Principal Consultant,  CRU
Francisco joined CRU Consulting in 2019 after a nine-year career across the base and battery metals sector. Before this Francisco co-founded and led the business development at Kura Minerals, advising on acquisition strategies, deal structuring and project financing across a wide spectrum of mining companies and financial institutions.  Francisco also worked at BHP where he was responsible for geometallurgy and project development at Escondida mine site in northern Chile, and involved in mineral processing R&D for different assets in the company’s Copper group.  During his MSc degree thesis, Francisco explored public policy and macroeconomics aspects of the resource industry´s role in economic growth.  Francisco based in CRU's Santiago office holds a Chemical Engineer degree from University of Concepción, Chile and a M.Sc. Industry, Trade & Development from University of Manchester, United Kingdom.

Head of South America, Consulting ,  CRU

Juan Esteban joined CRU in 2006 after six years as Assistant Vice President at Citigroup Chile within the Metals and Mining group, performing risk analysis for the main Chilean mining companies for financial transactions.

Since joining CRU Consulting, Juan Esteban has been involved in developing methodologies to quantify and mitigate risks in mining and mineral processing operations, as well as in market due diligence for Copper, Iron Ore and Fertilizers. Since 2009, Juan Esteban is the Office Manager of CRU Chile.

Juan Esteban holds a BSc in Industrial Civil Engineering from the Catholic University of Chile and is fluent in English and Spanish.

Principal Consultant,  CRU
Francisco joined CRU Consulting in 2019 after a nine-year career across the base and battery metals sector. Before this Francisco co-founded and led the business development at Kura Minerals, advising on acquisition strategies, deal structuring and project financing across a wide spectrum of mining companies and financial institutions.  Francisco also worked at BHP where he was responsible for geometallurgy and project development at Escondida mine site in northern Chile, and involved in mineral processing R&D for different assets in the company’s Copper group.  During his MSc degree thesis, Francisco explored public policy and macroeconomics aspects of the resource industry´s role in economic growth.  Francisco based in CRU's Santiago office holds a Chemical Engineer degree from University of Concepción, Chile and a M.Sc. Industry, Trade & Development from University of Manchester, United Kingdom.

Head of South America, Consulting ,  CRU

Juan Esteban joined CRU in 2006 after six years as Assistant Vice President at Citigroup Chile within the Metals and Mining group, performing risk analysis for the main Chilean mining companies for financial transactions.

Since joining CRU Consulting, Juan Esteban has been involved in developing methodologies to quantify and mitigate risks in mining and mineral processing operations, as well as in market due diligence for Copper, Iron Ore and Fertilizers. Since 2009, Juan Esteban is the Office Manager of CRU Chile.

Juan Esteban holds a BSc in Industrial Civil Engineering from the Catholic University of Chile and is fluent in English and Spanish.

Chairman,  CRU
Robert Perlman is Executive Chairman of CRU. In 1969, he founded the company which is now among the leading economic advisory organisations in natural resources. With a network of offices across five continents, CRU employs some 260 staff, mostly consultants and researchers.
Prior to founding CRU, Robert was on the editorial staff of The Economist, focusing mainly on natural resource industries and commodities markets.

Robert has an MA in Economics from Cambridge University and was awarded the Adam Smith Prize. He is joint author of “Resource Conflict in International Relations” published by Oxford University Press for the Royal Institute of International Affairs where he was on the governing council and the finance committee until the 1990s. He chairs the Institute of Archaeo-Metallurgical Studies at University College London which focusses on the role of metals in the development of civilisation.

Chairman,  CRU
Robert Perlman is Executive Chairman of CRU. In 1969, he founded the company which is now among the leading economic advisory organisations in natural resources. With a network of offices across five continents, CRU employs some 260 staff, mostly consultants and researchers.
Prior to founding CRU, Robert was on the editorial staff of The Economist, focusing mainly on natural resource industries and commodities markets.

Robert has an MA in Economics from Cambridge University and was awarded the Adam Smith Prize. He is joint author of “Resource Conflict in International Relations” published by Oxford University Press for the Royal Institute of International Affairs where he was on the governing council and the finance committee until the 1990s. He chairs the Institute of Archaeo-Metallurgical Studies at University College London which focusses on the role of metals in the development of civilisation.

