Speakers

Jody brings more than 35 years of leadership experience in national security, defence, and intelligence, having served in some of Canada’s most senior roles.

Most recently, she was National Security Advisor to the Prime Minister until 2024. Her distinguished career also includes serving as Deputy Minister of National Defence, Commissioner of the Canadian Coast Guard, Chief Operating Officer at Passport Canada, and 11 years in the Royal Canadian Navy.

Jody continues to share her expertise as a member of the Prime Minister’s Canada-US Advisory Council, the Board of Governors of Royal Roads University, as a Senior Fellow at the University of Ottawa, and the Board of Directors of Electra Battery Materials. Her unparalleled experience makes her a trusted advisor on security, governance, and organizational resilience.

Kevin Reed, CIM is a seasoned executive and strategic leader serving as President and Chief Operating Officer of the Defence, Security & Resilience Bank Development Group, a multilateral financial institution being created to mobilize sovereign capital in support of defence, security and resilience capabilities across allied nations.

In this role, Kevin leverages more than 25 years of experience in senior leadership, corporate finance, acquisitions, and institutional development to help establish a mission-driven bank designed to enhance allied access to long-term, disciplined capital for national security and industrial capability.

Before leading the DSRB Development Group, Kevin built a distinguished career spanning financial services, entrepreneurial ventures and international engagement. He co-founded an OSFI-regulated Canadian financial institution and served in C-suite leadership roles that oversaw transactions exceeding billions in value. Kevin also brings international and community leadership experience, having served as an Honorary Colonel in the Canadian Armed Forces and as the Honorary Consular General of the Republic of Singapore to Canada. He has founded and guided multiple investment and engineering firms and remains an active voice on defence finance innovation and economic strategy.

Ms. Hembroff was appointed as Associate Assistant Deputy Minister, Industry Sector at Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED) in April 2025, and is responsible for overseeing Canada’s industrial policies across sectors of the economy and supports the delivery of ISED’s industry-focused programs.

Prior to assuming this role, Ms. Hembroff held several roles at ISED including as Assistant Deputy Minister for Strategic Communications and Marketing (2023-2025) and Director General, Clean Technologies and Clean Growth Branch (2022-2023).

Before joining ISED, Ms. Hembroff spent 22+ years at Global Affairs Canada (GAC) working in international trade negotiations and business development. From 2018-2022, Ms. Hembroff served as Director General for Trade Policy and Negotiations at GAC and had responsibility for overseeing the negotiation of Canada’s bilateral and regional free trade agreements as well as multilateral trade policy engagement at the WTO, OECD, G20 and APEC. In this capacity, Ms. Hembroff served as Canada’s Chief Negotiator for FTA negotiations with the Pacific Alliance, India, ASEAN and Ukraine.

Ms. Hembroff was Deputy Chief Negotiator for CPTPP and Deputy Senior Official responsible for FTA exploratory discussions with China. Ms. Hembroff previously served abroad as Consul and Senior Trade Commissioner at the Consulate General in Hong Kong from 2011 to 2014 and was responsible for providing support to Canadian companies in the Greater China region.

Ms. Hembroff has her Bachelor of Arts Honours in Political Studies from the University of Manitoba; and Masters of Arts in International Affairs from the Norman Paterson School of International Affairs at Carleton University.

Isabella Chan is the Senior Assistant Deputy Minister for the Lands and Minerals Sector at Natural Resources Canada and serves as Canada’s Special Envoy for the Critical Minerals Production Alliance.

With 20 years of experience across various departments in the Government of Canada, they have held significant roles, including Assistant Deputy Minister at Health Canada and Director General at Finance Canada. Isabella is known for their visionary leadership, fluency in multiple languages, and dedication to integrity, diversity, and inclusion. They have received several awards for their contributions to public service and are currently pursuing executive education at Harvard Kennedy School.

Mr. Eric Desaulniers, MSc, P. Geo, is the Founder, President and CEO of Nouveau Monde Graphite, an ESG-driven company dedicated to developing North America’s largest graphite production to supply the battery and EV market with sustainably and ethically transformed advanced materials.

