Natural Resources Forum

Priya Agarwal Hebbar is the Chairperson of Hindustan Zinc Limited, India’s largest and world’s 2^nd largest integrated Zinc producer and is also the Non-Executive Director at Vedanta Ltd, world's leading natural resources conglomerate.

As Chairperson HZL, Priya has been key in leading a robust growth plan for the organisation. Under her leadership HZL reported a record-breaking year surpassing production of 1 million tonne of refined metal. Given the push from Priya on investing in world class technology for maximum metal recovery, and digitization of the mining and smelting operations – HZL achieved highest-ever mined metal production in the first quarter of 2023 at 257kt.

Further, as part of Priya’s vision to reduce import dependency of silver, used heavily in the production of medical equipment and solar panels, HZL is establishing a best-in-class Fumer to extract maximum metal content through which the organisation will be able to produce additional silver in Hydro 2 plant.

Further, in addition to her role as Chairperson HZL, Priya is also the anchor of Vedanta’s ESG transformation. She is passionate about nature conservation, animal welfare, child nutrition and gender parity which has driven her to lead a variety of CSR initiatives. Under Priya’s leadership, the Anil Agarwal Foundation (AAF), the philanthropic arm of Vedanta, has invested around USD 240 million towards socio-economic development in India touching the lives of around fifty million people across 1300 villages in India and has pledged USD 600 million over the next 5 years towards social impact projects. Vedanta has modernized over 4000 anganwadis across the country through its flagship project Nand Ghar which aims to ensure opportunities for seven crore children and 2 crore women even in the remotest parts of the country. Nand Ghar reimagines the anganwadi network with state-of-the-art infrastructure powered with 24x7 solar electricity, clean hygienic toilets, water purifiers and provides best in class services for e-learning based pre-school education, wholesome nutrition, health, hygiene, and women empowerment.

Priya has also led the development & implementation of a groupwide inclusion policy for its transgender employees in an effort to promote inclusivity and diversity at workplace. As part of the comprehensive policy, Vedanta is extending additional medical benefits in terms of a 30-day gender affirmation leave and financial support of up to Rs 2 lakh for gender affirmation surgery, the company said in a statement.

Following her love for animals, in 2010, Priya founded YODA - Youth Organization in Defence of Animals, today the largest animal welfare organization in Maharashtra with focus on rehabilitation of injured, sick, and abandoned stray animals, rehabilitating over 3000 animals each month. It partners with the local municipality to vaccinate and sterilize around 600 animals each month. YODA ensures the adoption of over 4000 shelter animals every year, providing 24/7 ambulance services across the city of Mumbai with fully equipped ambulances to conduct emergency treatments on spot. It aims to reduce rabies, ensure stray population control in Maharashtra, and promotes community awareness and education through school outreach to instill sensitivity towards animals in young children.

Priya is also leading India's first state-of-the-art animal welfare project TACO - The Animal Care Organization, under AAF which will bring leading academicians, veterinary professionals, and communities together to create a more holistic approach to animal care in India. TACO also supports tiger conservation efforts and provides infrastructural support to the Ranthambore National Park in collaboration with the Government of Rajasthan.

With focused action plans on decarbonization, water positivity, workplace safety, community welfare and workforce diversity, Priya’s leadership is driving Vedanta on a transformative journey to emerge as an industry leader in ESG.

Maher Al Kaabi, a visionary leader and a seasoned banker with over 30 years of experience in the Banking,IT industry and Family Business. He has extensive expertise in Board Membership, Islamic Banking,Wholesales & Consumer Banking, Risk Management, Finance, Operation & Technology, Sales &Distribution and Business Development. Serves on board of several startup companies, a Chairman ofBoard of Governance of a Star International School and co-founder of Blink.

Currently, he is an advisor to the Group Chairman of Al Serkal Group of Companies and serves as anIndependent Board Member. His expertise lies in devising impact and commercial strategies, workingwith government leaders and private sectors.

Works extensively with various ministries in future technologies, circular economy, and sustainabilityof family businesses by training NextGen on Venture Studio Module. On the advisory board of UAEMinistry of Climate Change and Environment and other entities.

He has worked as Group Head of Islamic Banking at Emirates NBD and also served as Group HeadChief Operating Officer for Group Wholesale Banking. Previously he worked as the Chief Risk Officerat Dubai Bank. And prior to that he worked at Citigroup for over 14 years where he has assumed varioussenior roles both locally and internationally.

He is currently pursuing his doctorate in the field of AI driven sustainability. 

Ba Aliou Coulibaly is from Mauritania. He obtained a Master’s degree in education at the University of Nouakchott. He works as the National Coordinator of Publish What You Pay (PWYP), an organization advocating for more transparency in the mineral extractive sector where he supervises the implementation of projects related to communities’ rights.  Coulibaly has also completed Courses at the Norwegian petroleum directorate,  PETRAD  in 2013 on the transparent and accountable management of oil and gas . He has also attended the Humphrey mid-career training program on natural resources management at  Michigan State University.    Coulibaly, is  currently a member of the National ITIE Committee and is in charge of Local content courses at the International Master GAED, Natural Management program at  University of Nouakchott;

Prior to joining PWYP, he worked as a communication officer for Oxfam GB, a humanitarian NGO.

As a freelance journalist,  Coulibaly has published a series of articles on issues related to corporate social responsibility. He has also published research reports on different subjects, mainly:  knowledge about the resources, illicit financial flow of revenues, and  impact of extractive activity on the  local communities and their environment.

Coulibaly’s opinion on extractive issues has become prominent for most of the members of the parliament and also the major media in Mauritania.

Coulibaly has recently admitted as a member of the International EITI Board based  in Oslo. Norway 

Alison is Deputy Managing Director at Wardell Armstrong International and technical lead for the ESG and sustainability management team and a Chartered Environmental Specialist with a master’s in environmental management from Camborne School of Mines. With over twenty years in the industry, Alison was made a Fellow of the Institute of Material’s, Minerals and Mining in 2015 in recognition of her services in environmental and social impacts of mining. Alison has extensive experience of managing technical commissions involving environmental and social impact assessment (ESIA), Environmental Risk Management and Assessment, Due Diligence and ESG Reporting.  

Alison regularly works with multidisciplinary teams and operates as a Competent Qualified Person for CPR Reports, mergers & acquisitions and financial transactions for a variety of drivers including EBRD Operational Policies, IFC Performance Standards, Equator Principles and International Financial institution requirements. She is fully conversant with host country and international guidelines, procedures, regulations and standards for mining and ESIAs. During her career Alison has undertaken a variety of contracts focused on provision of environmental and social advisory, appraisal and ESG consulting services specifically in the energy and extractives sector. She specialises in the Environmental and Social risks associated with the development of metalliferous deposits.  Alison is currently Project Director for ESIA’s Simandou Fe ore project in Guinea and Tara Resources in the Balkans.  

Lee leads the work on nature and biodiversity for the customer investment portfolio at Scottish Widows, with a focus on biodiversity impact assessment, TNFD and the growth of carbon and nature markets. He authored the Scottish Widows’ report on nature and biodiversity in pensions and is an active contributor to several nature-focused industry initiatives. With a previous background in investment compliance, Lee is the SME on various pieces of sustainable finance policy and regulation.

Mirza leads all aspects of Aviva Investors’ ESG approach and is a member of Aviva Investors’ Global Executive Committee.

Mirza is responsible for setting Aviva Investors’ ESG strategy, defining ESG policies, delivery of systematic and impactful ESG integration and stewardship frameworks across liquid markets and real assets, oversight of Aviva Investors’ suite of sustainability strategies and solutions, and the maintenance of a robust and effective ESG operating model overseeing 50+ ESG specialists across the business. 

Experience and qualifications

Mirza joined Aviva Investors in 2016 and has over 20 years’ experience in the ESG industry across various roles based in the US, Europe, and Asia. Mirza currently serves as the Chair of the UK Investment Association’s Stewardship Committee and in 2022 was named amongst Financial News ‘Most Influential in Sustainable Finance Europe’. 