Minister of Mines, Ministry of Mining,  Government of Chile
Médico cirujano, posee cuatro magísteres. Su trayectoria política comenzó en la región de Antofagasta, ciudad donde vive hace más de treinta años junto a su marido y colega de profesión, Marco González, con quien tiene tres hijos. En la capital regional comienza su carrera en salud pública, destacándose por su participación en el Colegio Médico; así como, por ser parte de los movimientos ciudadanos contra la dictadura cívico – militar.

La Dra. Hernando ha destacado en su carrera por abrir camino para otras mujeres de la región, siendo la primera mujer directora regional de Servicio de Salud; la primera seremi de Salud; la primera intendenta regional y la primera alcaldesa electa de la comuna de Antofagasta, entre 2008 – 2012.

Posteriormente, fue elegida diputada representando región de Antofagasta, siendo la primera militante del Partido Radical en ser electa a nivel nacional en cincuenta años. Como diputada ejerció durante dos periodos, 2014 – 2018 y 2018 – 2022.

Durante su gestión parlamentaria presentó más de 420 proyectos de ley en la Cámara Baja; además integró la Comisión de Minería durante cuatro años, siendo su presidenta en 2019.

Minister of Mines, Ministry of Mining,  Government of Chile
Médico cirujano, posee cuatro magísteres. Su trayectoria política comenzó en la región de Antofagasta, ciudad donde vive hace más de treinta años junto a su marido y colega de profesión, Marco González, con quien tiene tres hijos. En la capital regional comienza su carrera en salud pública, destacándose por su participación en el Colegio Médico; así como, por ser parte de los movimientos ciudadanos contra la dictadura cívico – militar.

La Dra. Hernando ha destacado en su carrera por abrir camino para otras mujeres de la región, siendo la primera mujer directora regional de Servicio de Salud; la primera seremi de Salud; la primera intendenta regional y la primera alcaldesa electa de la comuna de Antofagasta, entre 2008 – 2012.

Posteriormente, fue elegida diputada representando región de Antofagasta, siendo la primera militante del Partido Radical en ser electa a nivel nacional en cincuenta años. Como diputada ejerció durante dos periodos, 2014 – 2018 y 2018 – 2022.

Durante su gestión parlamentaria presentó más de 420 proyectos de ley en la Cámara Baja; además integró la Comisión de Minería durante cuatro años, siendo su presidenta en 2019.

Chief Executive Officer,  Codelco

André Sougarret Larroquete is a Mining Engineer from the University of Chile, with an outstanding professional career of 35 years, mostly at Codelco. After working for a few years in other companies, he joined Codelco in 1993 as a Long-Term Planning Engineer in the El Teniente Division. In that operation, his professional development included the positions of Project Manager, Mine Manager and Deputy General Manager of Operations, the latter position between 2011 and 2012.

In this position he was requested to lead the rescue of the 33 miners trapped in the San José mine, in the Atacama region. Regarding this milestone, Sougarret said: "Rescuing the miners marked my life and has been the most important and rewarding job that I have had to face in my professional stage. It was a great personal satisfaction because I had to help a lot of people". For this successful management leading professionals of different nationalities and companies, Sougarret received various awards, as "Mining Engineer of the Year" in 2010 (Institute of Mining Engineers of Chile, IIMCH), "Engineer of the Year" in 2010 (Engineering Council of Chile) and "Engineer Award for Distinguished Actions" in 2011 (Institute of Engineers of Chile, IICH).

Sougarret was also a professor of Mining at the University of Antofagasta. In 2012 he moved to Antofagasta Minerals, first as general manager of Minera Esperanza, and later in the same position at Minera Centinela. In 2017 he returned to the El Teniente Division of Codelco as general manager until 2018, when he became vice president of the National Mining Company, Enami.

In 2019 he moved to Mexico, where he served as Chief Operating Officer at Fresnillo PLC. After this experience, he returned to Codelco as Vice President of Northern Operations, a position from which he led important challenges in the Northern District, including facing the Covid-19 pandemic while maintaining production levels and taking care of the workers’ health. Also, he led important improvements in productivity, including the modernization plans of some of the operations. In May 2022, he took over as Deputy CEO, a period in which the cessation of the Ventanas smelter was defined, the desalination plant for the Northern District was approved, and the agreement by the Ministry of Finance for the reinvestment of up to 30 % of Codelco's profits between 2021 and 2024 was announced. In August 2022 he was appointed as CEO unanimously by the members of the Corporation's board of directors.

