:

• Precious Metals

Scott Heffernan has been driving Equinox Gold’s exploration strategy as EVP Exploration since the Company’s inception. Scott is a registered professional geologist with 25 years of experience throughout the Americas and Africa. Scott received his B.Sc. from the University of Alberta and completed his M.Sc. with the MDRU at UBC.

Neil Prowse

Speaking At:

• BC, Yukon & Alaska

Neil Prowse is a BC born and raised geologist with over 13 years experience working on exploration programs throughout the Province. Since completing his M.Sc. at Carleton in 2017, he has worked as a consulting geologist for C.J. Greig and Associates Ltd., on a wide variety of deposit types, including Cu-Au porphyry, VMS, and epithermal gold/silver. As the project geologist for American Eagle Gold, he brings proven field-based leadership in geological modelling, drill-focused exploration management, and community engagement.

Ken Konkin, P.Geo.

Speaking At:

• BC, Yukon & Alaska

Ken Konkin, P.Geo., has over 35 years experience in mineral exploration throughout North and South America and Russia. He led key exploration projects at Silver Standard and Pretium Resources and was instrumental in the discovery of the 8-million-ounce Valley of Kings gold deposit. Ken has received the Bill Dennis Award and the K.K. ‘Spud” Huestis Award representing his contributions to discovery in British Columbia.

James Scoates

Speaking At:

• Theme Session: Securing Our Future

Bio coming soon.

Jean-Marc Lulin

Speaking At:

• Critical and Base Metals

As President and CEO of Azimut Exploration, Jean-Marc Lulin has opened vast regions of Quebec to exploration, leveraging innovative targeting methodologies and partnerships. His approach and successes led to his recognition as a leading player in the province. Jean-Marc earned a PhD in Economic Geology from the Université d’Orléans, France.

Andy Randell

Speaking At:

• BC, Yukon & Alaska

Andy is a Vancouver-based geological consultant and founder of SGDS Hive, providing progressive, science-based solutions for their clients. Andy established the non-profit Below BC, which performs outreach and educational opportunities in geoscience. He has founded Aeonian Resources to explore a more sustainable and transparent form of mineral exploration with the hope to inspire change at the grassroots level. In 2016, he received the Bedford Young Mining Professional Award through the Canadian Institute of Mining (CIM). Andy currently sits on the boards of Directors for the Association of Mineral Exploration (AME), and the East Kootenay Chamber of Mines. He is also the inaugural Chair of the newly formed BC Society of Engineering and Geoscience, an advocacy body split off from the BC professional regulator, EGBC.

Ryan Burke

Speaking At:

• Geoscience Innovation

Ryan Burke is an independent prospector and geologist with five years of experience in grassroots exploration in the Yukon. He specializes in high-risk, early-stage projects, with the goal of creating drill-ready targets in underexplored areas of the Yukon.

Douglas C Kreiner

Speaking At:

• Advances in Geoscience

Doug Kreiner is the Associate Center Director, geology and research geologist with the U.S. Geological Survey Alaska Science Center. Following his PhD, Doug worked in the mineral exploration industry exploring for porphyry Cu, epithermal and Carlin-style gold exploration programs in the western US. He joined the USGS in 2016 and continues to study and apply system-scale approaches to understand regional metallogeny and space-time relationships of hydrothermal systems.

Kate Rubingh

Speaking At:

• Advances in Geoscience

Bio coming soon.

Jerry Asp

Speaking At:

• The Gathering Place 1/2

Jerry is one of Canada’s most prominent Indigenous leaders. Jerry was President and founding member of the Tahltan Nation Development Corporation, Canadian Aboriginal Minerals Association and now Chair and CEO of Global Indigenous Development Trust. In 2020, Jerry was inducted into the Canadian Mining Hall of Fame and was named Mining Person of the Year by the BC Mining Association. In 2022, he received the Leadership Legacy Award by the Tahltan Nation.

