Speaker Biographies

David Anonychuk is Global Vice President of Metallurgy and Consulting, with over 30 years of international experience in mining, metallurgy, strategy, and consulting. He has held senior roles at Glencore, Xstrata, and mining consultancies. David is recognized for his expertise in critical minerals and the battery supply chain, with a focus on innovation. He has spoken at global forums including BNN Bloomberg, the White House, Benchmark Mineral Intelligence, and the Canadian Chamber of Commerce. He serves as Co-Chair of the Critical Mineral Council for the Canadian Chamber of Commerce and is a member of the Critical Mineral Expert Advisory Group for the International Energy Agency (IEA).

Joe Arencibia has over 25 years of experience in the design, implementation, and commercialization of gas recycling plants, bulk API and vaccine systems, and novel green technologies. He's developed and deployed scaled process systems for the world's largest manufacturers in aerospace, specialty materials, pharmaceuticals, automotive, and chemicals. In his two-year tenure at Summit, he's focused on commercial readiness and scale deployment of Summit's novel DLE process and sorbent. This includes the successful launches of its multi-column pilot in 2024 (Denver, CO), in-field demo in 2025 (Chile), industrial scale production of its benchmark DLE sorbent, and the upcoming operations of a new, in-house demonstration plant in Chile. Joe has previously served as CTO at a green hydrogen startup and CEO of Arencibia, Inc., a family-founded technology company focused on industrial gas recycling and novel cryogenic applications. He started his career at Procter & Gamble, supporting paper-making operations as a technical engineer at P&G’s largest global manufacturing site. Joe holds a degree in Chemical Engineering from Cornell University and speaks English and Spanish.

Robert has about 20 years’ experience as an exploration geologist, focused on South Australia, Victoria and the Northern Territory. He has both mining and exploration experience in orogenic style gold projects and his experience covers a range of commodities including gold, copper, uranium and rare earths. Robert is responsible for delivering Cobra’s field programmes safely and successfully while ensuring the best possible outcome for all stakeholders.

Colin Campbell leads Redwood’s technology and product development as CTO. Colin joined after 17 years at Tesla as VP of Powertrain Engineering where he was responsible for the electrical, mechanical, and manufacturing engineering of high power electronics, as well as motors, gearboxes, battery packs, and charging systems across both the vehicle and energy businesses. Colin earned his BS in Physics and MS in Electrical Engineering from Stanford University.

Kevin Cho is the General Manager of the Global Sales and Marketing Department at RFHIC, a world-leading supplier of Gallium Nitride (GaN) RF and microwave solutions. RFHIC’s advanced technologies enable a wide range of critical applications, including radar, electronic warfare, jammers, UAVs, industrial heating, plasma generation, waste gasification, and 5G/O-RAN systems.

As GM of Global sales and marketing, Kevin oversees strategic growth and customer engagement across the Americas, Europe, and Asia, driving initiatives that strengthen RFHIC’s global presence and partnerships. With a strong focus on innovation and collaboration, he plays a key role in expanding the adoption of GaN technology across both defense and industrial sectors. Kevin holds a Bachelor of Engineering from the Rochester Institute of Technology and brings a global perspective to advancing RFHIC’s mission of enabling a smarter and more energy-efficient world.

Dr. Pengbo Chu is a Nevada Gold Mines Professor and Assistant Professor at the Department of Mining and Metallurgical Engineering at University of Nevada, Reno. His research interest in mineral processing, particularly with rare earth minerals, lithium, nickel, and copper. His research motivation is to develop innovative extraction technologies using an interdisciplinary approach to enable resource recovery from both primary and secondary resources. Dr. Chu research has been supported by the U.S. Department of Energy, National Science Foundation, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, and numerous mining and recycling companies in the mountain west region. Prior to his current employment in 2020, Dr. Chu was a postdoctoral research scientist at CanmetMINING, a national laboratory under the Department of Natural Resources Canada, where he worked extensively on mineral processing of low-grade rare earth ores. Dr. Chu obtained his Ph.D. in Materials Engineering, M.Eng and B.Eng in Mechanical Engineering from McGill University in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.