Chief Executive Officer ,  Antofagasta PLC
Iván Arriagada joined Antofagasta Minerals S.A., a Chilean-controlled company listed on the London Stock Exchange and a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index in February 2015. In April 2016, he was appointed CEO of Antofagasta plc, the holding company of Antofagasta Mining Group. Mr Arriagadais a Commercial Engineer, graduate of the Adolfo Ibañez Business School at Universidad Federico Santa María and holds a Master of Science from the London School of Economics. Prior to joining Antofagasta Minerals, he held the position of ChiefFinancial Officer at Codelco. Before this, he was President of Pampa Norte at Base Metals BHP Billiton, Vice President of Operations at Base Metals BHP Billiton and Chief Financial Officer for Copper at BHP Billiton. Mr Arriagada previously worked in the oil and gas industry at Royal Dutch Shell International, holding various posts in finance and business development, primarily in England, USA and Argentina.


Iván Arriagada ingresa al Grupo Minero Antofagasta Mineral S.A, empresa chilena inscrita en el London Stock Exchange y constituyente del Indice FTSE 100 en febrero de 2015. En abril de 2016, es designado Presidente Ejecutivo de Antofagasta PLC, empresa controladora del Grupo. Iván es Ingeniero Comercial, graduado de la Escuela de Negocios Adolfo Ibáñez de la Universidad Federico Santa María. Posee un Masters en Ciencias del London School of Economics. Antes de unirse a Antofagasta Minerals, ocupó el cargo de Vice Presidente de Finanzas de Codelco, Presidente de Pampa Norte de BHP Billiton Metales, Vice Presidente de Operaciones de Metales Base de BHP Billiton y Vice Presidente de Cobre de BHP Billiton. Previamente trabajó en la industria del petróleo y gas en el Royal Dutch Shell International, ocupando diversos puestos en finanzas y desarrollo de negocios , principalmente en Inglaterra , EE.UU. y Argentina.

President Minerals Americas,  BHP
Ragnar has more than 20 years’ experience in the global resources industry, including in Australia and North America, and brings strong operational and leadership experience.

He joined BHP in 1997 and has held a number of senior leadership positions across operations, logistics, projects, infrastructure and technology. In 2015, Ragnar was appointed BHP Mitsubishi Alliance (BMA) Asset President. He served as president of the Queensland Resources Council from 2016 to 2019.

From late 2018, Ragnar was BHP’s Vice President Technology Global Transformation. He was appointed Acting Chief Technology Officer in December 2019, and in that time has realigned the global technology function, reduced costs and refocused priorities to better support BHP’s operational assets. Prior to joining BHP, he held other roles in the base metals industry.

Chief Executive, Copper,  Rio Tinto

Bold became Chief Executive, Copper in February 2021.

Previously, Bold was the Chief Executive of our Energy & Minerals (E&M) product group. Through the development of new products and markets, a responsive market approach and the successful divestment of our coal business, Bold helped drive the optimisation of our portfolio with a focus on a low carbon future and in doing so, helped generate significant shareholder value. He also re-energised the Group’s focus on Africa and drove the development of Rio Tinto Ventures, which focuses on assessing growth opportunities in the minerals and metals of the future.

Bold joined Rio Tinto in May 2013 as president of Copper International Operations. He earlier held executive positions with a diversified investment management business, a gold mining company in his home country of Mongolia and as an investment banker with JP Morgan in New York and London. He was the chairman of the Mongolian Stock Exchange from 2010-12 and chairman of the Mongolian Mining Association from 2012-14.

Chief Executive Officer ,  Teck
Jonathan Price was appointed Chief Executive Officer of Teck on September 30, 2022, and has been a member of Teck’s Board of Directors since July 26, 2022.Previously, Mr. Price was Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer having joined Teck in October 2020. He brings extensive experience in the resources sector through a variety of finance, commercial and business development roles spanning Europe, Asia and Australia, with a focus on strategy, transformational change and business improvement. Prior to joining Teck, Mr. Price was employed by BHP from 2006 to 2020 where he was Chief Transformation Officer, Vice President Finance and Vice President Investor Relations working in Asia, Australia and the UK. He has also worked in the Metals and Mining team at ABN AMRO Bank and held various production and technical roles with INCO. Mr. Price holds a Master of Engineering (Honours) in Metallurgy and Materials Science from the University of Oxford and a Master of Business Administration from Cardiff University.