Dianne Mitchinson

Speaking At:

• Geoscience Innovation

Dianne Mitchinson is a geologist whose work focuses on improving geological knowledge through interpretation and integration of geology with geophysical and physical property data. She is a Research Scientist at the Geological Survey of Canada, undertaking research as part of Natural Resources Canada’s Critical Minerals Geoscience and Data initiative.

Mila Gajic

Speaking At:

• Environmental, Social and Governance Session

Mila Gajic has over 15 years’ experience as a leader in human resource management specializing in the mining sector. Ms. Gajic took on the role of VP, HR in October 2021. Before joining Artemis Gold Inc., Ms. Gajic worked for 20 years for diverse international organizations, including KGHM International Ltd., Goldcorp, Stantec, Trafigura, Vantage Airport Group, and AXA Pacific Insurance. Mila’s expertise in global strategy development and execution, organization and leadership development, talent acquisition, total rewards, and experience with projects development, will ensure that Artemis’ Human Resources strategy support the business in achievement of its objectives. Ms. Gajic holds a Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA), and is Chartered Professional in Human Resources (CPHR), Certified Compensation Professional (CCP), and Certified Global Remuneration Professional (GRP). She is currently pursuing an MBA at Thomson Rivers University.

Gerrit Olivier

Speaking At:

• Geoscience Innovation

Gerrit is a pioneer in using ambient seismic noise-based methods in the mineral and materials exploration industry. During his career, he developed novel low-impact subsurface monitoring and imaging methods for the mining industry. Holder of numerous awards for his work in passive seismic methods, Gerrit is committed to expanding its use for mineral exploration on Earth and beyond – leading the team at Fleet Space that will deploy a geophysical device on the Moon in 2026 to improve our understanding of its interior composition and formation. Prior to joining Fleet Space, Gerrit held the position of Director and Head of Applied Geophysics at the Institute of Mine Seismology, and is currently a Senior Adjunct Researcher at the Centre for Ore Deposits and Earth Sciences at the University of Tasmania and Adjunct Associate Professor at the School of Science and Engineering at the University of Sunshine Coast. Gerrit received his MSc in Theoretical Physics at the University of Stellenbosch (South Africa) and his PhD in Geophysics at the Université Grenoble Alpes (France).

Michael Durose

Speaking At:

• Precious Metals

Mr. Durose is a professional geologist (P.Geo) registered in Ontario, with a B.Sc. (Honours) in Geology from Carleton University with a focus on mineral deposits geology, a Master of Science in Mineral Economics from Queen’s University, and a Graduate Diploma in Environmental Engineering from McGill University. He is currently President and CEO of Lavras Gold Corp., a junior gold exploration company focusing on Southern Brazil. He is the founder of Durose Asset Management Inc., and he previously held increasingly senior positions as a well-regarded mining analyst with Scotia Capital Inc., Morgan Stanely, Bunting Warburg, and Nesbitt Burns. He has travelled extensively to visit mining and exploration projects all over the world. Before joining capital markets, Mr. Durose worked as an exploration geologist in the Canadian base metal and gold industries.

David Moynihan

Speaking At:

• Advances in Geoscience

Bio coming soon.

Patrick Sack

Speaking At:

• Advances in Geoscience

Bio coming soon.

Tracy Lydiatt

Speaking At:

• Theme Session: Securing Our Future

Tracy holds a Masters of Science in Strategic Leadership Towards Sustainability (also known as The Natural Step) from the Blekinge Institute of Technology in Sweden. During which, she completed her thesis project focused on mining, Sustainable Mining? Applying the Framework for Strategic Sustainable Development to Mining Projects. She also holds a BSc (Hons) from the University of British Columbia in Geology and worked as a geologist in the gold/silver exploration sector in both remote locations and in corporate settings within Canada and Argentina. She has over a decade of experience with business and project development, team management, corporate training, and media in a variety of industries including mining, engineering, food, and textiles. She is passionate about building strong relationships for collaboration and innovation and one of her unique skills is the ability to bridge complex sustainability concepts and translate these for successful project management and execution.