An experienced industrialist and financier, Carol read Natural Sciences as an undergraduate at Cambridge. She started her career in the oil and gas industry before moving into investment banking where she held senior positions at UBS, Credit Suisse First Boston, JP Morgan, where she was Head of European Equity Research, and Chase Manhattan Bank. 

During 2019, she joined with seven other corporate board directors in London to found Chapter Zero, a network based organization at Hughes Hall, Cambridge University to enable non-executive directors of companies to engage with climate risk and the delivery of net zero targets for carbon emissions. Chapter Zero now has at least one member on over 70% of FTSE 100 Boards. Chapter Zero in the UK has also supported the foundation of a global network of Chapters (under the World Economic Forum Climate Governance Initiative) whose membership currently exceeds 100,000 Board Directors in over 70 countries.

She currently serves on three public company boards: Bonheur ASA (Norwegian listed company in renewable energy generation and services), Tharisa plc (London and Johannesburg listed Platinum mining company) and BlackRock Energy and Resources Income Trust (which invests in the energy transition explicitly alongside traditional energy and mining). Carol is also a Council Member of Research England and the Senior Independent Director of the National Physical Laboratory and the first female board member of the Football Association of Wales, where she leads on sustainability, governance matters and finance. 

In mid-2023, Catriona took on the role of Director of Metals and Mining Transition Finance at Standard Chartered. Her responsibilities involve provision of financing for, and advising clients on, their energy transition journey.

Before Standard Chartered, she was at Rio Tinto for six years, holding various roles. Most latterly, leading the decarbonisation of the Copper product group. She also served as Chief of Staff to the Chief Executive of the Energy and Minerals, and Copper product groups; and sat in the Ventures team focusing on battery metals investment opportunities.

Throughout her career, Catriona transitioned from exploration and resource geology roles to investment analyst positions in asset management and private equity, working in Australia, the UK, and Africa. Additionally, she founded Young Mining Professionals UK in 2017, which has since become a global platform for emerging mining leaders.

Catriona earned a BSc in Geology and an MSc in Metals and Energy Finance from Imperial College London.

Chris is a Technical Director with Stantec who leads an environmental consulting team specialising in regulatory permitting and compliance including within the waste, water, minerals and energy sectors. He has 20 years professional experience in both academia and consultancy and a technical geo-science and hydrogeology background. Originally providing hydrogeological support to waste (landfill) operators in the UK his experience has expanded to a wider permitting and compliance focus across all UK jurisdictions. He has a particular interest in regulatory drivers and obstacles relating to UK mineral extraction and waste activities, but is also a strong advocate for sustainable material reuse and circularity all hinging on an appropriate legal definition of waste. Chris and his team represent a wide range of clients from project inception and planning through to operational compliance and beyond. This work requires close relationships with operator clients, but also a strong track record in working collaboratively with UK regulators and other stakeholders. His team is at the fore of matters associated the sustainable management and reuse of soil and aggregate from construction whether in support of producers or end users and he has led production of recent new CIRIA guidance (C809) on the sustainable management of soils and aggregates from construction. He is a Chartered Environmentalist, Chartered Resource and Waste Manager, Fellow of the Institute of Quarrying, Member of the British Soil Science Society and Qualified Person under the CL:AIRE Definition of Waste Development Industry Code of Practice. Chris will aim to bring insight into current regulatory trends, drivers and barriers for the waste and minerals sectors in the UK particularly associated with the Environmental Permitting Regime in England and Wales but also associated regimes in Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Jonathan Blanchard Smith works in complex, multi-national and multi-cultural environments. With a background ranging from New York to the more remote parts of the Middle East, he has occupied C level roles in public and private corporations, as well as in the Third Sector in the UK. He brings effective and naturally empathic leadership to organisations whether as their Chairman or as a corporate troubleshooter.

Jonathan is past Chairman of the Reform Club, one of London's senior Clubs. He is a graduate of Manchester University and St Catharine's College, University of Cambridge‎.

Emily is a Managing Associate in the Disputes & Investigations team with a wealth of experience dealing with substantial and high-profile commercial disputes, including parallel proceedings (multiple proceedings arising from the same event).

She specialises in ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance) litigation and risk management, and has broad experience, including:

• Advising a private investment firm on the litigation and reputation risks associated with branding itself as a “sustainable” investor
• Identifying potential claims that could be brought against a financial institution that makes untrue/misleading statements regarding its environmental credentials, or those of its services and products.
• Researching financial institutions’ climate change related due diligence and disclosure obligations, and identifying the potential civil and criminal consequences for breach, including claims alleging greenwashing/mis-selling, securities law breaches and breach of directors’ duties, and non-judicial proceedings.
• Advising a global financial institution on its response to a letter from an activist NGO regarding its lending to carbon intensity businesses.
• Acting for an international company in a large-scale environmental mass claim arising in Africa, with proceedings in Africa and potential parent liability proceedings in England.
• Advising an NGO on a complaint to the UK OECD National Contact Point against a corporate accused of land grabbing and associated human rights abuses in South East Asia.
• Advising an international mining corporation on its environmental and human rights policies, as well as its ESG hard law obligations and ‘soft’ law requirements.

Emily also has a special interest in mass claims, acting for both defendants and class representatives. 

Emily was a member of the team awarded Commercial Litigation Team of the Year (Legal Business Awards), Litigation Team of the Year (The Lawyer Awards) and Banking Litigation Team of the Year (Legal Week Commercial Litigation & Arbitration Awards) in 2019 for successfully defending Grant Thornton and others against claims brought by the Tchenguiz brothers relating to the collapse of Kaupthing Bank. In 2020, she was recognised in the Legal 500 rankings as a key lawyer in Simmons & Simmons’ financial markets disputes team (Banking Litigation: Investment and Retail, Tier 2).

Candice Boclé is Head of Sustainable Investment specialists at Carmignac, based in London. Candice joined the business in October 2020 from Capital Group. Candice worked at Capital Group from 2014 as Corporate Governance Analyst, latterly as ESG Specialist, responsible for company analysis and engagements. Prior to Capital, Candice was SRI Analyst at Generali Investments, in Paris. She holds two MSc in Finance and Marketing from Sciences Po Bordeaux as well as an MBA from London Business School.

Claire is one of the UK’s leading authorities on corporate and sustainability reporting, and the founder and director of Falcon Windsor, a specialist reporting and communications advisory company. FW is a team of senior reporting and communications specialists who advise clients, mostly global PLC, on every aspect of reporting, with the exception of the financial statements.

As sustainability reporting requirements become more stringent and as companies increasingly want to set out their ambitions around meeting net zero, Claire works with them on how to do so in a meaningful way. From writing BT Group’s first ‘Better World’ online sustainability report in 2002, she has worked with many companies – from first-time reporters and small companies, to some of the world’s largest – to develop their sustainability reporting; always with an eye to how non-financial and financial information is part of the same corporate story.

Her expertise and focus on truthful, accurate reporting led the UK Chartered Governance Institute to commission Claire to write the standard work on reporting. With a foreword by Sir Donald Brydon, and contributions from experts across the reporting world, Trust me, I’m listed – why the annual report matters and how to do it well, was published (second edition) in October 2021.

Claire came to corporate reporting by way of four years and two degrees at Cambridge University, editing mediaeval texts and honing a love of language and a knack for translating incomprehensible jargon into modern, clear English. She is the co-author of three books with the Dark Angels Collective, including On Writing, to which she contributed a chapter on corporate reporting, published in 2019. She is an Associate Partner of Dark Angels, a global network of trainers and writers whose philosophy is that business writing should be more human.

Experienced global equity investor currently serving as board chair, non executive director and trustee. After 25 years of experience in stock picking and active engagement, I focus on emerging markets, multinational companies and sustainability. I provide independent advice and insights on capital markets strategy and ESG integration. Having completed the HBS Corporate Director Certificate, Shared Value course and CFA U.K. ESG program, I am increasing my scope of work as a corporate board director and charity trustee. Ask me about fundamental analysis incorporating ESG metrics, creating shared value, and active stewardship. I am passionate about helping companies and their leaders develop long term strategy and sustainable outcomes.

