Become a Speaker

Geraldine Estay

Speaking At:

• Geophysics Session

Bio coming soon.

Jean-Philippe Mercier

Speaking At:

• Geophysics Session

Dr. Jean-Philippe Mercier is a seismologist and electrical engineer with over 20 years of experience in mining seismology. As Founding Partner at CAUR Technologies, he leads innovation in seismic instrumentation, artificial intelligence, and data processing to advance efficient, low-impact, and intelligent mineral exploration.

Bob Carmichael

Speaking At:

• Critical and Base Metals

Mr. Carmichael is a registered Professional Engineer in British Columbia and has over 30 years of experience in international mineral exploration. He has worked with the Lundin Group since 2006, and in the Vicuña District since 2011 advancing the Los Helados, Josemaria and Filo del Sol deposits and leading the team that discovered Lunahuasi in 2023.

Dawn A. Kellett

Speaking At:

• Advances in Geoscience

Bio coming soon.

Jim Lang

Speaking At:

• BC, Yukon & Alaska

Jim earned his PhD in economic geology in 1991 and joined the nascent MDRU where he participated in industry-supported research on Alkalic Porphyries and Reduced Intrusion-Related Gold Deposits. His international career is diverse but has focused on Au-rich porphyry copper deposits. Jim has been fortunate to work with exploration teams that have made several significant Cu-Au-Ag porphyry discoveries.

Steve Blower

Speaking At:

• BC, Yukon & Alaska

Steve is a geologist with over 30 years of experience in the minerals industry including open pit copper mine geology at the Similco and Huckleberry mines, resource estimation and exploration for a variety of commodities. He is the VP, Exploration of Vizsla Copper Corp. and is Chairman of Cosa Resources Corp. In 2022 he was a co-winner of the Colin Spence award for his role in discovering the Hurricane uranium deposit in Saskatchewan.

Janessa Kosar North

Speaking At:

• The Gathering Place 1/2
• The Gathering Place 2/2

Janessa Kosar North is the CEO of Kiciwapa Cree Nation and Mamawewin Productions Corp. She supports partnerships that strengthen community, protect the land, and advance self-determination. Guided by kinship and purpose, Janessa works to bridge community, governance, and industry through respect, collaboration, and shared responsibility.

Tiera Naber

Speaking At:

• Regional Overviews

Tiera Naber is an Economic Geologist at the Yukon Geological Survey. She completed a B.Sc. (Hons) at UCalgary (2018) and an M.Sc. at UBC (2023), studying alkaline volcanics in Nunavut and a rare earth element occurrence in Yukon. She has worked as a research assistant for multiple companies and consulted for industry clients at projects in BC and QC.

Mark Ferguson

Speaking At:

• Commodities and Financial Markets

Bio coming soon.

Ashleigh Ballevona

Speaking At:

• Environmental, Social and Governance

Bio coming soon.

Gloria Lopez

Speaking At:

• Geophysics Session

Bio coming soon.

Dr. Catherine Mottram

Speaking At:

• Geoscience Innovation

Catherine is a geochronologist and structural geologist whose research focuses on directly-dating deformation. Catherine studied in St Andrews and at the Open University, completing a PhD on Himalayan Tectonics. She held postdoctoral positions in the USA and Canada before joining the University of Portsmouth where she is an Associate Professor.

Kevin Byrne

Speaking At:

• Geoscience Innovation

Kevin Byrne, MSc, PhD, is geoscientist with 20 years of international exploration and mining operation experience. With a career bridging academia and industry, he combines fieldwork, geological processes, geochemistry, and data science to guide discovery and orebody knowledge. He is also advancing the use of AI in exploration technology.

Dave Lawie

Speaking At:

• Geoscience Innovation

Bio coming soon.

Mason Dykstra

Speaking At:

• Geoscience Innovation

Bio coming soon.

Steven Gray

Speaking At:

• Precious Metals

Bio coming soon.