Dejan Milidragovic

Speaking At:

• Advances in Geoscience

Bio coming soon.

David J Szumigala

Speaking At:

• Regional Overviews

Bio coming soon.

Maurice Colpron

Speaking At:

• Advances in Geoscience

Dr. Maurice Colpron is Head of Bedrock Geology at the Yukon Geological Survey. He has been mapping the geology of the Canadian Cordillera for more than 30 years and has published extensively on the tectonics and metallogeny of the North American Cordillera and the Arctic.

Roddy Campbell

Speaking At:

• Advances in Geoscience

Bio coming soon.

Evan Orovan

Speaking At:

• Advances in Geoscience

Evan Orovan is the Senior Economic Geologist at the BC Geological Survey. He specializes in porphyry-epithermal systems, and his research integrates field work, mineralogy, isotopic modelling, and microanalytical methods. He is currently guest editing a special issue in Economic Geology on lithocaps.

Gordon Clarke

Speaking At:

• Regional Overviews

Gordon Clarke is the Director of the Geological Survey of British Columbia’s Vancouver based, Mineral Development Office. Mr. Clarke holds a B.Sc. in Geology from Acadia University and a M.Sc. in Geology from the University of New Brunswick. Prior to joining the Survey in 2014, Mr. Clarke had over thirty years of industry experience, including consulting and as an officer in public exploration and mining companies.

Manoel Valcarcel

Speaking At:

• Geoscience Innovation

Manoel Valcarcel is structural geologist and software engineer at PE Limited. He has been working at PE Limited for 8 years, teaching structural geology techniques, developing software and conducting geology projects for hydrocarbon exploration and mining companies, with a variety of geological settings and mineral deposits across the world.

Arash Adnani

Speaking At:

• Commodities and Financial Markets

Arash Adnani is the founder of PrivatePlacements.com, a leading platform that aggregates financing data, empowering investors to discover, analyze, and track offerings and trends. He also leads Blender Media Inc., a premier digital agency that has partnered with over 500 public companies to enhance engagement with investors and stakeholders.

Nancy Norris

Speaking At:

• Environmental, Social and Governance Session

Bio coming soon.

Lynda Smithard

Speaking At:

• Environmental, Social and Governance Session

Bio coming soon.

Stephen Pope

Speaking At:

• Theme Session: Securing Our Future

Stephen Pope, Technical Lead, Data & Information joined Teck Resources in 2010. Stephen has worked primarily in the Exploration business unit over the past 15 years with intermittent placements at Teck Operations. Stephen’s team leads global data management standards across the business unit and delivery of custom applications to enhance discovery efforts across the exploration lifecycle. Recent work includes a focus on digital analytics and the application of Generative AI in mineral exploration. His educational background is in Geology and GIS.

Adam Coulter

Speaking At:

• BC, Yukon & Alaska

Adam has over a decade of experience exploring for precious metals, base metals and diamonds across Canada and the US. Adam has worked in Yukon since 2017 and advanced the Osiris Gold Deposit to a 1.7 Moz Mineral Resource and has subsequently been focused on making new grassroots porphyry copper discoveries.

Esther Bordet

Speaking At:

• Geoscience Innovation

Esther is a geologist and artist originally from France. After hauling rocks for 15 years, she launched her own business, providing illustration, animation and graphic recording services to organizations across the Yukon and Canada. Her work supports natural science and societal topics that combine scientific research and traditional knowledge.

Tony Reda

Speaking At:

• BC, Yukon & Alaska

Tony takes a vision and makes it a reality through hard work, tenacity, perseverance, and sound strategy development. His passion, enthusiasm, and drive are infectious and motivating, and he empowers the people around him. As Founder, President, CEO and Director of Tectonic Metals Inc., Tony is all in, working solely to create value for the company’s shareholders and stakeholders.