Since discovering the world-class Matawinie deposit that launched Nouveau Monde Graphite, Desaulniers has completed the exploration, feasibility, engineering and permitting stages to bring the Matawinie Mine and Bécancour Battery Material Plant to construction. In parallel, he has succeeded in securing a solid shareholder base, recruiting innovative technical leaders to carry out his vision and developing a vertical business model to cover the entire value chain for active anode materials, from all-electric mining to advanced battery materials manufacturing.

Prior to launching the company, Eric worked for Sanders Geophysics and the Canadian Armed Forces. Desaulniers holds a bachelor’s degree in geology and a master in geophysics from Laval University in Quebec City. A devoted husband and father of four, Desaulniers fully lives his values for a carbon-neutral future. He has been exclusively driving all-electric since 2017!

From the 16 th of February 2026, Director of Directorate A – Defence Policy in the Directorate General for Defence Industry and Space.

He has 20 years of experience in defence and space policy, economics and international relations. Prior to joining the Commission in 2014, Mr. Husak worked for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Poland. Between 2014 and 2019, he served as Head of Cabinet of former Commissioner, in charge of Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs. Recently, he was adviser on digital and data technologies in the Directorate-General for International Partnerships (DG INTPA).

He served, as well, as member of the Team of Sauli Niinistö, Special Adviser to the President of the European Commission on issues related to preparedness and defence readiness.

Mr. Husak played a central role in establishing the legal and budgetary foundations of the Commission's first defence research programmes between 2016 and 2019. He has also successfully conducted negotiations on behalf of the European Commission on the SAFE bilateral agreement with Canada in 2025.

Mr. Tomasz Husak, a graduate of the Warsaw’s School of Economics – SGH (PhD in Economics) and University Paris – Est (PhD in Political Science). In addition to his mother tongue Polish, he speaks French, English and German.

Dr. Erik Eschen is the Chief Executive Officer of VAC Group, a global leader in magnetic solutions serving a wide range of industries, including renewable energy, e‑mobility, automotive, industrial automation, medical technology, aerospace, and defense. Under his leadership, VAC Group successfully navigated a major change of ownership, strengthening its global position and strategic direction.

Before joining VAC Group, Dr. Eschen served as Chief Financial Officer at Keller Holding GmbH and held several international management roles within the Bilfinger Berger Group. Earlier in his career, he worked as a Senior Consultant in Financial Advisory Services at BDO, specializing in company valuations, mergers and acquisitions, and corporate restructurings.

Dr. Eschen earned his degree in Business Administration and completed his doctorate in Strategy and Mergers & Acquisitions at Freie Universität Berlin, where he also published extensively in academic journals.

Jocelyn Douhéret is Director general of mining policy and development at the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forests. A ministry he joined in February 2023 as Director of mining policy. Previously, he worked 7 years as Director of the Marketing Office at Société du Plan Nord. Mr. Douhéret, also held different positions for 10 years in the mining sector as General Manager of an environmental services company, then as Director and Vice President of

Business Development for a company offering services and equipment.

From 1998 to 2006, he worked for Québec companies on industrial development projects in Eastern Europe, Latin America as well as in Canada, particularly in the fields of natural resources, energy, and environment. Mr. Douhéret began his career in 1996 as a scientific attaché at the French Embassy in Slovakia. He is a graduate of ENESAD (Dijon, France, 1994) and holds a master’s degree in science from Université Laval (Québec, Canada,1996).

Soon-Won Kang is a mining industry expert and the current Chief Representative of KOMIR (Korea Mine Rehabilitation and Mineral Resources Corp.) in Canada.

With over 20 years of experience across the entire value chain of mining—from initial due diligence to large-scale operations and marketing of the products—Mr. Kang is a strategic leader in the global development of critical minerals.

His career is headlined by a 14-year tenure with the Ambatovy Project in Madagascar, one of the world’s largest nickel and cobalt operations. During this period, he navigated complex challenges across government relations, partnership, large-scale engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC), commissioning and operation of high-pressure acid leach (HPAL) plant and as well as marketing nickel briquette to its customers. Notably, as a Director at KOMIR, he served as the Chair of the Executive Committee (EXCO) for the Ambatovy Joint Venture in 2024, where key initiatives such as debt restructuring to ensure the project’s long-term sustainability were implemented.