Yulia Chekunaeva is Director of the Clean Growth Leadership Network.

In March 2021 Yulia graduated from Harvard Business School Advanced Management Program with her course personal case being “Climate change impact on business model in metals and mining”. She also holds an MSc from Warwick Business School (University of Warwick) in Economics and Finance. She completed her undergraduate studies at International College of Economics and Finance, which allowed her to graduate with two degrees: a BSc in Economics with honours from State University – Higher School of Economics, and a BSc in Banking and Finance from The London School of Economics and Political Sciences.

Shaheen is currently head of analytics at Industrial Info Resources (IIR), a global provider of data, analytics and market intelligence on the energy, commodity and industrial sectors. Industrial Info is currently tracking and analyzing over $23.3 Trillion worth of capital and maintenance spending activity across multiple industries. A resident in Dubai for the past 17 years, Shaheen previously ran a boutique strategic advisory firm specializing in the oil & gas sector, also in Dubai. Prior to his time in the Middle East, Shaheen was Global Head of Strategic Marketing in Reuters Forex & Derivatives business in London, as well as holding various roles in Ernst & Young’s Strategy & Transformation division and with McKinsey & Co, also in London. Shaheen holds an BSc in Geology from London University and an MSc in Information Management from Sheffield University.

Alex Christopher joined CRU in June 2021 and is a Senior Analyst in the Multi-Commodity Team. He has previous experience as an Exploration Geologist working for a private equity group with global interests. At CRU, Alex is part of the Multi-Commodity team; he is responsible for the day-to-day delivery of content to CRU’s strategic partner in the credit ratings sector, Fitch Ratings. He provides cross-commodity insight and analysis on a wide range of topics and contributes to projects across the business. In his previous role, Alex gained experience in the mineral exploration industry. He has worked on projects across multiple jurisdictions, including Sweden, Norway, Ireland, Montenegro and Arizona. During this time, he was exposed to several different deposit types and commodities, including gold, zinc, lead, silver, nickel, copper and cobalt. Alex holds an MSc in Mining Geology from the Camborne School of Mines (University of Exeter) and an MSci in Geoscience with A Year of International Study from Royal Holloway, University of London. His International Year was spent at the University of Toronto. Alex is based in CRU's London office.

Dr Rose Clarke is Co-Founder of Responsible Raw Materials, a not-for-profit focused on enabling the responsible exploration, production, and use of raw materials through knowledge sharing and open dialogue. She is also an ESG and Climate Change Consultant based in the UK, and Climate Change Lead for Satarla, a risk management and ESG consultancy.

Experience supporting mining companies includes hands-on support constructing practical approaches to climate and sustainability reporting and disclosures (including GRI, TCFD, and CDP), creating appropriate targets, and developing effective strategies to meet those targets. Recently, Rose led the drafting of Metals & Mining sector reporting guidance for the Transition Plan Taskforce.

Rose holds a PhD from the University of Leicester, during which she worked with industry and the British Geological Survey. The study provided insight into the true impact of mining regarding sustainability, utilising life cycle assessment methodologies, carbon accounting, and scenario analysis.

She has developed training courses on topics such as ‘ESG in Mining’ for organisations including Edumine, and delivered courses on sustainability, climate change, risk management, and mining to a range of audiences across the globe, from geological surveys to members of parliament.

Lucy is a geologist with a background in grassroots exploration. She holds an MSc in Mining Geology from Camborne School of Mines and a Master’s degree in Earth Sciences from the University of Oxford. Prior to joining Cornish Lithium, she worked as an exploration geologist for Altus Strategies, planning and implementing exploration strategies for base and precious metals projects up to drill stage in Africa. She is now applying these skills to Cornish Lithium’s exploration programme. Part of her role at Cornish Lithium is to foster collaboration with other industry and academic partners to accelerate the exploration programme and test new concepts.

Lucy has a keen interest in furthering the interests of young mining professionals and in promoting the mining industry to students, and sits on the committee of both Young Mining Professionals and Women in Mining (UK).

Mark is a mining engineer by training having started his career in deep underground coal mining in 1976. In his following +46 years of experience, he has had line and support responsibilities across all forms of mining, processing, and product marketing, having worked across 6 continents, 20 countries and with more than 30 minerals and metals. He is recognized as a major industry leader and innovator with a track record for delivery of improvements across all facets of business performance. Mark retired from his role as the Chief Executive Officer (CE) of Anglo American (AA) in April 2022 after more than 9 years and delivering the significant restructuring and revitalisation across all facets of its global mining business. In his period of tenure, AA delivered industry leading capital and shareholder returns underpinned by a doubling of employee productivity, with associated material cost reductions and improvements in capital returns. At the same time AA moved from lagging industry performance in sustainability and innovation to being an acknowledged leader in value creation through new and progressive social, technical, and commercial transformations.

Prior to his AA position he was the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) for AngloGold Ashanti. Mark was responsible for the recovery and turnaround of the business after successfully dealing with the industry’s most significant “out of the money” gold hedge book. Mark has also held senior executive positions with the Inco and Vale, the Normandy Group, Sons of Gwalia, Western Mining Corporation, Kalgoorlie Consolidated Gold Mines and CRA (Rio Tinto). Mark was also a past President of the International Council for Mining and Metals (ICMM) and the South African Chamber of Mines (now Minerals Council).

Consistent with his business transformational reputation, Mark has been honoured by both the Australian and South African mining industries, receiving the AusIMM Industry Award and the SAIMM Brigadier Stokes Awards, the peak industry awards for service to the industry in both countries. He has been recognised by Mines and Metals as the leading Industry CEO in 2019 and in 2022 was awarded their Lifetime Achievement Award. In the areas of sustainability and responsible social developments he has been recognised by the Thomas Edison Global Innovation Awards for Collaborative Change through the Development Partner Institute, he was the “Technoserve 50th Anniversary Honouree” – in honour of “extraordinary leadership in creating sustainable business solutions to end poverty around the world” and more recently as Europe’s most sustainable mining leader.

Mark is currently a Non-Executive Director of TotalEnergies based in Paris and Laing O’Rourke out of the UK.

Kevin is a recognized professional and thought leader, with over 30 years of direct experience in over fifty countries, in ESG-related issues in the mining sector. Kevin has a proven and successful track record focused on creating ESG value through informed strategic planning, governance, and tactical operational implementation for numerous top, mid-tier, and junior mining companies. He has worked directly for or consulted to, numerous mining companies including many of the industry’s majors such as Barrick Gold, AngloGold Ashanti, Gold Fields, Rio Tinto, BHP Billiton, Kinross, and De Beers.  Most recently he was the Chief Sustainability Officer with Resource Capital Funds where he led the full integration of ESG throughout the company’s investment processes, and prior to that he was the VP of Security, Sustainability & Environment for Centerra Gold. Kevin has also worked extensively on mining-related developmental programs with International Funding Institutions (IFIs) supporting emerging market Governments on mining policy reform and investment programs (including the World Bank, IFC, EBRD, ILO, USAID and the UK’s DFID).

Jade’s is an Associate Director at Tavistock Communications where her core focus is annual reporting, sustainability reporting, and advising clients on sustainability strategies. When not at work, Jade spends her free time reading annual reports.  

Jade has extensive experience in the mining sector, having reported, researched and written on the sector for more than 15 years. More recently, her focus has shifted to annual and sustainability reporting, as well as compiling ESG-specific content for clients in the mining sector. With her experience in integrated annual reporting, Jade has a solid track record of compiling and conveying information relating to value creation, preservation and erosion.    

Jade has a Master of Arts (cum laude) in Historical Studies from the University of Cape Town.

Fiona is national third-party assurance and ESG leader who specialises in non-financial advisory and assurance and has been supporting clients with this since 2013.