Executive Chairman, Chief Executive Officer,  Trafigura

Jeremy Weir became Executive Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Trafigura in April 2018. This follows his appointment as CEO of the company in March 2014 after a career spanning nearly three decades in commodity and commodity derivative markets.

An Australian national, Jeremy joined the Trafigura Group in 2001 as head of metals derivatives, structured products and risk management. Immediately prior to becoming CEO he served as a Management Board Director, Head of Risk and CEO of Galena Asset Management and Trafigura Mining Group.

Before Trafigura, Jeremy spent nearly nine years between 1992 and 2000 with NM Rothschild. Jeremy holds a BSc (Hons), Geology Major, from the University of Melbourne.

Director of Copper Research and Strategy,  CRU
Vanessa Davidson is manager of CRU’s Copper and Wire and Cable teams. She has over 20 years’ experience in evaluating a range of metal markets, including lead, zinc, aluminium, nickel, stainless steel, ferrochrome, and more recently copper. During her time at CRU, Vanessa has managed many marketing studies, cost reports and project feasibility studies. She has also given frequent papers at international conferences.

Vanessa graduated with a degree in Economics in 1985.

President, Mining & Metals,  Bechtel

Ailie MacAdam is president of Bechtel’s Mining & Metals global business unit. Based in Brisbane, Australia, she is responsible for all aspects of the business unit’s worldwide portfolio.

Throughout her more than 35 years with Bechtel, Ailie has held a succession of senior executive leadership, operational, and general management positions.

Before leading the Mining & Metals business, she served most recently as the global operations manager for Bechtel’s Infrastructure business.  

Ailie has extensive expertise and experience managing complex transportation and civil infrastructure megaprojects in Australia, the U.K., and the U.S., in addition to oil, gas, and chemicals projects in Europe and Africa.

Ailie holds a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from Bradford University in the U.K. and is a fellow of the U.K. Institution of Civil Engineers. She is a STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) ambassador and a champion of diversity and inclusivity.

In 2008, Ailie received the Institution of Civil Engineers’ “inspirational leader” award recognizing women in the built environment, and in 2016, Ailie was named as one of the Top 50 Influential Women in Engineering by the Women’s Engineering Society. In 2017, she was also recognized with an Outstanding Personal Contribution Award at the Rail Industry Association National Rail Awards.

Ailie is a senior vice president and was elected to the Bechtel board of directors in 2022.

Service Business Line President,  FLSmidth

Employed by FLSmidth since 2022. MBA, UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School, BSB, University of Minnesota - Carlson School of Management, ACP, Bradley University, INSEAD, University of Chicago. Born in 1975, American.

Past Experience: Vice President Global Sales in Genie/Terex (2019-2022), Senior Vice President in Metso (2017-2019), Region Mining Manager/Commercial Director in Caterpillar Inc. (2012-2017), Various managerial positions in Caterpillar Inc. (1998-2012).Shareholding in FLSmidth & Co. A/S: 0

Vice President – Resources Sector Lead, Americas,  Worley

Simon Yacoub is Vice President and Mining, Minerals & Metals sector lead for the Americas.  

Based in Santiago, Chile, Simon is currently driving Worley’s transformation agenda to deliver life-of-mine partnership solutions. He is passionate about the role the industry plays in enabling the energy transition, and how to responsibly develop future-facing mineral agendas.  

 His career spans across all major mining provinces – from studies, major projects, field delivery and technology implementation. Prior to his current role, Simon spent 15 years in global project delivery with tier 1 organizations. He also managed Worley’s largest mining account and established their Mongolia business.   

Simon has a deep commitment to a relationship-based business model, including the cultivation of technology and expert solutions to spearhead value creation for mine owners globally.   

Chief Technical Officer,  South32
Vanessa Torres became our Chief Technical Officer in July 2020. She is responsible for innovation and technology, projects, technical stewardship, global business services and our global Health, Safety and Environment teams. Vanessa joined South32 in August 2018 as Chief Technology Officer. Before this, she was Vice President Operational Infrastructure for BHP Western Australia Iron Ore. She has over 28 years of global mining experience across Australia, Canada, Brazil, Peru and New Caledonia, and has held various senior roles at BHP and Vale in strategy, projects, business development, and operations. Vanessa holds Doctorate and Master degrees in Minerals Engineering from the University of Sao Paulo, and a Bachelor of Science from the Federal University of Minas Gerais, Brazil. She was also a Visiting Scholar at the University of British Columbia, Canada, where her research focused on the application of Artificial Intelligence to the mining industry.