An alumnus of Queen’s University (B.Sc. in Mining Engineering) and the Colorado School of Mines (M.Sc. in Mining and Earth Systems Engineering), Mr. Kang combines technical expertise with a proven record in high-level project management. His peers consistently recognize him for his integrity, professional warmth, and passion towards business management that optimizes balance between long-term stability and short-term gains.

Currently based in Toronto, Mr. Kang is at the forefront of strengthening Korea-Canada mineral supply chains, leveraging his extensive international background to build resilient and mutually beneficial partnerships in the critical minerals sector.

Yves Leduc is a transformative leader with over 25 years of experience in strategic, manufacturing, product development, and operational roles. He has successfully led global businesses through various stages of growth, bringing industrial technologies to market, developing robust supply chains, scaling production capacity, and ensuring efficient capital use.

Before joining Torngat Metals in March 2025, Yves was a partner at Idealist Capital, a $375 million investment management firm focused on providing growth capital to climate technology companies. He previously served as president and COO of XNRGY, an HVAC manufacturer and one of Idealist Capital’s portfolio companies. From 2015 to 2022, Yves was CEO of Velan, a world-leading industrial valve designer and manufacturer. Before that, he held senior executive roles at BRP, where he successively led its Austrian and North American divisions from 2000 to 2014, worked at McKinsey & Company, and began his career as a litigating attorney at Stikeman Elliott.

Yves has served on several boards, including as Chairman of the not-for-profit Orford Musique, a world-renowned music academy. In 2024, he became an Associate Professor at HEC Montreal, overseeing a $5M+ post-start-up accelerator program. He also advises DNA—Fond de Continuité, a $150M fund supporting Quebec businesses needing urgent financing.

As CADSI’s Vice President, Policy, Communications and Government Relations, Nicolas is responsible for policy development and government advocacy activities. In this role, he applies his experience working at the intersection of politics, policy, and communications. He has served as a senior political staffer at the federal and provincial levels, a federal public servant, and as a seasoned public affairs consultant in the private sector.

Nicolas has worked in demanding environments and under difficult circumstances — be it the high-pressure environment at NATO during the military conflict in Kosovo, organizing prime ministerial summits in Canada or around the world, negotiating sensitive summit deliverables, preparing ministers for Cabinet and Treasury Board meetings, or developing and implementing integrated government relations and communications campaigns.

Jeff is the Director of Strategy and Innovation at CAE D&S Canada; he previously led Canada regional Business Development as well as the Growth & Acquisition portfolios at CAE. In his current role he formulates and directs business and technology strategy for Canada, supports and directs transformative innovation efforts affecting CAE’s regional and International business portfolios, advises on procurement, policy, technology and market changes, and identifies and evaluates non-organic portfolio growth opportunities.

A former Naval Aviator and retired Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) Colonel, Jeff was trained as an Air Navigator and Tactical Coordinator (TACCO). His operational background includes extensive deployed sea time with the Royal Canadian Navy flying the CH-124 Sea King helicopter in antisubmarine, surface warfare, and search & rescue roles. In addition to positions such as NATO Fleet Air Officer and 12 Wing Operations Officer, he commanded 423 Maritime Helicopter Squadron in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

When not flying, Jeff held a variety of senior staff appointments during his 26-year career. These included Director Canadian Forces Transformation and Director Joint C4ISR in the Vice Chief of Defence Staff Force Development organization. He also served as Special Advisor to Canada’s Chief of Defence Staff for nearly three years, overseeing the daily operations of the CDS’ staff and working internationally and across multiple Departments at the highest levels of civil-military collaboration.

Upon retirement from the CAF Jeff joined General Dynamics Mission Systems Canada as Senior Manager of Air & Naval business development. He then joined KPMG as the Director of Defence Advisory Services, and later worked as Director of Business Development at the Canadian Commercial Corporation. In this capacity he negotiated and structured government-to government transactions in defence, aerospace, and information & communication technology domains, and facilitated Canada-US trade under the Defence Production Sharing Agreement.

Jeff holds a Master’s degree in War Studies from the Royal Military College of Canada. He is an active researcher and a CGAI Fellow, publishing and speaking regularly on defence procurement, geopolitical strategy, and organizational change.