Fiona sits on the BDO ESG board and is driving both our internal and national and international ESG methodology development and disclosures as well as our clients and markets approach.

Fiona has over 24 years professional services experience focused on Governance, risk and controls related services in an assurance and advisory capacity. Previously at PwC for 19 years and BDO over the last 5,  Fiona's focus over the last ten years has been assisting client's respond to an ever-increasing compliance agenda including non-financial reporting such as carbon emissions and ESG related KPIs and the provision of assurance through ISAE 3000 / 3410 reporting.
Fiona has a varied client base working across all sectors from Real estate and Construction through to Mining, Pharma, Professional Services and global chocolatiers. She supports clients from the initial conversations on ESG through to annual Global assurance. uFiona has worked on IPO’s over the last 20 years covering Finance and IT in the early days through to the evolution of ESG specific requirements and associated delivery on recent IPOs. 

Bianca is the senior legal counsel at Resolute Mining in London. Originally from Montreal, Bianca started her career with global law firms practicing in the mining sector. She is the founder of the Montreal chapter of Young Mining Professionals (YMP) and currently leading the London chapter. She sits on the global board of YMP and on the event committee of Women in Mining UK. She is also actively involved in the World Association of Mining Lawyers (WAOML).

Reema Desai is a business strategy and growth-oriented professional with almost two decades of expertise in client engagement, product marketing and sustainable finance across emerging markets, multi-assets and alternatives investments. Reema joined Impact Boards Emerging Markets in 2023 to lead their research and strategic marketing initiatives. Prior to this, she spent 15 years at Amundi in client-facing roles cultivating strong relationships with stakeholders and mentoring teams through challenging environments. She is now focused on bringing her knowledge and skills to help organisations develop their sustainability strategy.

Reema earned an MBA from London Business School and a BA in Economics from the University of Michigan Ann Arbor. She holds a Sustainable Finance certificate from the University of Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership, CFA in ESG Investing and CAIA certifications. Reema has a keen interest in early-stage businesses and is active in HERmesa, a UK-based angel syndicate supporting the growth of early stage, female-founded businesses. She is also advisor to impact data start-up, Fidata Limited.

Mugheer joined Advention, a boutique strategic advisory that supports investors and private equity investors, in 2015. Since then, Mugheer has led numerous engagements across corporate and growth strategies, operational improvement, and mergers & acquisitions (M&A).

Mugheer has been supporting players across the nuclear power value chain, including OEMs, contractors and component manufacturers. In particular, since 2019, he has been leading Advention’s support of the Olkiluoto 3 Nuclear Power Plant, which is based on a third-generation pressurised water reactor (EPR) design.

Mugheer holds an MBA from the University of Cambridge and a BSc in Electrical Engineering (specialisation in Power) from McGill University. Prior to joining Advention, Mugheer had extensive experience in consulting and renewable energy at PA Consulting, Enercon and MENA Solar Energy.

Claire is responsible for leading the portfolio of sustainable finance related projects across London Stock Exchange Group’s Capital Markets business which includes equities, fixed income and ETFs. Claire has played an important role in the development of model ESG disclosure and reporting guidance for London Stock Exchange listed companies and initiatives such as an ESG Disclosure Tool, the publication of a guide to green finance and Green Economy Mark for AIM and Main Market companies.  Claire’s background is in the fund management industry and in equity capital markets, working with private and listed companies. Claire is a member of an industry Taskforce on the Scaling of Voluntary Carbon Markets.

Positioned at the heart of global financial markets, LSEG works across the investment and finance chain from issuers to asset owners, and across the financial, banking, trading and advisory ecosystem. As such LSEG is uniquely positioned to support clients in achieving the transition to a sustainable and net-zero economy and was the first exchange group to commit to net zero emissions.

Bernardo is a Biologist with a strong background in environmental studies, restoration, and remediation in mining. He has over 15 years of professional activity in sustainability in the mining industry across South America, with extensive on-the-ground experience in the operations of diverse minerals and scales.  Bernardo is a multidisciplinary professional with experience in all aspects of ESG in mining, including ecology & biodiversity, mine extraction & metallurgy, human rights, governance, and policy. He planned and executed many environmental assessments, restoration plans for impact mitigation, and remediation for several international consultancies and mining companies. In the last five years, he was responsible for several environmental monitoring projects in the watersheds impacted by the Mariana (2015) and Brumadinho (2019) iron-ore tailings dam bursts in Minas Gerais. As an expert at Fundação Renova (2020-2023) he developed the characterization of geochemical, ecological, and social impacts monitored the remediation outcomes and developed the ecological and human health risks assessment frameworks at the Rio Doce watershed (impacted by the Mariana disaster). Currently, Mr. Ranieri acts as an independent ESG consultant, and researcher at the Federal University of Minas Gerais with a focus on regenerative mitigation for net-positive biodiversity outcomes. 

Iain is the head of our Energy, Natural Resources and Infrastructure Group in the UK. He acts for Investment Funds and Corporates and is a leading practitioner in relation to mining & metals and power transactions.

He advises on M&A, projects, joint ventures and finance matters (including prepays, streams and royalties). Clients note “he is very focused, experienced and practical and has a very collaborative approach” (Chambers 2020), “I have great faith in his advice and judgement” (Chambers 2019), he is “diligent and experienced and a lawyer who listens well and understands” (Chambers 2017) and “really driven, works night and day on deals and is great on the documents” (Chambers 2016).

Hilary works with FTSE companies on the implementation of voluntary and mandatory sustainability reporting. She has over 20 years’ experience in corporate reporting (including in a standard setting capacity), investor engagement and business valuation, across sectors.

Her deep understanding of investor information needs combined with her knowledge of developing accounting standards and performing valuations helps her bring a holistic and pragmatic perspective to reporting.

Hilary has a particularly keen interest in the future direction of corporate reporting, including the connectivity between sustainability and financial reporting and the potential for technology to influence how corporate information is generated and consumed.

Anne-Marie Fleury has worked for over 20 years’ on environmental, social governance in the mining sector and mineral supply chains. She works with the cobalt team at Glencore focussing on supply chain engagement and issues related to sourcing from high risk countries including those associated to artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM). Anne-Marie chairs the Responsible Sourcing and Sustainability Committee of the Cobalt Institute and is an active participant in the Responsible Minerals Initiative (RMI) and Global Battery Alliance (GBA). Her background is in standards and assurance, multi-stakeholder initiatives and mineral supply chain responsible sourcing.

Neil is a highly experienced M&A adviser with over 22 years of Corporate Finance experience, the last five of which have been focused principally on transactions in the Circular Economy sector.  Prior to joining Quercus in 2015, Neil worked for Big 4 advisory firms EY, KPMG and Deloitte advising clients on buying and selling companies as well as raising capital, and also conducting due diligence for public, private and financial acquirers.  Neil’s recent credentials in the waste and recycling arena include:  the sale of Future Industrial Services to Augean, the acquisition of Reef Environmental by Recorra, the sale of Simply Waste to Biffa, the sale of Chemwaste to Acumen Waste Services and the sale of SWRnewstar to Biffa.

Neil is a fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales and he holds a First Class Honours degree in Accounting and Finance from the University of the West of England in Bristol.

Max is a Senior Exec Search Consultant with an industry-specific focus on Mining and Natural Resources. He leads Extractive Search’s Finance and ESG desk, and is retained by Mining companies around the world for C-suite and Senior Management positions within these two core functions.

As he regularly builds in-house Finance and Sustainability teams, he is well-acquainted with the challenges of talent attraction and retention in the Natural Resources sector. Max is also on the committee board of Young Mining Professionals and is enthusiastic about attracting and supporting the next generation young professionals in the industry.

Katya Gorbatiouk has over 20 years of experience in international capital markets. She works at the London Stock Exchange in Primary Capital Markets, having recently taken on a new role as Head of Investment Funds.  From February 2022 Katya serves on the Best Practice Committee of the Investor Relations Society. She served on the judging panel for the IR Society 2021 Best Practice Awards in ESG Communications. Her article on the evolution of corporate communications was published in the 2021/22 issue of the IR Society Journal Informed.