David Craig, PhD is Vice President at Jenike & Johanson, and is a graduate from The University of Newcastle, Australia with both Bachelor of Engineering (Mechanical) and PhD degrees. David has over 35 years experience in engineering consulting, specializing in reliable storage and flow of granular bulk solids. David is involved in industrial project work, as well as leading in-house R&D efforts. He has published several technical papers, participated in various international conferences, and presented numerous short courses in the field of bulk solids flow.

With a strong blend of technical expertise and commercial strategy, Jordan Dick is a seasoned Technical Sales Manager specializing in mineral processing solutions. Over the course of a career spanning 10 years, Jordan has built a reputation for bridging the gap between complex engineering challenges and practical, value-driven results for clients across the mining and industrial sectors. Jordan received his B.S. in Metallurgical Engineering from South Dakota School of Mines and Technology. In the Mineral Processing Division, Jordan leads technical sales initiatives with a deep understanding of mineral processing flowsheets. Known for a consultative, solution-oriented approach, Jordan partners closely with engineering teams, plant operators, and procurement groups to optimize process efficiency, reduce operational costs, and enhance overall plant performance.

As Vice President of Facility Design at E3 Lithium, Jason Doornbos leads the strategic planning, engineering, and development of the company’s commercial-scale lithium production facilities. With over 20 years of experience in project development and execution across Alberta’s energy and resource sectors, Jason plays a critical role in transforming E3 Lithium’s resource base into high-purity lithium products essential for the global energy transition. Jason oversees multidisciplinary teams responsible for technology development, engineering design, and integration of E3 Lithium’s proprietary Direct Lithium Extraction (DLE) technology. Known for a strong track record in delivering complex facilities in the energy and resources sectors, Jason ensures E3’s facility design prioritizes safety, sustainability, efficiency, and long-term scalability. Before joining E3 Lithium, Jason held senior project management roles at Pembina Pipelines, the London Organizing Committee for the 2012 Olympic Games, and Kiewit, where he managed capital project development and execution, and championed innovative approaches to facility design and construction. Jason holds a Bachelor of Science degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Alberta and is a Registered Professional Engineer with APEGA.

BSc Chemical Engineering , University of Cape Town, South Africa PhD (Eng) University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa Past Chair, Hydrometallurgy Section of MetSoc, Canada Extraordinary associate professor, North West University, South Africa. Mike has 40+ years’ experience in R&D, primarily in the application of hydrometallurgy to the extraction of metals. Since 2003 he has been operating as Arithmetek Inc., offering process and cost modelling services to the industry at large.

Peter Ehren is an independent Lithium Consultant with over 2 decades of experience in the industry. He started his interest in the lithium business during his master's thesis at the Technical University of the Delft where he investigated for BHP Minerals the recovery of lithium from geothermal brine (Salton Sea), applying a Direct Lithium Extraction (DLE) technology. After his thesis he worked for SQM as a process engineer, and R&D manager till 2007. Since 2007, he started to work as an independent consultant in lithium, boron and potassium industry. He is a world expert in solar evaporation systems, phase chemistry and process developments. Additionally, his experiences covers product applications, OPEX and CAPEX estimation, process simulations, engineering, R&D and product development. He has worked in most lithium basins and production facilities worldwide. He is one of the few consultants in the industry who has built projects from lab scale all the way through to industrial production. During this period, he brought 4 project to DFS level. (Orocobre -AlKem , Ioneer, Millennium Lithium, and Lithium Power International) He has visited and evaluated many lithium brine and minerals operations in the entire world.
He has achieved the status of being a Chartered Professional (AusIMM) and is recognized as a Qualified Person for NI-43-101 and JORC.

Michael Free is a Professor in and Associate Chair of the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City, Utah. He has performed research and taught courses as a faculty member for more than 27 years. His areas of expertise include hydrometallurgy, electrometallurgy, corrosion, and materials synthesis. He has been the principal investigator of more than 65 research projects funded by more than 20 companies, the Department of Defense, Department of Energy, Office of Naval Research, and the National Science Foundation. He has authored or co-authored more than 260 publications. He has been a paid consultant for 40 organizations. He received a B.S. degree in metallurgical engineering, an M.S. degree in chemical engineering and a Ph.D. degree in metallurgical engineering from the University of Utah.