A resident of Ottawa, Ontario, his hobbies include shovelling snow, running slowly, and playing squash decently well.

Marcella Munro is the Head of Government & Regulatory Affairs for Teck Resources. In her role, she leads Teck’s strategic planning and engagement with government officials. Current priorities include supporting Teck through copper growth expansion, leading external engagement to drive thought leadership positioning around critical minerals policy, and providing day to day geopolitical analysis for Teck’s executive leadership team. Prior to joining Teck, Marcella worked in government relations and strategic communications consulting for 15 years, providing counsel to C-Suite leaders across Canada.

Her career started in journalism. Marcella was a national producer for CBC national television

news where she worked in both daily news and investigative reporting. She also spent two

years working for the Alberta government. Marcella’s approach to government relations is rooted in her strengths as a strategist and professional communicator. She has expertise in every aspect of policy development and political engagement and has led the development and implementation of stakeholder engagement plans with all levels of government, non-governmental organizations, and Indigenous communities.

Margaret Sault was elected as Chief of the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation (MCFN) in December of 2025.

Margaret has dedicated over four decades to serving MCFN, beginning her career in 1977 as Director of Lands, Membership, and Research, and then taking on the role of Governance Director, before retiring in May 2023. Throughout her career, Margaret has been instrumental in the successful settlement of four land claims in collaboration with MCFN, developed numerous educational resources, and delivered countless talks on MCFN history. Her leadership has been pivotal in guiding the First Nation’s progress towards self-governance beyond the Indian Act. Margaret also previously served as an elected Councillor for one term and contributed to various committees and boards.

Beyond her professional accomplishments, Margaret is deeply involved in her community. She co-founded the New Credit Cancer Support Group in 2017 and continues to actively volunteer and fundraise in the Six Nations and New Credit communities. For the past 13 years, she has been a key organizer of the annual Historical Gathering, an event that attracts hundreds of attendees to learn about the rich history of the First Nation from a diverse array of speakers. A proud member and resident of the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation, Margaret is a devoted mother of three sons and grandmother of six, and she is known for her exceptional cooking skills!

Abigail Hunter is the Executive Director of SAFE’s Ambassador Alfred Hoffman Jr. Center for Critical Minerals Strategy (Minerals Center). Previously, Abigail served as Director of International Affairs and Partnerships within the Minerals Center. In this role, she nurtured existing and new SAFE partnerships to advance sustainable and ethical supply chains amongst allies and like-minded countries.

Before joining SAFE full time, Hunter headed federal government affairs for Quebec for nearly three years as the senior attachée in Washington, D.C. Her mandate focused on the energy, environment, and trade relationship between the province and United States. Hunter started her career at the National Governors Association, where she led the association’s international work.

Hunter completed her Masters in Sustainable Energy at the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies. Her four-part capstone on aluminum's clean energy paradox was published by the SAFE Center for Strategic Industrial Metals. She received her Bachelor of Commerce from McGill University with a double major in International Management and Managing for Sustainability.

Born in Toronto and growing up in New Jersey, Hunter is a proud dual citizen and conflicted hockey fan.

Peter works on the BDC Capital’s StrongNorth Fund team, part of BDC’s Defence Platform, investing in Canadian early-stage startups developing deep technologies with defence-focused or dual-use applications. The fund will accelerate the growth of companies advancing innovations aligned with Canada’s sovereign capability priorities outlined in the new Defence Industrial Strategy. Target sectors include aerospace, digital systems, land and marine systems, space technologies, sensors, as well as uncrewed and autonomous systems.

Peter brings over 25 years of experience as a venture investor, company builder, and senior executive in defence relevant technology areas including AI, robotics, semiconductors, and advanced systems. He has founded and scaled multiple deeptech companies, served on more than 20 boards, and previously launched and managed an early-stage technology fund. His past leadership includes senior roles in venture capital and as CEO or co-CEO of several tech companies, notably Applied Brain Research, where he advanced commercialization with partners such as Intel and Google and collaborated with U.S. defence and national security agencies.

Peter holds degrees in computer science, genetics, engineering, finance, securities law, financial engineering, and corporate governance from the University of Chicago, University of Toronto, University of Waterloo, Osgoode Hall, and ICD.