Katya previously chaired the Board Effectiveness & Stakeholder Governance working group at the Institute of Directors’ Centre for Corporate Governance. She has co-authored an IoD publication on best practices of enacting a stakeholder-centric approach by corporate boards.  Katya has been a long-standing board member of organisations with high social impact, such as the Global Leaders Program (Washington DC), London Music Fund, London Symphony Orchestra and others.

Maria has strong governance experience, having served as chair, senior director and committee member of various public companies. She currently serves as Non-Executive Chair of Constellation Oil Services, a deep-water drilling oil services company based in Brazil. She has two decades of direct investment experience in senior roles, including as Head of Emerging Markets Equity Strategy at Goldman Sachs and PIMCO. With that she brings considerable expertise in portfolio management and equity and debt capital markets.

Master’s, Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Tufts University
Bachelor’s in Political Science, University of Wisconsin
Chartered Financial Analyst
Corporate Director Certificate, Harvard Business School

Tom Greatrex became Chief Executive of the NIA in 2016.  Formerly Member of Parliament for Rutherglen and Hamilton West, Tom was shadow energy minister from 2011 – 2015 and served as a member of the Energy Select Committee from 2010 and from 2007-2010 was a policy adviser in the Scotland Office, including on energy.

In a varied prior career, he was a Director of Corporate Affairs for the NHS in Scotland, a chief officer in local government and a GMB trade union official in England. Outside of work his main interests are family, football (Fulham) and film. He is a member of the FA Council, the governing body of English football, vice-chair of the Football Supporters’ Association and a school governor.

David has worked in sustainable investment for over 20 years, with most of that time at the LSEG and the FTSE Russell. 

He is responsible for driving strategic initiatives and partnerships across all LSEG group divisions, having previously led sustainable investment for the FTSE Russell, and sustainable finance strategy for the LSEG’s Data & Analytics division.  

David has held a variety of industry positions, including being a member of the European Commission’s High Level Expert Group (HLEG) on Sustainable Finance. He currently represents the LSEG as a co-lead of the GFANZ work stream on Mainstream Transition Finance, as co-chair of the Transition Plan Taskforce sectoral guidance work stream, and as a vice-chair of the FCA convened ESG Data & Ratings Working Group.  He also chaired the UN Sustainable Stock Exchange's work developing both Model ESG and Climate Reporting Guidance.  His career started with ADL’s Environment & Risk Practice, and PwC's climate change consulting team. 

Sophia has been involved in global equity markets for over 30 years, starting her career in Australia in 1987. Prior to joining the Global Energy team in March 2018, at Lansdowne Partners which then spun out as Clean Energy Transition LLP, Sophia was a Managing Director at Société Générale, heading the specialist sales team. She started working at UBS in 2004 as a utilities and oil specialist sales person. Before this role, Sophia was a partner of Goldman Sachs JBWere, the Australian arm of GS where she developed her strong insight in risks associated with economics, commodities and market cycles. She holds a Bachelor of Business and Management and a Master’s of International Affairs and Commodities from Paris IX Dauphine.

Ana has over 30 years of experience in financial services and a detailed understanding of the alternative investment space across real assets and hedge funds, honed over fifteen years of leadership at Dexion Capital. She has a track record of building business shaped by the interests of shareholders and investors, with Dexion being recognised as leaders in corporate governance in the London-listed, closed-end company structure for alternative asset classes, raising over $16 billion in funds for 300 buy-side client groups. Ana established partnerships with key clients both in the provision of white label funds and in the creation of specialist, real-asset joint ventures, including US and European agricultural interests, social housing, and renewable energy.

Ana co-founded Respira International in 2019 as an impact-driven carbon finance business. Its high-quality verified emissions reductions allow corporations and financial institutions to mitigate their environmental impact. Respira channels private capital into climate solutions, ensuring long-term relationships with trusted carbon project developers that enable its clients to use predominantly nature-based solutions to build sustainable, climate positive businesses.

Malin Helgesen is a non-practising attorney with significant expertise in the business and human rights and wider ESG fields across sectors and continents. As one of few with a long-time and combined experience of commercial law practice and practical implementation of the international human rights standards now being weaved into legal obligations of companies; she has been done extensive work on impact prevention and remediation, including construction and implementation of grievance mechanisms in contexts of litigation and beyond. In her new role as independent advisor, she is mostly focusing on large corporations with a global outreach with the ambition to effectively implement the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, including in their climate and environmental work. As a sustainability law expert, she has worked expensively with colleagues in other legal fields, from anti-corruption and non-financial reporting fields, M&A and financial regulatory law to help boards, senior management teams and companies more broadly effectively manage their human rights, environmental and governance risks as they pursue their business and seek to resolve conflicts.

Malin is a regular panel speaker and lectures in business and human rights at universities in Sweden and Norway, and is often call on by various actors to advise in policy processes in Norway, Sweden and the EU.

Prior positions held by Malin include business and human rights specialist counsel at the Swedish law firm Mannheimer Swartling; corporate legal human rights counsel in Equinor ASA; attorney at the Swedish law firm Vinge; attorney at the Norwegian law firm Wiersholm, and senior human rights advisor at the Council of Ethics for the Norwegian Government Pension Fund Global (the Norwegian Petroleum Fund). She is a member of the ICC International Commission on Corporate Responsibility & Anti-corruption and the ICC International Informal Working Group on Business and Human Rights. Malin holds an LL.M. in international law from London School of Economics, where she received the Blackstone Chambers’ award for Best Dissertation in International Law for her dissertation on companies’ legal responsibility under international humanitarian law. She also holds an LL.M from Lund University, Sweden. 

Simon spent 35 years in an executive career with Royal Dutch Shell plc.  He became Chief Financial Officer and a member of the Board of Royal Dutch Shell plc on May 1, 2009. In addition to responsibility for all financial activities of the company, he was responsible for Strategy, Planning and Information Technology, and acted as Regional Executive Director for Asia Pacific with specific oversight of new business development in China.  Since retiring as CFO and Executive Director in March 2017, he has developed a portfolio of non-executive and advisory roles, in both the public and private sector. He has a particular interest in strategy, financial performance, risk management and corporate governance.

Simon is a Non Executive Director and Chair of the Audit Committee at Rio Tinto. He is an Independent Director and member of the Investment and Development Committee of PetroChina. He joined the Board at Lloyds Banking Group in 2014 and chaired the Audit Committee for 3 years before resigning from the Board at the end of September 2020. In April 2021, Simon became Senior Independent Director of Harbour Energy plc, on completion of the reverse takeover and re-listing of Premier Oil plc.  He was a member of the UK Defence Board from 2018 to 2022.

In addition, Simon was a member of the Main Committee of the 100 Group of UK FTSE CFOs and Chair of the European Round Table CFO Taskforce, and remains a member of the Advisory Board of the Centre for European Reform, a UK based think tank. He is a Fellow and member of the Advisory Panel of CIMA (Chartered Institute of Management Accountants), and a Trustee of the Cambridge China Development Trust.

Stacy has 15 years’ experience working as an International Development Specialist and Strategic Advisor on areas surrounding gender, natural resources, renewable energy, social impact investment, disaster risks and climate resilience, and large national and international infrastructure development projects across the commercial, public and multilateral sectors. She is currently consulting and advising various United Nations agencies, and sits on the advisory boards of the UTU Social Impact Investment Fund and Actions for the Development of Africa where she focusses on the interface between large-scale mining investments and gender transformative community development aligned to the UN SDGs and ESG standards. She is also an advisor on a geothermal energy project in Turkey and sits on the Editorial Board of the Earth Science, Systems and Society Journal. Stacy sits on the Advisory Board at the Fair Cobalt Alliance, where she is the former Chair.

Alexander is a partner in the Public Markets Group within the UK Corporate practice and specialises in transactions involving listed issuers on both the Main Market and AIM. He also has considerable experience in mergers and acquisitions, JVs and takeovers, including reverse takeovers.