His loyalty and commitment to his work are undeniable, as demonstrated by the fact that he was the longest-serving employee of Kaminak Gold Corporation from inception in 2005 to the sale of the company, including the Coffee Gold Project, in 2016 to Goldcorp Inc. (now Newmont Goldcorp) for $520 million. Tony served as Vice President, Corporate Development for Kaminak executing the company’s strategic planning, financing, business development and marketing while overseeing the public relations and investor communications of the company. Tony was pivotal in orchestrating capital raises totalling over $165 million to primarily fund the acquisition and advancement of the Coffee Gold Project in the Yukon Territory from grassroots discovery through to the completion of a bankable feasibility study. He was also involved in monetizing Kaminak’s other projects by forming strategic alliances, joint venture agreements and creating public and private companies resulting in over $35 million being spent by third parties directly on Kaminak’s projects.

During his tenure with Kaminak, the company was ranked 8th best-performing mining company from a peer group of some 1,200 mining companies, was listed as a 2015 TSX Venture 50 Company and was one of four companies selected out of 1,971 companies listed on the TSX Venture Exchange as Best IR by IR Magazine in 2015.

Tony personifies Tectonic’s belief that responsible mineral exploration and development can positively impact the communities in which the company lives and operates and its commitment to early and ongoing community engagement, best practices in environmental stewardship and the development of a strong safety culture.

Sarah Ellis

Speaking At:

• Regional Overviews

Bio coming soon.

Beth Borody

Speaking At:

• Commodities and Financial Markets

Beth Borody is a mining executive and sustainability leader, specializing in female participation and ESG integration. As CEO of Femina Collective she promotes women led investing and has pioneered industry-leading ESG strategies, fostering global collaboration and creating impactful financial frameworks for a more inclusive and responsible mining sector.

Joe Mazumdar

Speaking At:

• Commodities and Financial Markets

Joe joined Brent Cook as co-editor and analyst of Exploration Insights in December 2015 and transitioned into being the sole editor a couple of years later. Previously, he had spent six years as a Senior Mining Analyst at Haywood Securities and Canaccord Genuity in Vancouver, six years as Director of Strategic Planning, Corporate Development at Newmont Mining (Denver), and over three years as a Senior Market Analyst/Commodity Trader at Phelps Dodge (now Freeport McMoRan, Phoenix).

Before becoming a mining market analyst, Joe worked for over a decade as an exploration geologist in different capacities for IAMGOLD, North Minerals, and RTZ in South America (Argentina, Chile, Peru, and Ecuador), MIM Exploration in Queensland, Australia, and Noranda and others in Western Canada (British Columbia, Yukon) and the Northwest Territories.

Joe has a BSc in Geology (1988) from the University of Alberta, an MSc in Geology and Mining (1997) from James Cook University (Queensland), and an MSc in Mineral Economics (2003) from the Colorado School of Mines.

Simon M. Jowitt

Speaking At:

• Theme Session: Securing Our Future

Simon M. Jowitt is the Director of the Ralph J. Roberts Center for Research in Economic Geology and the Arthur Brant Chair of Exploration Geology at the University of Nevada Reno, Nevada, USA. His research focuses on furthering our understanding of mineralising systems with direct application to mineral exploration as well as mineral economics, global metal resources and the security of supply of the critical elements, and the “economic” side of economic geology. Simon has published more than 115 scientific papers and peer-reviewed book chapters since 2010, is currently the Vice-President for Student Affairs for the Society of Economic Geologists (SEG) and was awarded the SEG’s Waldemar Lindgren Award in 2014.

Francois Bouchard

Speaking At:

• Precious Metals

Bio coming soon.

Francois Robert

Speaking At:

• Precious Metals

François has over 40 years experience on the geology and exploration of gold deposits worldwide. He consults part-time, following 22 years with Barrick Gold Exploration and 12 years with the Geological Survey of Canada. His approach to understanding gold deposits is field-based and integrates geology, structure and alteration across scales.