Conference Presenters

Dan Lougher

Managing Director and CEO, Western Areas Ltd

Dan Lougher is the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Western Areas, a nickel mining and exploration company which listed on the Australia Stock Exchange in July 2000.
Dan is a qualified Mining Engineer with over 35 years’ experience in all aspects of resource and mining project exploration, feasibility, development and operations.
Mr Lougher is a member of the Australasian Institute of Mining & Metallurgy.

JP Vargas de la Vega

Managing Director, Galan Lithium Ltd

JP is a Chilean/Australian mineral industry professional with 15 years broad experience in ASX mining companies, stockbroking and private equity firms JP has been a specialist lithium analyst in Australia, has also operated a private copper business as in Chile and has also worked for BHP, Rio Tinto and Codelco.

Damian Connelly

Director/Principal Consulting Engineer Midas Engineering Group (METS Engineering)

Damian is a Consulting Engineer with extensive experience in the gold, copper, lead, zinc, uranium and iron ore industries with particular emphasis on gold. Experience has been gained in plant operations feasibility studies, detailed design, construction and commissioning, and all unit operations. He is an internationally recognised specialist in Mineral Processing having worked in north and South America, South East Asia, Africa and Europe.A wealth of hands-on operating experience as a Foreman, Plant Metallurgist, Plant Superintendent, Chief Metallurgist and Project Manager, which has provided a solid base to mix with engineering and construction management.
The last 28 years working as a Consultant Metallurgist for mining, banking and engineering companies has provided a broad range of experience in many varied and some unusual situations. Damian’s industry based training courses (50) have been run on a regular basis, both in Australia and overseas, and are highly regarded and have been well attended. Damian is a Registered Expert Witness and has been engaged on many cases.

Steve Rosewell

Executive Chairman, MakCorp

Steve Rosewell has over 25 Years’ ICT Software Executive Sales and Product Development Steve Rosewell, CEO of MakCorp Data Resources has extensive experience in the Software industry, spanning over 25 years. This includes over 10 years assisting the mining industry with ICT consulting, marketing and reviews.

Steve has worked with quite a number of the most recognised ERP vendors in the mining industry including Classic Software, Greentree, SAP, Microsoft and Pronto software. This experience has given him the experience to recommend the right solution to meet the customer’s needs.

In 2017 Steve began developing MakCorp. He foresaw a gaping hole in the market with the lack of affordable market intelligence solutions. MakCorp has developed into a global player in market intelligence for ASX & TSX/TSXV Resource companies and projects. Steve continues to lead MakCorp with development in the MakCorp platform in projects, people, shareholders, financials and other helpful insights.

Steve has developed strong relationships in the Resources industry; with mining executives, investor groups and mining services companies with a view to continually develop MakCorp into a leading market intelligence platform.

Adrian Griffin

Managing Director, Lithium Australia NL

Having spent more than 40 years in mining, Mr Griffin’s expertise ranges from project identification, development and financing to overseeing the operation of integrated mining and processing facilities. Mr Griffin was a founding director of Northern Minerals and Parkway Minerals (developer of the K-Max™ process to recover potassium and other metals from glauconite) and is a non-executive director of Reedy Lagoon Corporation.

Mr Griffin has strong experience in the development of processing technology and is presently working on the unconventional lithium sources, improvements to recovery of lithium from more conventional feed stocks such as spodumene, the battery recycling sector and lithium-ion battery cathode manufacture, thus positioning LIT to be Australia’s first vertically integrated lithium producer and technology developer accessing all parts of the lithium value chain.

Scott Williamson

Managing Director, Blackstone Minerals Ltd

Scott Williamson is a Mining Engineer with a Commerce degree from the West Australian School of Mines and Curtin University. Mr Williamson started his career as an underground mining engineer in the goldfields of Western Australia. Mr Williamson has recent experience in equity capital markets with previous roles as a Resources Analyst at Hartleys and Investor Relations Manager at Resolute Mining. Mr Williamson has a unique blend of experience in mining and finance with both corporate and technical capabilities.

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David Christensen

Managing Director, Renascor Resources Ltd

David Christensen is an experienced mining executive, with recent successful experience managing exploration, mining and marketing operations. Prior to founding the Company, David served as Chief Executive Officer of Adelaide based companies, Heathgate Resources Pty Ltd and Quasar Resource Pty Ltd. While at Heathgate and Quasar, his responsibilities included overseeing Australian operations, including the Beverley uranium mine, as well as the expansion into new projects with the discovery and development of the Four Mile deposit and numerous joint ventures. David’s experience also includes serving as President of Nuclear Fuels Corporation, a trading and marketing company, where he managed a multi million dollar uranium portfolio and was responsible for developing sales strategy, executing trades and swaps and negotiating all contracts. David commenced his career as an attorney in California and London offices of international law firm Latham & Watkins, where he advised on corporate finance and mergers and acquisitions. David was educated at Cornell University (BA, Economics and Classical Civilizations), the University of California, Los Angeles (JD) and the Universitá di Bologna (Fulbright Fellow).

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Warren Pearce

Chief Executive Officer, Association of Mining and Exploration Companies (AMEC)

As the Chief Executive Officer of the Association of Mining and Exploration Companies (AMEC), Warren is working to increase mineral exploration and mining activity in Australia, and to ensure Australia remains a highly attractive place for resource investment.

Before joining AMEC, he has worked for significant advocacy and membership organisations, including the Chamber of Minerals of Energy of WA (CME), and the WA Local Government Association (WALGA).