Alexander acts for both issuers and underwriters/sponsors on a range of ECM transactions including equity offerings, listings and transactions on the London markets, almost exclusively on transactions involving natural resources companies.

Alexander is recognised in the Hall of Fame for mining in the Legal 500 and is recognised as a Leading Individual for both Mining and Capital Markets: AIM by Chambers and Partners.

Alexander’s practice also includes acting for private equity funds and sovereign wealth funds on transactions in the natural resources sector.

Alexander is also closely involved with UK regulatory and corporate governance developments and provides regular advice and training to clients on the FCA’s sponsor regime, the UK Listing Rules, the AIM Rules, the UK Prospectus Regulation as well as the UK Market Abuse and UK Corporate Governance Codes.

Tracey spent almost 10 years working for Anglo American plc, most recently as Group Head of Sustainable Development (Sept 2020 to April 2021) having previously also been accountable for safety, operational risk management and sustainable development across the Anglo American group (Jan 2016 to August 2020). Prior to working in sustainability, Tracey worked as a geologist where, between July 2008 and August 2011, she oversaw Vale’s exploration activities in the Americas and subsequently joined Anglo American as Group Head of Exploration where she was responsible for exploration activities in 15 countries. Tracey served as a Non-Executive Director of Polymetal International plc from January 2018 to March 2022 where she also chaired the Safety and Sustainability Committee and was a member of the Audit and Risk Committee.

Andrey is the CEO and founding partner of Highgate Capital Management, a deep-value private equity investment manager with a focus on undervalued companies, assets, and special situations in the UK and the CEE region.  Key to success of Highgate’s approach is improvement of operational performance and strategy, as well as Environmental, Social and Governance functions of investee companies.  Andrey has led the acquisitions and is now actively involved with the running of two ESG-focused businesses – Preformed Windings, a coil manufacturer whose largest end consumers are hydro electricity generators; and Hopkinson Waste Management, a waste recycling and reclamation company fully committed to the Zero Waste to Landfill initiative.

Alexander is passionate about energy and technology, and transitioned from fossil fuels to new energy. He joined the Board of the Mobility House in 2011 as an early investor. He is also a shareholder and Director of Lambert Energy Advisory (UK). Until 2020, he was Chairman of energy company SUEK (Russia) and fertilizer producer EuroChem Group (Switzerland), helping both to grow into top-5 international blue chips in their industries. Earlier, he was Board Member at Barloworld (South Africa), and co-founded C-level mentoring firm Bernotat & Cie (Germany). Before that, he was Global Gas Lead Partner at Accenture and Head of Oil & Gas Debt at Dresdner Kleinwort.

Partnering with public, private and third sector actors to shape more sustainable minerals sectors for business, society and environment for 20+ years, Estelle was doing ‘ESG’ before it was called ‘ESG’! She is a proud WIM100 Global Inspirational Woman, and member of the Indaba Sustainability Committee

At Indaba, she is looking to connect with organisations with an interest in responsible sourcing, ASM sector development, facilitating trade of sustainable minerals, and pioneering human rights-led environmental regeneration and climate-smart mining.

Estelle’s diverse expertise builds upon her multidisciplinary training in sustainable development, her engagement with the full spectrum of interests at play in the minerals system, and her experience as a company owner and director. In 2022 she oversaw advisory projects for clients in British venture capital, West African gold mining, European battery manufacturing, and Indian jewellery; she also led the authorship of the OECD Handbook for Supply Chain Due Diligence in Minerals Supply Chains, the World Bank’s Bolt-on Standard for Forest-Smart Artisanal and Small-scale Mining, and the Human Rights and Child Labour Indices for the Global Battery Alliance’s Battery Passport.

Levin Sources are experts in delivering successful projects for global clients, including over 120 change-making projects in Africa since 2010 with governments, development finance institutions, miners, investors, mineral processors, OEMs, and collaborative initiatives. Together, we shape a sustainable minerals sector that builds enduring value for society and nature by upholding human rights, conducting business responsibly and facilitating good governance.

Karina is Ambassador & Founding Chairman of the Climate Governance Initiative. She serves on the boards of Italian power grid operator Terna S.p.A., on the Controls, Risks & Sustainability Committee and the Nominations, Governance & Scenarios Committee; She is a Senior Independent Director and Chairman of the Remuneration & Social Responsibility Committee of UK independent oil & gas operator EnQuest plc.

Since the passage of the Paris Agreement at CoP21 in 2015, Karina has been working to build a global network for fellow board directors to drive the adoption of effective Paris-aligned climate transition strategies in the boardroom. >span class="s4">.

Mark Manning is a Strategic Policy Advisor on Sustainable Finance at the FCA. In this role, he is responsible for several initiatives at the core of the FCA’s ESG Strategy. These include work on climate and sustainability reporting and assurance, transition planning and sustainable investment labelling and disclosure. Mark is a leading member of IOSCO’s Sustainable Finance Taskforce, as well as the UK Transition Plan Taskforce Delivery Group, and the ISSB’s Jurisdictional Working Group. 

Prior to joining the FCA in 2018, Mark spent fifteen years as a central banker with the Bank of England (BoE) and the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA). He also spent several years as a fixed income and currency fund manager with Kleinwort Benson Investment Management and Goldman Sachs Asset Management. Mark holds Master’s degrees in Economics and Finance, from University College London and London Business School, respectively.

Adam is the Director of Ethics and Engagement for the Church of England Pensions Board, as well as Co-Chair of the Transition Pathway Initiative and a Board Member of the Institutional Investors Group on Climate Change, (IIGCC). He is also the co-lead, on behalf of CA100+, for engagement with Royal Dutch Shell that led to the 2018 joint statement on climate targets agreed between Shell and institutional investors.

Following the Brumadinho Tailings Dam disaster, Adam is co – lead of the Mining and Tailings Safety Initiative with John Howchin, from the Swedish Ethics Council. He also represents the Principles for Responsible Investment as a co – convenor of the Global Tailings Review.

Adam founded and now Co-Chairs the Transition Pathway Initiative (TPI) an asset owner-led and asset manager-supported global initiative which assess companies’ preparedness for the transition to the low carbon economy (and publishes this through the London School of Economics).  Adam is also the lead for the Church of England on the Mining and Faith Reflections Initiative (MFRI) a forum that convenes dialogue between mining company CEO’s and Church leaders.

Adam also serves as a member of the Royal College of Physicians Investment Advisory Board and on the Pension and Lifetime Savings Association (PLSA) Stewardship Advisory Group.

Anita McBain is a Managing Director at Citi Research, heading EMEA ESG Research. She joined Citigroup from M&G Investments where she was Head of Responsible Investment & ESG across equities and fixed income. Prior to M&G, Anita led Sustainability Research for an Impact fund focused on mitigating climate change, tackling deforestation and delivering alignment to the SDGs. Earlier in her career Anita held various buy-side and sell-side roles as a credit analyst. 

Anita holds an MSt in Sustainability Leadership from the University of Cambridge, an MBA from the University of Edinburgh, and a BSc in Computer Systems from City University, London. She most recently submitted her MSt thesis on the integration of biodiversity loss into the investment process.

Anita McBain is a Managing Director at Citi Research, heading EMEA ESG Research. She joined Citigroup from M&G Investments where she was Head of Responsible Investment & ESG across equities and fixed income. Prior to M&G, Anita led Sustainability Research for an Impact fund focused on mitigating climate change, tackling deforestation and delivering alignment to the SDGs. Earlier in her career Anita held various buy-side and sell-side roles as a credit analyst.

Anita holds an MSt in Sustainability Leadership from the University of Cambridge, an MBA from the University of Edinburgh, and a BSc in Computer Systems from City University, London. She most recently submitted her MSt thesis on the integration of biodiversity loss into the investment process.