Jason has a PhD in chemical engineering and multiphase fluid dynamics, with 14 years of experience in agitation equipment research and development at Philadelphia Mixing Solutions and SPX FLOW. His current position is technology manager and Sr. research engineer responsible for laboratory and pilot scale testing, computational modeling, and technology development and management. He also serve on the AICHE’s North American Mixing Forum executive council. Presents regularly for past 13 years at AICHE Annual meeting, North American Mixing Forum, European Conference on Mixing, Process Development Symposium, Metallurgical Society of Canada, and others.

Christine Green is Vice President of Technology and Operations at Endolith, a pioneering bioleaching company focused on sustainable metal recovery. She brings over 25 years of experience in mining, hydrometallurgy, and battery recycling, with a proven track record of leading large-scale projects and developing innovative pressure and biological leaching technologies. Prior to Endolith, Christine held senior roles at Redwood Materials, Newmont Mining, and Freeport-McMoRan, earning multiple patents and publications while driving improvements in efficiency and environmental impact. She holds an MS in Civil Engineering from Norwich University and a BS in Metallurgical Engineering from South Dakota School of Mines and Technology.

Nicolas (Nico) Grosso Giordano is a chemical engineer with deep expertise across process R&D, scale-up, and intellectual property in the lithium extraction and critical minerals sector. At Lilac Solutions, he has held a range of technical leadership roles, including spearheading the company’s new process R&D initiatives, scaling strategies, and development of its intellectual property portfolio. Most recently, Nico has focused on advancing Lilac’s technical partnerships in emerging lithium markets, including produced water, battery recycling, and downstream processing. Nico earned his Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from the University of California, Berkeley, where he collaborated with Chevron to develop novel catalytic materials for petrochemical applications. He holds a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from Northwestern University. He is the author of over 20 peer-reviewed publications in leading scientific journals and is an inventor on four U.S. patents covering advanced materials, separations, and critical mineral extraction technologies.

Oliver is a serial entrepreneur having founded and led 3 technology companies. His top achievements include: Growing ARM’s mobile market share from 0% to 95%, executing the 2006 acquisition of Falanx (Mali GPU) at ARM, Co-founder of the non-profit MIPI Alliance in 2003, Sponsoring and founding NGCodec as its CEO for 7 years till its successful 5x exit to AMD (was Xilinx) in 2019, Founding Impossible Metals including recruiting co-founders and closing over $12M in seed funding. In 1994 he joined ARM, at the time a 60-person startup in the UK. Initially he pioneered the segment marketing activity by leading the mobile marketing team, which resulted in growing its market share from 0% to over 90%. He lived and worked in Japan for two and half years. In his last role at ARM as VP of Corporate Business Development and M&A, Oliver championed the acquisition of Falanx in 2006, whose technology (Mali) went on to become the number one shipping GPU in the world. In September 2023 ARM IPO for the 2nd time at a valuation of $65 billion. In 2012, Oliver founded NGCodec, a start-up focused on next generation cloud video acceleration, leveraging programmable hardware. As CEO he raised over $15M, grew the team to ~40 people and won SaaS business with Amazon/Twitch. In 2019 the company was acquired by AMD (was Xilinx) data center group, returning over 5x to his investors. In 2023 AMD released a 5nm ASIC for data centers with NGCodec encoder IP. In 2020, Oliver founded Impossible Metals to provide responsible seabed mining and refining of battery metals, enabling the world’s transition to sustainable energy. Impossible Metals is building underwater robotics vehicles which collect battery metals from the seabed without harming the environment as well as using bacteria to refine battery metals without generating tailings. Oliver holds a Bachelor's degree with honors in Electrical and Electronic Engineering from the University of Greenwich London, UK, and a Mini-MBA from the AeA/Executive Institute, Stanford University Graduate School of Business, Palo Alto, CA, USA. He is the inventor of multiple patents in the semiconductor, video and robotics space.