President, Mining & Metals,  Bechtel

Ailie MacAdam is president of Bechtel’s Mining & Metals global business unit. Based in Brisbane, Australia, she is responsible for all aspects of the business unit’s worldwide portfolio.

Throughout her more than 35 years with Bechtel, Ailie has held a succession of senior executive leadership, operational, and general management positions.

Before leading the Mining & Metals business, she served most recently as the global operations manager for Bechtel’s Infrastructure business.  

Ailie has extensive expertise and experience managing complex transportation and civil infrastructure megaprojects in Australia, the U.K., and the U.S., in addition to oil, gas, and chemicals projects in Europe and Africa.

Ailie holds a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from Bradford University in the U.K. and is a fellow of the U.K. Institution of Civil Engineers. She is a STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) ambassador and a champion of diversity and inclusivity.

In 2008, Ailie received the Institution of Civil Engineers’ “inspirational leader” award recognizing women in the built environment, and in 2016, Ailie was named as one of the Top 50 Influential Women in Engineering by the Women’s Engineering Society. In 2017, she was also recognized with an Outstanding Personal Contribution Award at the Rail Industry Association National Rail Awards.

Ailie is a senior vice president and was elected to the Bechtel board of directors in 2022.

Service Business Line President,  FLSmidth

Employed by FLSmidth since 2022. MBA, UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School, BSB, University of Minnesota - Carlson School of Management, ACP, Bradley University, INSEAD, University of Chicago. Born in 1975, American.

Past Experience: Vice President Global Sales in Genie/Terex (2019-2022), Senior Vice President in Metso (2017-2019), Region Mining Manager/Commercial Director in Caterpillar Inc. (2012-2017), Various managerial positions in Caterpillar Inc. (1998-2012).Shareholding in FLSmidth & Co. A/S: 0

Vice President – Resources Sector Lead, Americas,  Worley

Simon Yacoub is Vice President and Mining, Minerals & Metals sector lead for the Americas.  

Based in Santiago, Chile, Simon is currently driving Worley’s transformation agenda to deliver life-of-mine partnership solutions. He is passionate about the role the industry plays in enabling the energy transition, and how to responsibly develop future-facing mineral agendas.  

 His career spans across all major mining provinces – from studies, major projects, field delivery and technology implementation. Prior to his current role, Simon spent 15 years in global project delivery with tier 1 organizations. He also managed Worley’s largest mining account and established their Mongolia business.   

Simon has a deep commitment to a relationship-based business model, including the cultivation of technology and expert solutions to spearhead value creation for mine owners globally.   

Chief Technical Officer,  South32
Vanessa Torres became our Chief Technical Officer in July 2020. She is responsible for innovation and technology, projects, technical stewardship, global business services and our global Health, Safety and Environment teams. Vanessa joined South32 in August 2018 as Chief Technology Officer. Before this, she was Vice President Operational Infrastructure for BHP Western Australia Iron Ore. She has over 28 years of global mining experience across Australia, Canada, Brazil, Peru and New Caledonia, and has held various senior roles at BHP and Vale in strategy, projects, business development, and operations. Vanessa holds Doctorate and Master degrees in Minerals Engineering from the University of Sao Paulo, and a Bachelor of Science from the Federal University of Minas Gerais, Brazil. She was also a Visiting Scholar at the University of British Columbia, Canada, where her research focused on the application of Artificial Intelligence to the mining industry.

Managing Director Global Industry Head for Energy, Power, Renewables, and Metals & Mining,  J.P. Morgan Payments

Tristan Attenborough is Managing Director and Global Industry Head of Energy, Power, Renewables, and Metals & Mining. Tristan joined J.P. Morgan in 1997 and has held numerous leadership roles across the firm in credit risk, client relationship, product and country management.  

Prior to his current role, Tristan was Head of Corporate Sales for J.P. Morgan’s Wholesale Payments (WP) business in Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA). Previous to this role Tristan was Head of Client Service and Implementation for TS EMEA where he was responsible for meeting the proactive day-to-day service needs of clients and the end-to-end implementation of new business transactions.  During his career with the firm, he has held positions in the US and Asia Pacific across investment fund credit, foreign exchange and derivative client management and strategic technology investment. This included the role of Country Head for Saudi Arabia based in Riyadh within the TS division.  