Christian is the Director in charge of the Circular Business Strategy at Vale Base Metals. Previous to this role, Christian worked more than 20 years in the resource and energy industries across climate, strategy and business innovation. More recently, Christian led the design of the mining industry approach to circularity at ICMM based on his previous work as a strategy consultant advising mining companies to become Material and Carbon Solution Providers. Christian is an economist with postgraduate degrees from the London School of Economics and Oxford Said Business School. Christian loves cycling and spending time with his family.

Ian Gibbs is the Chief Executive Officer of Fireweed Metals Corp., a Lundin Group company advancing the Mactung and Macpass critical mineral projects in the Yukon (Canada). Working on natural resource project across the globe, he brings more than two decades of senior leadership experience within the Lundin Group, having served as CFO of Josemaría Resources, Africa Oil, Tanganyika Oil, Valkyries Petroleum, and most recently Filo Corp., where he helped lead the company through its transformational C$4.5 billion transaction with BHP and Lundin Mining. A Chartered Professional Accountant, Mr. Gibbs also serves on several Lundin Group boards, including Lundin Gold and Lucara Diamond.

Christopher Hernandez-Roy is a senior fellow and deputy director of the Americas Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) in Washington, D.C. His work includes research into democratic backsliding, transnational organized crime, geopolitics, and economic and national security issues in the Western Hemisphere. Christopher held senior leadership positions at the Organization of American States (OAS), as the first director of the Department of Public Security and later the Department of Sustainable Democracy and Special Missions. He also served as a senior political adviser to two secretaries general, during which time he documented the grave human rights abuses of dictatorship in Venezuela and co-led the OAS’s efforts to bring a case to the International Criminal Court for possible crimes against humanity. He oversaw the OAS Mission to Support the Peace Process in Colombia and negotiated the establishment of the Mission to Support the Fight against Corruption and Impunity in Honduras. Christopher was also intimately involved in the peaceful resolution of border disputes between Honduras and Nicaragua, Belize and Guatemala, and Honduras and El Salvador. He worked for the Royal Canadian Mounted Police early in his career. He has been interviewed on CBS, CTV and the CBC and cited in the Wall Street Journal, the Washington Post, and the New York Times, among other media outlets. He has also testified on Capitol Hill. Christopher is an affiliated practitioner at James Madison University’s Department of Political Science. He holds a BA honors degree in history from Carleton University and an MPhil in international relations from the University of Cambridge.

Drew Horn is the Founder and CEO of GreenMet and a former senior U.S. government official focused on strategic minerals and energy supply chain development. He is a highly regarded business leader who has held senior leadership roles at the White House, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI), and the U.S. Departments of Energy and Defense. Prior to his government service, Drew was a strategic management consultant at a Big Four consulting firm.

Drew also served with distinction as an officer in the U.S. Army Special Forces and the U.S. Marine Corps, where he gained on-the-ground international minerals experience during combat deployments. He holds an MBA from the University of Virginia’s Darden School of Business. Drew’s depth of expertise, global experience, and industry relationships are widely recognized across the critical minerals sector.

Scott Monteith is an experienced CEO with a successful 30-year track record of moving clean and industrial technology from ideation to commercial success. Mr. Monteith has extensive international experience in the areas of team building, biofuel refining, petrochemical refinery decarbonization, water treatment system manufacturing, research & development, strategic alliance formation, and government affairs.

Mr. Monteith holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from Toronto Metropolitan University and has been a member of the Young President’s Organization for over 20 years.

Gordana Slepcev, M.Sc.P. Eng, is a Professional Mining Engineer registered in Ontario with more than 25 years of global mining experience in developing, building, and leading safe mining operations. Ms. Slepcev’s extensive experience spans multiple commodities, including gold, base metals, coal, and industrial minerals. She brings considerable experience in mineral exploration, permitting, corporate and regulatory/First Nations/ Indigenous relations, and project financing to Lomiko. Before joining the Company, Ms. Slepcev held the position of COO for BMSI, a privately held company, where she was responsible for restarting the barite reprocessing facility, mitigating historical environmental impacts, and overseeing EPCM contractors. She also formerly held the role of COO of Anaconda Mining, where she was responsible for the company’s operations and development of the Goldboro project. Ms. Slepcev graduated from the University of Belgrade with a M.Sc. and is the past Chair of the Toronto Chapter of the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy, and Petroleum (CIM). She is a WTPEO committee member and a member of the Advisory Board of the OreBit platform.