During his PhD studies at University of Mainz, Germany and Seoul National University, Korea, Daniel focused on functional and reactive inorganic/organic surface coatings. Afterwards he joined the research and development department at Steuler-KCH GmbH using his experience to continue development of coatings and linings for severe corrosion protection. Later Daniel holds several international management positions within the heavy corrosion industry. He was involved in different international projects within mining, chemical industry or power generation. Since 2024 Daniel is Managing Director of DSB, a corrosion protection lining company specialized on HPAL and POX vessels. He has authored numerous technical papers in distinguished journals, and has contributed to several international meetings and exhibitions related to polymer science and corrosion engineering.

Wolfgang KELLER is a Senior Process Engineer and Head of R&D at EKATO Ruehr- und Mischtechnik. He has more than 25 years of experience in the field of chemical and mechanical process engineering. From 1996 to 2000, he worked at LONZA as a Production and R&D Engineer in a polymer plant. In 2000, he joined EKATO’s R&D department, where he has focused on various applications, including polymers and mineral processing. He holds a Master’s degree (Dipl.-Ing.) in Process Engineering from the Technical University of Karlsruhe, Germany. Wolfgang Keller is the author of numerous papers on industrial mixing technology and holds several patents. Memberships: - EFCE (European Federation of Chemical Engineering): board member of the ‘Working Party in Mixing’ - VDI (Verein Deutscher Ingenieure)

Kurt is currently the vice president of battery cell and pack for General Motors. Prior to that Kurt was the VP of Automotive at Sila Nanotechnologies, a battery materials company that enables lighter, higher energy density lithium-ion batteries for mass adoption of electric vehicles, longer-lasting portable electronics, and broader use of renewable power sources. Kelty brings more than 25 years of experience in the battery industry, including 11 years at Tesla, where he most recently served as Senior Director of Battery Technology. There he was responsible for leading numerous key initiatives, including setting the company’s battery cell usage strategy, delivering the batteries implemented in the Roadster, Model S/X and Model 3, and leading partnerships and material sourcing efforts at the Gigafactory, among many others. Prior to Tesla, Kelty was Director of Business Development at Panasonic, where he founded the U.S. battery R&D lab. Kelty holds a BA in Biology from Swarthmore College and a Master of Science from Stanford.

Recognized for more than 25 years of developing and commercializing lithium-ion batteries, Dr. Christina Lampe-Onnerud is Founder and CEO of Cadenza Innovation, a growth-stage company transforming energy storage for grid, EV, commercial and industrial, and urban battery deployments. Previously, Dr. Lampe-Onnerud was Founder, CEO, and International Chairman of Boston-Power, a battery company providing products to the consumer electronics, transportation, and other end markets. Earlier in her career, Dr. Lampe-Onnerud held executive positions with Bridgewater Associates and Arthur D. Little, where she led the world’s largest non-captive battery lab. A two-time World Economic Forum Technology Pioneer and former co-chair of its Global Future Councils, Dr. Lampe-Onnerud is a co-chair of Li-Bridge, a public-private alliance convened by the U.S. Department of Energy to accelerate the creation of a robust domestic manufacturing base and supply chain for lithium-based batteries. She is also a former board director with the New York Battery and Energy Storage Technology (NY-BEST) Consortium, a coalition working to build a vibrant, world-class, advanced battery and energy storage sector in New York State. Dr. Lampe-Onnerud holds a Ph.D. in Inorganic Chemistry from Uppsala University, Sweden, conducted post-doctoral work at MIT and currently sits on MIT’s Chemistry Department Visiting Committee.

Rob is one of the founders of NOVA Hydromet, a company specializing in severe service applications for pressure hydrometallurgy worldwide, and currently serves as its director of research and development. Using an interdisciplinary approach based on first principles, Rob has helped resolve multi-million-dollar production issues at some of the world’s largest autoclave production sites and pioneered industry best practices in letdown analysis and design. He is passionate about solving complex problems, often using mathematical models that draw on various sciences and his experience in control theory from the aerospace and instrumentation industries. Rob has authored multiple patents, previously worked at Memorex, Textron, and Caldera Engineering, and holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in mechanical engineering from Brigham Young University.