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Andrew Radonjic

Managing Director, Venture Minerals Ltd

Mr Radonjic is a geologist and mineral economist with over 30 years of experience in mining and exploration, with an initial focus on gold and nickel in the Eastern Goldfields of Western Australia. Andrew has fulfilled a variety of senior roles which gave rise to three gold discoveries, totalling in excess of 3 million ounces in resources and resulting in 1.5 million ounces being produced. Since 2006 Andrew has been an executive director with Venture Minerals, which he co-lead during the discovery of the Mount Lindsay Tin-Tungsten deposit and then later two nearby DSO hematite deposits.

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Bert Witkamp

Operating Agent - Hybrid Electric Vehicle Technology Collaboration Programme, International Energy Association

Bert Witkamp is owner of Valuad Ltd, a Belgium consultancy specialising in Sustainable Transport. Bert is also Operating Agent for the IEA HEV Task 40 “CRM4EV” (Critical Raw Materials for Electric Vehicles). He is also involved in the EU Commission project EAFO (European Alternative Fuels Observatory) and REE4EU (H2020), a rare earth recycle project. Bert was until recently Secretary General of AVERE, The European Association for Electromobility. As CEO, he has previously run businesses in wind energy, biomass, solar energy, sustainable housing and sustainable waste management. Bert has worked 20 years in multinational companies as senior supply chain executive.

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Andrew Scogings

Andrew Scogings graduated as a geologist in the late 1970’s and started his career on underground copper mines, followed by a stint on Witwatersrand gold mines and general exploration for Ni, Sn and REE in eastern South Africa. He was introduced to industrial minerals while completing post-graduate MSc and PhD research on alkaline granitoid / nepheline syenite complexes in Natal, South Africa.

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Trevor Benson

Executive Director, Walkabout Resources Ltd

30 years’ experience within investment banking, stockbroking, large Australian corporates and the resources, oil and gas industry, including directorships of ASX listed companies.

Prior to joining Walkabout as Executive Chairman he held the position of Executive Director with Strategic Capital Management and Executive Director of the ARIE FUND, an absolute return International Equity Fund.

Previous roles included directorships at boutique investment banking organisations PCF Capital and Argonaut Capital, both based in Perth, Western Australia.

Mr Benson has cross border experience on Aim in UK and has listed numerous ASX companies including resources companies with assets in Africa, Europe and SE Asia; resources and oil and gas service companies; and managed and funded a private copper operation in Zambia. In addition, he spent 2 years with a division of The Wood Group; a London based engineering oil services Company. Trevor holds a Bachelor of Science Degree from the University of Western Australia.

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John de Vries

CEO and Managing Director, Black Rock Mining Ltd

John de Vries is Chief Executive Officer of Black Rock Mining, a Tanzanian graphite development company developing the Mahenge project in the Morogoro region of Tanzania. John is a Mining Engineer with over 35 years-experience in business development, project development and operations. Previously, John was General Manager Technical Services with St Barbara and integral in the 2014 turnaround. John has held positions at BHP Ni West, and was Global Business Manager, Advanced Mining Solutions with Orica Mining Services. John’s geographic experience includes Africa, the Pacific, the FSU, North America and South America.

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Hon. Bill Johnston MLA

Minister of Mines and Petroleum, Government of Western Australia

Bill Johnston was sworn in as the Mines and Petroleum, Commerce and Industrial Relations, Electoral Affairs, and our State’s first Asian Engagement Minister in March 2017.

Bill is also the Member for Cannington, having held this position since September 2008.

Prior to entering Parliament, he spent seven years as the State Secretary of WA Labor, four years as Shadow Minister for Mines and Petroleum, and five years as Shadow Energy and State Development Minister.

He was also a former senior official of the Shop, Distributive and Allied Employees’ Association, where he fought for fairness for low-paid workers in industrial rights, workers compensation and working conditions.

David Flanagan

Managing Director, Battery Minerals Limited

David Flanagan is a geologist with more than 25 years’ experience in the multi commodity mining and mineral exploration industry in Australia, Indonesia and Africa.

David has a BSc Mining & Minerals Exploration Geology, undertaken at Curtin University, School of Mines in Western Australia. He is a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and Member of the Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy.

David was appointed as Chancellor of Murdoch University in 2013.

During 2014, David was named the Western Australian of the Year and Western Australian Business Leader of the Year. He was awarded an Eisenhower Fellowship in 2013 and remains active in the not for profit sector.

In January 2018, David was awarded the prestigious Member of the General Division of the Order of Australia Award.

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Adrian Griffin

David Flanagan

Hon. Bill Johnston MLA

John de Vries

CEO & Managing Director
Black Rock Mining Ltd

Trevor Benson

Bert Witkamp

Andrew Scogings

David Christensen

Warren Pearce

Scott Williamson

Andrew Radonjic

JP Vargas de la Vega

Dan Lougher

Steve Rosewell

Damian Connelly

Dan Lougher

JP Vargas de la Vega

Damian Connelly

Steve Rosewell

Adrian Griffin

Scott Williamson

David Christensen

Warren Pearce

Andrew Radonjic

Bert Witkamp

Andrew Scogings

Trevor Benson

John de Vries

Hon. Bill Johnston MLA

David Flanagan

12-13 March 2019

Conference Presenters

CEO & Managing Director Black Rock Mining Ltd

12-13 March 2019

CEO & Managing Director
Black Rock Mining Ltd