Mr. van Rooyen is Talon Metals’ Chief Executive Officer. Prior to Talon, he was a member of Tau Capital, a private investment and advisory services company, where he was primarily responsible for the new business evaluation process and the implementation of exploration and development programs for mineral projects in countries across Africa and South America. Prior to joining Tau Capital, Mr. van Rooyen was President & CEO of Groupman, a private company that built the largest silica mine in South Africa, as well as one of South Africa's largest offshore diamond exploration projects.

Dr. Dawn Wellman is the Strategic Programs Manager for the Rio Tinto Copper Research and Development group. Dawn oversees the portfolio of programs across the value stream including recovery of critical minerals, transformative technologies for tailings and water management, and growth enabling technology for copper production. Prior to joining Rio Tinto, Dawn was at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory for over 20 years in numerous organizational and leadership roles including senior research scientist, program manager, sector manager, and division director. Additionally, she served as Chief Scientist for the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Environmental Management. Dawn holds a Ph.D. in Chemistry and has authored more than 125 peer-reviewed publications. A recognized leader in strategic partnerships and technology development, Dr. Wellman brings deep expertise in aligning science with policy to strengthen the U.S. critical mineral supply chain.

Jeff Gaulin is the Vice President of Corporate Affairs & Communications for Vale Base Metals (www.valebasemetals.com), the global critical minerals company whose goal is to provide mineral security to a world in transition

Mr. Gaulin leads the company’s global public policy and government relations – from Toronto to all corners of the world. He is a Board member of the Mining Association of Canada and the Canadian Chamber of Commerce Critical Minerals Council.

Vale Base Metals is Canada’s largest producer of nickel, copper and cobalt – essential raw materials for the world’s energy and security transformation. Vale Base Metals operates mines and refineries across Canada, the United Kingdom, Brazil, Japan and Indonesia.

Mr. Gaulin joined Vale Base Metals in June 2023 from Invest Alberta, where he served as the Chief Corporate Development Officer for the provincial investment attraction agency. At Invest Alberta his role was to market globally Alberta’s pro-investment message, to support the investor journey, and to build a high-performing culture where people want to build a career with impact.

Mr. Gaulin has previously been a public affairs executive with Philip Morris International (Canada), the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers, Tervita Corporation, TransAlta Corporation and the British Columbia government. He was also an award-winning journalist.

In his spare time, Mr. Gaulin is a writer and explorer. He is a Fellow of the Royal Canadian Geographic Society and has kayaked with belugas in the Arctic, been chased by killer whales off the coast of British Columbia, camped in the world’s largest cave in Vietnam and climbed to the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro.

Mr. Gaulin has a Master of Business Administration from the University of Victoria (2002), a Master of Arts (Journalism) from the University of Western Ontario (1994), and a Bachelor of Arts from McGill University (1994).

He is of Métis heritage and lives in Toronto. He is the father of two university-students.

Eric Miller brings nearly 20 years of executive experience in battery materials, automotive, and advanced manufacturing sectors. Since 2023, he has served as an advisor to Global Battery Materials, where he was integral in establishing the business.niversity-students.

His career highlights include senior CFO positions advancing critical mineral projects in silicon anode materials and synthetic graphite, strengthening the resilience of North American energy storage supply chains. As co-founder and CFO of Anovion Technologies, Mr. Miller launched the company, secured federal grant and financing initiatives, and co-founded industry coalitions dedicated to advancing U.S. and Canadian battery materials legislation and shaping industrial policy.

Previously, Mr. Miller held senior leadership roles at Amsted Industries, a Tier 1 supplier to the automotive, rail, and heavy-duty truck sectors. In positions including Vice President of Business Development and Vice President of Finance and Strategy, he led over a decade of transformative M&A transactions, international expansions, and product launches with OEMs such as GM, Ford, Daimler, and Dow. His contributions delivered significant sales growth, global market entries, and substantial operational and margin improvements.