Evelyn Ng, PhD, MBA, is a professional engineer with two decades of global experience in mining operations, research and development, academia, and consulting across five continents. As Group Manager of Materials & Innovation at Callidus, she has pioneered multiple coating technologies, significantly enhancing critical valve trim reliability. For her achievements, Evelyn received a national award for technological innovation in Australia’s resource industry.

Jonathan Radcliffe has over 15 years of expertise in battery materials development and process technology, specializing in scale-up, technology evaluation, and flow sheet design. As Technical Specialist at Worley, Jonathan drives front-end development for first-of-a-kind battery materials projects, supporting the battery value chain and advancing critical mineral solutions essential for the energy transition.

Andy Rafal is CEO of OLI—the living library of electrolyte chemistry that transforms water and brine data into decisive industrial advantages. Since 2017, Andy has grown OLI from a niche team of 20 experts into an industry-leading group of over 80 chemists, engineers, and data scientists. Under his leadership, OLI’s advanced simulations precisely predict corrosion, scaling, and wastewater chemistry, enabling customers in oil & gas, battery metals, and critical minerals to reduce emissions, minimize water consumption, and cut costs from complex processes. Before joining OLI, Andy spent fifteen years building Tiger Consumer Management, mastering disciplined capital allocation and strategic long-term planning, skills now central to OLI’s growth and culture. Andy applies this same clarity of purpose to his philanthropic commitments as a board member of the Literacy Academy Collective and trustee of the Tiger Foundation, a 35-year-old organization dedicated to breaking the cycle of poverty in New York City.

The development of resilient supply chains in pursuit of in-country climate change goals and energy security has become the imperative of the century at both the national and international levels. Adele is responsible for reviewing regulatory and policy trends and risks impacting global critical mineral supply chains, from fractious geopolitical forces to the challenges of implementing effective policies. She has also completed extensive mine-level due diligence, providing an objective view of ESG and regulatory risks for critical mineral supply chains. With increasing scrutiny of how corporations operate in multiple jurisdictions, fulfilling and demonstrating high standards of ESG is no longer an option but a requirement from both a market access and investment perspective. She brings her techno-legal background and experience working with stakeholders throughout the mineral supply chain to identify effective ESG strategies in support of responsible business practices.

Donald Sadoway, a professor of materials chemistry at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, has had an impressive career stemming from the influence of inspiring professors and his Ukrainian grandmother, who installed in him that to serve is a noble act. Pursuing service with a passion to change the world, Sadoway discovered engineering and has made valued contributions to the field of metallurgy. Sadoway emphasizes the importance of an idea, and it was his idea which led to the genesis of molten oxide electrolysis on his search for an inert anode. This discovery led Sadoway to a TED Talk, Time 100, and Colbert Report. Among research, Sadoway is also a passionate professor and has transformed his chemistry classroom into a link between the science, arts, and ethics. A TMS member since 1979, Sadoway notes the critical value societies offer for young professionals to present themselves and create a personal representation of their idea.

Andrew Saucer is a Battery Raw Materials Analyst for Fastmarkets, specializing in North American supply chains and lithium analysis. Prior to Fastmarkets Andrew was the US Minor Metals Reporter for Argus Metals and obtained and Honors degree in Metallurgy & Materials Science from the Colorado School of Mines.

Dr. Seo is currently the head of battery engineering design for the Hyundai Motor Company. Dr. Seo has been with Hyundai since 2011 in roles including senior research engineer as well as the head of the battery engineering design team. Dr. Seo has a phd in chemical engineering from the University of Michigan.

Danielle Singleton works at ExxonMobil as a Customer Application Developer for the hydrocarbon fluids business. Her previous experience at ExxonMobil as a catalyst R&D chemist for 10 years allows her to think of the products on a molecular level. This has allowed her to better understand her customers’ quality and application needs. She supports the well-established mining industry and the emerging battery recycling application, which allows her to leverage her deep knowledge of the Escaid™ products, the unique binding characteristics of metals, and how Escaid products are advantaged over traditional solvent products in hydrometallurgy. She holds an M.S. from the University of Michigan and has been listed as an inventor on 9 different global patents from her time at ExxonMobil.