Tristan has a dual MBA from London Business School and Columbia Business School in New York.  He holds his undergraduate degree in Operational Research from Lancaster University in the UK.   Tristan is a member of the EMEA Corporate Banking Leadership Team and the WP EMEA Management Team

Ernest Scheyder Mining and Future Energy Correspondent,  Reuters
Ernest Scheyder is a journalist at Reuters covering the future of energy and transportation, with a focus on copper, lithium, cobalt and other minerals powering the electrification trend reshaping our global economy. He also
writes regularly on electric vehicle and battery technology. Previously, he covered the oil and natural gas industry for eight years, including a stint living in North Dakota’s Bakken shale oil patch for Reuters, telling the stories of the
fracking boom and bust from a unique perch. A Maine native, Scheyder is a graduate of the University of Maine and the Columbia Journalism School.

Ernest Scheyder es periodista en Reuters y cubre el futuro de la energía y el transporte, con foco en cobre, litio, cobalto y otros minerales que sirven para la tendencia de electrificación que cambiará la forma de nuestra economía
global. También escribe con regularidad sobre tecnología de batería y vehículos eléctricos. Con anterioridad, cubrió la industria de gas natural y petróleo durante ocho años, incluido un período en que vivió en los pozos de petróleo de esquisto de Bakken en Dakota del Norte para Reuters, donde relató los sucesos de auge y decadencia de la fractura hidráulica desde una posición única. Nativo de Maine, Scheyder se graduó en la Universidad de Maine y en la Facultad de Periodismo de Columbia. Es fanático de los deportes de resistencia, y corrió cinco maratones y diez triatlones.

Managing Partner,  DMM Advisory Group
Krisztina is the Managing Partner of DMM Advisory Group, an international management consultancy providing strategy, commercial and technical consulting services for the metals, mining and diamond sectors. Krisztina has gathered over 20 years expertise in strategy and management consulting. Her commodity focus has been copper and steel raw materials with focus on nickel. She developed and led a number of relevant projects including strategy development, custom-made market investigation and outlook, evaluation of material movements, value chain study, market entry analysis, project evaluation, and due diligence. Her list of clients includes several mining majors, metal producers, junior mining companies, investors, and sector bodies. She has a Bachelor degree from the University of Cologne, Germany, and an MBA from NYU Stern Business School New York, USA. She regularly speaks at international conferences.

Principal Consultant,  CRU
Francisco joined CRU Consulting in 2019 after a nine-year career across the base and battery metals sector. Before this Francisco co-founded and led the business development at Kura Minerals, advising on acquisition strategies, deal structuring and project financing across a wide spectrum of mining companies and financial institutions.  Francisco also worked at BHP where he was responsible for geometallurgy and project development at Escondida mine site in northern Chile, and involved in mineral processing R&D for different assets in the company’s Copper group.  During his MSc degree thesis, Francisco explored public policy and macroeconomics aspects of the resource industry´s role in economic growth.  Francisco based in CRU's Santiago office holds a Chemical Engineer degree from University of Concepción, Chile and a M.Sc. Industry, Trade & Development from University of Manchester, United Kingdom.

Regional Director, Asia,  ICA Asia
Richard Xu oversees the operations of the International Copper Association’s (ICA) offices in Asia and leads ICA’s Market Strategy program. He values the opportunity to nurture the ICA Asia team and create an environment and culture that allows them to grow personally and professionally. Richard is very proud of the growth of the ICA China team in their professional capabilities and market impact and the development of ICA’s presence in India. Richard appreciates innovative work applying technological developments to address end-use needs, such as Microgroove heat exchangers, copper die-casting and aquaculture. Through technological advancement, he believes that copper-based solutions will continue to hold the key to sustainable development.  

Ernest Scheyder Mining and Future Energy Correspondent,  Reuters
Ernest Scheyder is a journalist at Reuters covering the future of energy and transportation, with a focus on copper, lithium, cobalt and other minerals powering the electrification trend reshaping our global economy. He also
writes regularly on electric vehicle and battery technology. Previously, he covered the oil and natural gas industry for eight years, including a stint living in North Dakota’s Bakken shale oil patch for Reuters, telling the stories of the
fracking boom and bust from a unique perch. A Maine native, Scheyder is a graduate of the University of Maine and the Columbia Journalism School.