Earlier in his career, Mr. Miller served in financial and operational leadership roles at Robert Bosch Group and Amsted Digital Solutions, where he drove supply chain innovation and operational excellence.

Mr. Miller holds dual degrees in management science and finance from St. Bonaventure University.

David Anonychuk is Global Vice President of Metallurgy and Consulting at SGS, with over 30 years of global experience in mining, metallurgy, and strategy, working across the full mining value chain. A former senior executive at Glencore and Xstrata, he is recognized for his leadership in critical minerals and their role in battery, defence, and energy supply chains.

He has presented to NATO and the White House, and regularly speaks at senior industry, policy, and media forums, including BNN Bloomberg. David serves as Co‑Chair of the Critical Mineral Council for the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, is a member of the International Energy Agency’s Critical Mineral Expert Advisory Group, and sits on advisory panels to Natural Resources Canada and Canada’s Department of National Defence.

Joseph “Joe” Sopcisak is a Senior Policy Advisor in Holland & Knight’s Washington, D.C., office, where he advises clients on national security, defense innovation, dual-use technology, and defense industrial base strategy. A former Technical Director for Manufacturing Capability Expansion and Investment Prioritization (MCEIP) in the Office of the Under Secretary of War for Acquisition and Sustainment, he led initiatives spanning the Defense Production Act (DPA) and Industrial Base Analysis and Sustainment (IBAS) programs.

With more than a decade of experience at the intersection of advanced technology, manufacturing, and policy, Joe has deep expertise in critical minerals, microelectronics, advanced materials and manufacturing, energy storage, and AI-enabled defense systems. Earlier in his career, he was a staff scientist at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, where he managed research in materials and processes vital to national defense. Joe holds an M.S. in Materials Science and Engineering from the University of Virginia and a B.S. in Materials Science and Engineering from the University of Pittsburgh.

Ashley Glen of Export Development Canada (“EDC”) has been structuring innovative and complementary financing in support of Canadian exporters and investors for 15 years with EDC.

Since joining EDC in 2011, Ashley has worked exclusively within EDC’s Structured and Project Finance Group with a focus on extractive industries – including mining, metals, pipelines and natural resources.

In 2021, Ashley assumed her current role as Director – Extractive Industries, Structured & Project Finance, leading the team responsible for underwriting project financings in the mining, metals and resources sector. In her current role she is also focused on finding innovative debt solutions that support the build-out of critical mineral supply chains and the integration of sustainable technologies for Canadian exporters in the extractive sector.

Prior to leading the Extractive Industries team, she was a senior underwriter in the same group. Ashley previously worked for TD Securities and she holds a Master of Financial Economics (MFE) from Rotman and a CFA.

Gillian is co-founder and CEO of Green Graphite Technologies, winner of the 2025 Climate Solutions Prize, the 2025 MaRs Climate Impact Champions Series A Pitch and a Foresight 50 honoree .

In 2019 Gillian received the CIM MetSoc Environmental award which recognizes significant contributions to the field of environmental science and engineering and sustainable development in the metallurgical and materials industry.

In 2021 she received the CIM Distinguished Lecturer Award. As a Chemical Engineer (McGill University) with 35 years experience, Gillian has always been passionate about the need to commercialize cost-effective and environmentally sustainable technologies.

Anton Sestritsyn is a VOSAVIS Principal based in Ottawa, bringing extensive experience in federal politics, public affairs, and strategic communications. His experience spans senior roles, including Legislative Assistant, Campaign Manager, Strategic Communications Advisor, international Parliamentary Friendship Group coordinator, and Manager of Stakeholder Relations for two Leaders of the Official Opposition.

With a strong background in foreign affairs, human rights, and multilateral engagement, Anton has advised international delegations at the United Nations, the U.S. Senate, and the U.S. State Department, as well as Canadian parliamentarians and party leaders. His professional background also includes journalism and NGO work focused on international policy issues.

In the private sector, Anton has held executive and consulting positions, including Director of Public Affairs Strategy, Executive Director of Canadian and international organizations, and a Vice-President role within a Canadian defence company.

Anton holds a degree in Public Affairs and Policy Management from Carleton University. He is fluent in three languages and has working proficiency in three others.