David Rhys

Speaking At:

• Precious Metals

David Rhys is a consulting geologist based in Vancouver specializing in applied structural studies of advanced projects and mines, as well as district exploration opportunities. He has more than 30 years experience in global project work.

Cam Bartsch

Speaking At:

• Precious Metals

Cam is a structural geologist with B2 Gold based out of their corporate office in Vancouver. He has 25 years of combined experience in mineral exploration and production, with a strong emphasis on structural controls in orogenic gold systems.

Rick Rule

Speaking At:

• Commodities and Financial Markets

Rick began his career in 1974 in the securities business. He is known for his expertise in many resource sectors, including oil and gas, mining, and water. He is a frequent speaker at industry conferences and is interviewed for numerous television, print and online media outlets concerning natural resource investments.

Michael Gentile

Speaking At:

• Commodities and Financial Markets

Michael Gentile is widely recognized as a leading strategic investor in the junior mining sector. He holds the top shareholder position in more than 25 small-cap mining companies and currently serves on six boards of mining and resource companies.

Dr. Dean M. Peterson

Speaking At:

• Precious Metals

Dean Peterson, Chief Geologist of Big Rock Exploration, received his PhD from the University of Minnesota in 2001. He focused his PhD on digital mineral potential modeling of analog Superior Province orogenic gold and VMS deposits. His 40-year geologic career in economic geology includes stints in government, academia, and industry.

Kenneth Bush

Speaking At:

• Precious Metals

Kenneth Bush is an experienced exploration and mine geologist specializing in structural geology and 3D geological modelling. He has worked extensively on Victoria’s highest-grade gold mines, including Costerfield and Fosterville, and is now the Exploration Manager for Southern Cross Gold, exploring for high-grade gold and antimony in Victoria, Australia.

Erik Keyser

Speaking At:

• Geophysics Session

Bio coming soon.

Paul Köttering

Speaking At:

• Geophysics Session

Bio coming soon.

Wade Greene Brunham

Speaking At:

• The Gathering Place 1/2
• The Gathering Place 2/2

Wade Brunham is a Partner with ERM, bringing over 20 years of consulting experience. He is a people-focused business leader with a proven track record of guiding multidisciplinary teams and driving strategic growth in the environmental consulting sector. Wade is deeply committed to operationalizing sustainable development on complex natural resource projects, balancing environmental integrity with business performance.

Allan Cramm

Speaking At:

• Geoscience Innovation

Bio coming soon.

Wyatt Bain

Speaking At:

• Advances in Geoscience

Wyatt Bain is the Robert W. Hodder Chair in Economic Geology in Western University’s Department of Earth Sciences. He specializes in mineral deposit research with an emphasis on critical minerals, mineral exploration, and field-based geoscience education. His current work focuses on critical mineral deposits in northern Ontario, coastal and central British Columbia, and the southwest US.

Matthew Penney

Speaking At:

• Geophysics Session

With over 20 years of global experience, Matthew has led geophysical teams for major and mid-tier mining companies across 14 countries. An expert in advanced exploration technologies, he is the founder of Hardrock Geophysics, a consultancy dedicated to providing exploration guidance and geophysical support to help companies make their next discovery.

Alex Coutu

Speaking At:

• Geophysics Session

Alex Coutu is the founder of Rosor Exploration, a leader in drone-enabled geophysical and geospatial surveying for the mining and energy sectors. By integrating airborne magnetics, LiDAR, and advanced data analytics, Alex focuses on delivering deeper insights that help exploration teams make smarter, faster, and more confident decisions in complex terrains.

Theron Finley

Speaking At:

• Advances in Geoscience

Theron has a diverse background in tectonic geomorphology, paleoseismology, drone-based remote sensing, and structural geology. He completed a BSc (Hons) at UVic (2017), an MSc at UAlberta (2020), and a PhD at UVic (2025) before joining the Yukon Geological Survey as a Surficial Geologist.