Sarah works as a Senior Vice President in the Manager Research Team where she has a primary focus on private market strategies and specialises in impact investing. Sarah leads on Inclusion and Diversity within fund research and also chairs Redington's Inclusion & Diversity Committee. Sarah joined Redington in July 2019 having previously worked at BMO Global Asset Management and Janus Henderson. She is a CFA charterholder and holds a BSc (Hons) in Mathematics with Psychology from the University of Birmingham.

Maria joined IFM Investors in September 2023 to lead the Global Sustainable Investment team, supporting the organisation’s drive towards maximising long-term returns while creating positive and wide-ranging benefits for communities around the world.

She joined IFM from Scottish Widows where in 2020 she set up the Responsible Investment team and had been leading the work on incorporating responsible investment and active stewardship principles into the asset owner’s portfolio as Head of Responsible Investment and Stewardship. Under Maria’s leadership Scottish Widows achieved a number of significant milestones in sustainability, including divesting £3bn from companies not meeting their ESG criteria, publishing the industry’s first Climate Action Plan, setting up voting overlays in pooled funds, launching an ESG pensions app to show savers non-financial impacts of their pensions and developing nearly £2bn worth of new investment mandates with themes ranging from fossil-fuel-free impact to self-decarbonising, to biodiversity and more. 

For 8 years leading up to that, her experience had been in DC Investment Consulting providing advice to institutional pension funds, latterly as Principal at Mercer and Head of DC Investment Consulting team at JLT Employee Benefits, starting in pensions in 2012 at Capita Employee Benefits. Prior to joining the pensions industry, her background had been predominantly in private equity.

She holds an MSc in Strategic Planning and Investment from Newcastle University Business School and is a CFA charterholder. She is a member of the UKSIF Board and its Policy Committee, PMI Advisory Council and a number of government-led taskforces. Maria acts as a spokesperson for IFM Investors on sustainable investment matters and is a UK Top Green Voice on LinkedIn. She is also a regular speaker at industry events and a professional awards judge.

Benet Northcote is the Founding Partner of Four Thirty Two, which advises boards and chief executives on sustainability strategy.  He was formerly Director of Sustainability for the John Lewis Partnership, including John Lewis and Waitrose. He is a Trustee of the Green Alliance and is Deputy Chairman of the Conservative Environment Network. He has been Deputy Private Secretary to HRH The Prince of Wales and Chief Policy Adviser to Greenpeace UK.

Carmen leads on setting and delivering the strategy of the TPI Centre, as well as overseeing its research and operations. The Centre conducts independent, authoritative research and offers open-access data to support investors and policy makers in the transition to a low-carbon economy. It is part of the Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment at the London School of Economics and Political Science.

Prior to joining the TPI Centre in 2023, Carmen was Head of Fixed Income, at the UN Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI). Since 2014, her primary focus has been on sustainable economics and finance, building on her long-standing experience in economic and market analysis research, starting in 1993 at Salomon Brothers, with subsequent roles at Citigroup and Morgan Stanley, and a stint in the not-for profit ShareAction.

Carmen holds a Laura cum laude in ‘Political Science’ (major Economics) from La Sapienza University in Rome and a Ph.D. in ‘Capital Markets and Business Finance’ from the University of Bergamo, including a year as a scholar at the N.Y.U Stern Business School.

Holly Pattenden is Lead Advisor in Equinor’s UK Country Management team, working across oil and gas, renewables, CCUS and hydrogen to advance Equinor’s broad energy ambitions in the UK. She joined Equinor in 2011 and has worked in corporate strategy, business development and communications in London and Stavanger. Prior to joining Equinor she was Head of Oil and Gas at analysis firm Business Monitor International (now part of Fitch Solutions). She has an MA in Classics from Oxford University and an MSc in Global Politics from Birkbeck, University of London.

Fiona Perrott-Humphrey is an independent senior adviser to Rothschild & Co’s Mining Team.

Her focus is on the constantly changing trends in the sector which impact on both corporate strategy issues as well as on the communication process between companies, their shareholders and host governments. She believes that current developments underway in the energy transition and ESG issues are driving some of the most seismic shifts in investor perceptions of the sector in decades. She is regularly invited to chair panels at mining conferences on these topics.

Before joining Rothschild & Co in this role in 2003, she had seventeen years of experience in the City of London at major financial institutions where she was consistently rated as one of the top investment analysts in mining, ending up as head of the European Mining Research at SSMB (part of Citigroup).

Fiona is currently a director of Baker Steel Resources Trust, and previously served as a non-executive director on the board of Dominion Diamond Corporation from February 2014 to January 2016.

In 2006, Fiona formed AIM Mining Research and, in the same year, published "Understanding Junior Miners" in conjunction with three geologists and a mining engineer. The book aims to help investors and mining company managers to understand the specialist geological and mining issues facing early stage juniors, in order to interrogate and analyze them.

Prior to arrival in the City of London in 1986, she had six years of experience in financial journalism and academia in South Africa, building up a broad knowledge of managerial and financial topics.

Rosali is a partner in the financial services regulation group, which forms part of the financial markets practice in London. She has more than 20 years’ experience advising users and providers of financial market infrastructure, banks, broker-dealers, and other regulated entities. 

Rosali is highly rated for her work on energy and commodity derivatives. "She has really good experience and reputation. She knows regulation really well and also does transactional work, which makes her stand out from the crowd." (Chambers & Partners, 2019). Rosali conceived of and developed Trading Venue Reviewer, a digital product recognised by FT Innovative Lawyers of the Year 2019 as a standout new legal product, giving subscribers access to easily digestible, consistent summaries of the documentation of most European trading venues. 

Rosali is a member of the firm's Accelerate Digital group, focused on guiding clients through digital transformation. 

Rosali Pretorius’s legal expertise and guidance has been invaluable to the creation and design of the product CryptoReviewer.

Adrian is currently leading a programme to scale-up sustainable finance and ESG disclosure across London Stock Exchange Group’s Capital Markets business, which to date has established a Green Economy classification across its markets; an ESG Disclosure benchmarking tool for companies; and the publication of a guide to green finance, in addition to supporting the launch of a new Sustainable Bond Market.

Adrian established ABN AMRO’s Environmental Markets business in 2006 and later supported renewable energy and clean-tech clients as a Director in RBS’ corporate finance team. As CEO of international certification body the Gold Standard, Adrian oversaw the development of result-based finance tools that have enabled hundreds of clean technology and sustainable land-use projects to attract millions of dollars in investment, including via his involvement in creating Fairtrade International’s Fairtrade Climate Standard.

Adrian is a Non-Executive Director of Evora, a leading sustainable real-estate advisor and software business.

Laura Sandys specialises in the energy, food and resource sectors, focusing on energy markets, digitalisation, food security and resource management. Recently she Chaired the Energy System Data Taskforce on behalf of BEIS, Ofgem and Innovate UK while working at the Energy Systems Catapult. She is an advocate of the low carbon economy, promoter of increasing demand reduction policies and innovator in food systems policies.

She is an Independent Director at SGN Ltd, Chair of the Food Foundation, Non-Executive Director of the Energy Systems Catapult and Co-Chair of the IPPR Environment and Justice Commission. She runs The Reshaping Regulation Programme with Imperial College and the Energy Systems Catapult and was a member of Government's Cost of Energy Review chaired by Prof Dieter Helm. She founded the Food Foundation that advocates changes to the UK food system, and Co-Founder of POWERful Women that promotes women's roles in the energy sector. She has been appointed a member of the Government's CCUS Council and is a Member of Imperial College’s Centre for Carbon Capture and Storage Advisory Group.