Mr. Reid is a geologist and capital markets executive with over 20 years of experience focused exclusively in the mineral resource space. Mr. Reid started his career as a geologist with Saskatchewan Geological Survey and Cominco Global Exploration after which he became a partner and senior mining analyst at Sprott/Cormark Securities in Toronto. He was then named Executive General Manager at Paladin Energy, where he was responsible for leading all merger and acquisition, corporate and market related activities. He is the former Managing Director Global Mining Sales at National Bank Financial, where he directed the firm’s sales and trading in the mining sector. Most recently, he acted as President and Director of Sulliden Gold Corporation, until its acquisition by Rio Alto Mining in 2014 and was Managing Director at Aguia Resources Ltd. from 2015 to 2019. He holds a B.Sc from the University of Regina, a M.Sc from the University of Toronto and an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University.

Trent Mell is the Founder and CEO of Electra Battery Materials Corporation, driving its mission to establish North America's first fully integrated and environmentally sustainable battery materials park. Under his leadership, Electra is building the continent's first battery grade cobalt sulfate refinery, a critical step in advancing U.S. efforts to onshore key components of the battery supply chain and reduce reliance on foreign imports.

With 25 years of international business and operational experience, Trent has a proven track record in corporate finance, M&A, mine development, and operations. His leadership roles span industry leaders such as Barrick Gold, Sherritt International, and North American Palladium.

As Head of Trade & Investment, Bill brings over 25 years of experience in both the public and private sectors where he has successfully driven growth and development initiatives across various industries, particularly in international trade, policy, and business expansion.

Prior to joining Sussex, Bill has held senior roles in Canada’s federal and provincial governments, including Principal Secretary to Canada’s 22nd Prime Minister and Chief of Staff to the Minister of International Trade and Asia-Pacific Gateway. During his time in government, he played a key role in securing free trade agreements with 45 nations, including the European Union, South Korea, and the Trans-Pacific Partnership. Provincially, Bill was deeply involved in the restructuring of Ontario’s electricity sector, driving major policy and industry shifts.

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EXPERT SPEAKERS

Jody Thomas

Senior Advisor, Counsel Public Affairs

Kevin Reed

President and Chief Operations Officer,

Defence, Security & Resilience Bank (DSRB) Development Group

Kendal Hembroff

Associate Assistant Deputy Minister, Industry Sector

Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED)

Isabella Chan

Senior Assistant Deputy Minister, Lands and Minerals Sector

﻿Natural Resources Canada

Founder, President & Chief Executive Officer,

Nouveau Monde Graphite

Tomasz Husak

Directorate-General for Defence Industry and Space (DG DEFIS)

EU Commission

CEO

VAC

First Vice President

KfW

Chief Representative Officer

Korea Mine Rehabilitation and Mineral Resources Corp.(KOMIR)

CEO

Torngat Metals

Director Strategy & Innovation

CAE

Chief

Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation

Executive Director, Center for Critical Minerals Strategy

SAFE

Senior Advisor, StrongNorth Fund

BDC Capital

Director, Circularity

Vale Base Metals

President and CEO

Fireweed Metals

Deputy Director and Senior Fellow, Americas Program

Centre for Strategic & International Studies

CEO

Amaero Advanced Materials

CEO

GreenMet

President and CEO

Avalon Advanced Materials

CEO and Director

Lomiko Metals

CEO

Talon Metals

Manager - Research and Development

Rio Tinto

CEO

Fortune Minerals

Vice President of Corporate Affairs

Vale Base Metals

EVP, Partnerships and Market Strategy

Principal Mineral

CEO

Global Battery Materials

Global Vice President, Metallurgy and Consulting

SGS

Joseph Spocisak

Senior Policy Advisor

Holland & Knight

Nathan Cardinell

Senior Staff Materials Engineer

Lockheed Martin﻿

Ashley Glen

Director of Structured and Project Finance

Export Development Canada (EDC)

Green Graphite Technologies Inc.﻿

Max Yerrill

Vice President

BMO Capital Markets

Anton Sestritsyn

Principal

VOSAVIS

Justin Reid

President and CEO

Natural Resources Canada

Lockheed Martin

Green Graphite Technologies Inc.