David St. Angelo is the Chief Technology Officer at Mangrove Lithium in Vancouver BC. He brings over 30-years experience in sustainable technology commercialization, plant construction, technoeconomic analysis, and technical leadership. At Mangrove he leads the operations and advanced development teams commercializing an electrochemical process for converting lithium feedstocks into lithium hydroxide. David holds a BS in Chemical Engineering from the University of Massachusetts and an MS in Electrical Engineering from Northeastern University.

Since joining Cambridge EnerTech in Feb 2024, Sarah has worked within the recycling, mining and mineral processing areas of the battery value chain. She has industry experience in power supply and conversion for clean energy applications, Li-ion battery cathode research, oil and gas and mineral processing. Sarah holds a PhD in Materials Science & Metallurgy from the University of Cambridge and a BEng in Mineral Engineering from the University of Leeds.

Johann Verster is a chemical engineer with over 25 years of experience in the mining and downstream refining industries. He began his career in pressure leaching base metal refinery operations in the platinum sector before moving into engineering, where he spent 17 years specializing in process development, process design, commissioning, and project management. An internationally recognized autoclave expert, Johann has led the installation and commissioning of over five autoclave circuits. He played key roles in two uranium pressure leach projects and has been at the forefront of refractory gold POX and HPAL development. He has consulted independently into several operating companies and autoclave related projects. He is currently employed by Caldera Engineering as an industry process specialist.

Craig currently serves as the General Manager of Cambridge EnerTech with primary responsibilities for scientific conference organization and program development within energy market sectors with conferences based in the United States, Asia, Australia and Europe. Prior to that and since 2014, Craig served as Executive Director of Conferences for Cambridge Enertech. Previously to joining CII and forming Cambridge EnerTech, Craig was the Founder and President of the Knowledge Foundation, a scientific conference and publishing company until it was acquired by CII in 2014. Additionally, Craig was a Director at IBC USA (now Informa), and has previous experience in conference development, publishing and technical marketing.

Prof. Rachid Yazami, is a native of Fez, Morocco and a graduate of the Grenoble Institute of Technology (INPG) electrochemistry and materials science where he also received a Ph.D. on graphite intercalation compounds for lithium battery application, and began his career and rose to research director at CNRS (Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique) in Grenoble. Recently, after over 40 years in academic research Prof. Yazami retired from the CNRS, pursuing his career as entrepreneur. Yazami is the inventor involved in over 150 patents related to battery technology, including the graphite anode used in most commercial lithium ion batteries an over $150b business. Dr. Yazami co-authored about 250 articles in peer-reviewed journals, book chapters and international meeting proceedings. Yazami served a visiting associate in Materials Science and in Chemistry at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) in collaboration with JPL/NASA together with being the President of the International Battery Association (IBA). His name appears in International Scientific Board of several lithium battery conferences and events. In 2010, Dr. Yazami joined the Nanyang Technological University in Singapore (NTU) where he held the Nanyang Visiting Professor in Materials Science position together with being a PI of battery research at the TUM Create Center of e-mobility, jointly managed by NTU and the Technological University of Munich.In recognition of his invention of the graphite anode in lithium ion batteries, Yazami received several scientific awards, including from NASA, NATO, IBA, JSPS, Hawaii Battery Conference, the IEEE and the Draper Prize in 2014 considered as the Nobel Prize in Engineering. In 2014 Yazami was decorated by HM the King of Morocco. He is the recipient of the French Legion of Honor in 2016 and of the “2018’ Takreem Award” in Science and Technology Innovation, considered the Arab Scientist of the Year Award. Recently Prof. Rachid was the recipient of the 2019 Arab Investor Award during a Forum held in the UNESCO headquarters in Paris together with the Mohamed Bin Rached Medal of Scientific Distinguishment of Life Achievement given by the Ruler of Dubai in 2020.