Scott A. Sellwood leads IRMA’s engagement and partnerships with NGOs and mining-affected communities. Scott is an environmental lawyer and geographer with fifteen years of experience partnering with civil society actors to advocate for structural reform of the mining sector. He has advised Indigenous and social justice leaders across Latin America, Africa, and Asia Pacific on how to use law, policy, and voluntary standards to ensure mining respects human rights and contributes to sustainable development. Prior to joining IRMA in October 2023, Scott worked with Oxfam’s extractive industries global program for almost a decade supporting campaigns for land, climate, and economic justice. He holds postgraduate degrees in geography and peace and conflict studies (as a Rotary World Peace Fellow at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill) and undergraduate degrees in law and environmental management from University of Queensland

James Stevens is the Global Sales and Marketing Director for Preformed Windings Ltd. and the Vice President and Non-Executive Director of the Association of Electrical and Mechanical Trades (AEMT). He has a Batchelor of Engineering Degree and an MBA and has 13 years of experience across both the mechanical and electrical engineering industry. James has been with Preformed Windings since 2015 and is responsible for the strategic growth of the business and driving the company's position as thought leaders in the renewables sector. Additionally, James drives the ESG initiatives within Preformed Windings and the promotion of the circular economy and sustainability within the AEMT.

As a global leader in the High-Voltage rotating equipment sector, James is uniquely positioned to offer insight into global trends for electrical generation across a range of industries and regions. At the forefront of cutting-edge technologies in HV motor and Generator coil design, Preformed Windings work with leading material suppliers and global OEM’s on large R&D projects which contribute to sustainable energy initiatives.

Storm has business experience across a diverse range of industries including corporate advisory, education and hospitality which has given her a unique understanding of ESG requirements within a broad range of contexts.

During Storm’s time with Vulcan she has successfully certified the Australian organisation as Climate Active carbon neutral, has facilitated the company’s admission into the UN Global Compact and been instrumental in helping shape the Company’s ESG focused policies and processes.

Recently a Master of Business Administration graduate from the University of Western Australia, she is also a certified Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) Sustainability Professional. Storm leads Vulcan’s ESG strategy and implementation, focused on making our Zero Carbon Lithium™ Project world-class.

Djariatou (Djaria) Traore joined Endeavour in January 2019 as VP Supply Chain and was promoted to EVP ESG and Supply Chain in January 2023. She has over 22 years of experience in the mining industry with extensive expertise in procurement and logistics management. Prior to joining Endeavour, Djaria held several senior management positions including Procurement Director for Nordgold in Russia, and Supply Chain Director at its Lefa Mine in Guinea until 2018. She began her career at Connell Mining, a subsidiary of Connell Company, one of the largest privately held corporations in the US, where she held successively the positions of Sales Director and Global Sales Director for Africa from 2005 until 2014. In 2020, Djaria was recognised as one of the ‘100 Global Inspirational Women in Mining’.

Anna Triponel is a strategic advisor on business and human rights and founder of Triponel Consulting. She works with companies from a range of sectors to strengthen their management systems to identify and address their human rights risks — both in their operations and in their extended supply chains. She advises on embedding relevant policies, designing human rights due diligence processes, managing supply chain risks and structuring remedy. She provides guidance on implementing relevant laws, recommends actions to take to tackle systemic human rights issues, and conducts human rights impact assessments in higher-risk environments.

Guloren is based in our London office, with responsibility for the Advocacy team globally, including our international climate policy activities focused on the UNFCCC and its related bodies.

Guloren has extensive experience in the energy and climate fields. From 2015 to 2017, Guloren led the Government Affairs activities at the Trans-Adriatic Pipeline. Prior to this she held a number of roles over the course of 9 years at BG Group, including Head of Climate Change Strategy, Head of Business Risk for the Group and Lead Corporate Strategist. Guloren holds a Master’s Degree in Public Administration from Harvard Kennedy School of Government, an MBA from Cornell University and BSc Industrial Engineering from Istanbul Technical University.

Pablo Valverde is the Deputy CEO of the International Hydropower Association (IHA), where he leads on stakeholder engagement, governance and the transition to a values-based membership model. Before joining the IHA in 2020, he was a Regional Director at the EITI International Secretariat and Senior Advisor at the Council on Ethics for the Norwegian Government Pension Fund. He holds degrees in War Studies (MA), International Studies, Political Science, Middle Eastern Studies and Anthropology from Universities in Norway, Spain and the UK. Pablo is originally from Madrid and lives in Bergen, Norway, with his wife and two daughters.

Over the past 30 years, Charles has advised UK and multi-listed companies across the natural resources sector on financial, corporate, transactional, and crisis communications. He also has extensive expertise on advising corporates, ministries and governments on geopolitical and international strategic communications, with a main focus on Africa.   

Charles started his communications career at Citigate Dewe Rogerson in 1997 before co-founding Pelham Public Relations in 2004. During that time, he created a successful mining practice at the agency as well as growing the company into one of the fastest growing financial and corporate communications businesses in the UK. 

Charles joined Tavistock in September 2017, and his interests include music, rugby, birdwatching, and water skiing.  

Wendy Walford is Head of Climate Risk for Legal & General, a UK based financial services provider. Legal and General is a global provider of retirement solutions to corporates and individuals.

As Head of Climate Risk for the Group, Wendy supports the delivery of the group’s climate goals and commitments. Her role also spans the Group’s strategic response to Climate risk, the governance framework, and developing climate metrics and targets.

Wendy is a member of the IFoA sustainability Board, where she is co-lead for policy and regulation.

A member of the IFRS Foundation's ISSB Technical Staff, Corey worked as an energy finance consultant along the entire oil & gas value chain from reservoir to retail pump. With a broad background in investment appraisal, business development, and Treasury corporate finance, he has a deep understanding of global energy markets. Advising senior executives at ConocoPhillips and Phillips 66, he managed global investment banking and joint venture relationships, negotiated commercial and financial transactions, and provided critical due diligence expertise to a variety of global project design, investment, and management teams. A Chartered Financial Analyst and former military aviator, he holds degrees in history, economics, mathematics, business administration, and public affairs. 

Anna is an environmental criminal lawyer, specialising in defence work in the waste and recycling industry.  She is dual-qualified, having completed a PhD in geochemistry and worked as an environmental consultant for 5 years before qualifying as a lawyer.

 Anna represents waste and recycling businesses and directors who are prosecuted by the regulators (Environment Agency and local authorities) for environmental and waste offences.

She is the Immediate President of the Chartered Institution of Wastes Management and a Trustee of the Board.  She is also Co-Convenor of UKELA’s Waste Working Party.

Ludivine Wouters is managing partner of Latitude Five where she is in charge of the Mining and Minerals practice.

As a strategy, governance and policy adviser with expertise in transaction management, regulatory affairs, government relations and permitting, Ludivine assists natural resources companies and investors in emerging markets. She also works on technical assistance programmes for States, focusing on mining and minerals policy, governance and taxation, and assists donor agencies, policy shapers and other stakeholders in the definition and implementation of critical minerals and responsible sourcing priorities.

Ludivine has experience in political risk insurance within a Lloyd’s insurance syndicate, and significant legal experience in corporate law, mergers and acquisitions and capital markets with leading international firms in Paris; she also worked for an emerging markets investment bank in London.

Ludivine holds a Master in Business Law from Université Panthéon Assas (Paris II) and JD in Law from Université Panthéon Sorbonne (Paris I) and is called to the bar in Paris. In 2013, she was nominated by her peers to be one of 100 Global Inspirational Women in Mining.

Ludivine is currently a Visiting Fellow with the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR).

Grace Yungwirth is a Professional Engineer and Project Manager/ Project Director who acts as Technical Director of Mining, Mine Water, and Hydrogeology and ESG in Mining Leader within WSP’s Global Mining business. At WSP she has built and run a diverse team of technical professionals supporting mining projects from greenfield development through to post-closure. During her 20-year career she has led technical innovation projects, spearheaded ESG and water stewardship initiatives, while developing practical solutions for mining clients across the globe. She is currently a key account leader within WSP Mining’s Global client programme and is active on initiatives focused on DE&I, mentoring & safe work practises, and the progression of ESG focused innovation in mining.

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www.simmons-simmons.com

highgatecapital.com

opusexecutive.com/

www.tavistock.co.uk/

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hopkinsonwaste.com/

www.endeavourmining.com/

www.cgln.earth/

www.womeninmining.org.uk/

www.iboardsem.com/

youngminingprofessionals.com/

www.satarla.com/

www.responsiblerawmaterials.com/

critical-productions.com/