Ernest Scheyder es periodista en Reuters y cubre el futuro de la energía y el transporte, con foco en cobre, litio, cobalto y otros minerales que sirven para la tendencia de electrificación que cambiará la forma de nuestra economía
global. También escribe con regularidad sobre tecnología de batería y vehículos eléctricos. Con anterioridad, cubrió la industria de gas natural y petróleo durante ocho años, incluido un período en que vivió en los pozos de petróleo de esquisto de Bakken en Dakota del Norte para Reuters, donde relató los sucesos de auge y decadencia de la fractura hidráulica desde una posición única. Nativo de Maine, Scheyder se graduó en la Universidad de Maine y en la Facultad de Periodismo de Columbia. Es fanático de los deportes de resistencia, y corrió cinco maratones y diez triatlones.

Managing Partner,  DMM Advisory Group
Krisztina is the Managing Partner of DMM Advisory Group, an international management consultancy providing strategy, commercial and technical consulting services for the metals, mining and diamond sectors. Krisztina has gathered over 20 years expertise in strategy and management consulting. Her commodity focus has been copper and steel raw materials with focus on nickel. She developed and led a number of relevant projects including strategy development, custom-made market investigation and outlook, evaluation of material movements, value chain study, market entry analysis, project evaluation, and due diligence. Her list of clients includes several mining majors, metal producers, junior mining companies, investors, and sector bodies. She has a Bachelor degree from the University of Cologne, Germany, and an MBA from NYU Stern Business School New York, USA. She regularly speaks at international conferences.

Principal Consultant,  CRU
Francisco joined CRU Consulting in 2019 after a nine-year career across the base and battery metals sector. Before this Francisco co-founded and led the business development at Kura Minerals, advising on acquisition strategies, deal structuring and project financing across a wide spectrum of mining companies and financial institutions.  Francisco also worked at BHP where he was responsible for geometallurgy and project development at Escondida mine site in northern Chile, and involved in mineral processing R&D for different assets in the company’s Copper group.  During his MSc degree thesis, Francisco explored public policy and macroeconomics aspects of the resource industry´s role in economic growth.  Francisco based in CRU's Santiago office holds a Chemical Engineer degree from University of Concepción, Chile and a M.Sc. Industry, Trade & Development from University of Manchester, United Kingdom.

Regional Director, Asia,  ICA Asia
Richard Xu oversees the operations of the International Copper Association’s (ICA) offices in Asia and leads ICA’s Market Strategy program. He values the opportunity to nurture the ICA Asia team and create an environment and culture that allows them to grow personally and professionally. Richard is very proud of the growth of the ICA China team in their professional capabilities and market impact and the development of ICA’s presence in India. Richard appreciates innovative work applying technological developments to address end-use needs, such as Microgroove heat exchangers, copper die-casting and aquaculture. Through technological advancement, he believes that copper-based solutions will continue to hold the key to sustainable development.  

Senior Analyst, Base Metals Costs & Emissions,  CRU

Eric joined CRU's Base Metals team as a Senior Analyst in January 2022 and is responsible for the costing and emissions of base metals assets, particularly focusing on copper.

He began his career at the Chilean Copper Commission as an intern, where he developed cost models for underground mine works. He then worked for four years as an analyst in a local consulting firm engaged in market research and strategic advisory for the mining and metals sector, particularly in Latin American copper assets.

Eric holds a BSc. in Mining Engineering from the University of Santiago de Chile and a Continuing Education Certificate in Data Analysis from the Universidad del Desarrollo. He is bilingual in Spanish and English and is based in CRU's Santiago office.

Director,  Aprimin

Senior Analyst, Base Metals Costs & Emissions,  CRU

Eric joined CRU's Base Metals team as a Senior Analyst in January 2022 and is responsible for the costing and emissions of base metals assets, particularly focusing on copper.

He began his career at the Chilean Copper Commission as an intern, where he developed cost models for underground mine works. He then worked for four years as an analyst in a local consulting firm engaged in market research and strategic advisory for the mining and metals sector, particularly in Latin American copper assets.

Eric holds a BSc. in Mining Engineering from the University of Santiago de Chile and a Continuing Education Certificate in Data Analysis from the Universidad del Desarrollo. He is bilingual in Spanish and English and is based in CRU's Santiago office.

Director,  Aprimin

Head of Sulphur & Sulphuric Acid Analysis,  CRU
Dr Peter Harrisson has worked on CRU’s Sulphur and Sulphuric Acid analysis since joining the company in early 2011 and is Head of the Sulphur team. He also works across other nutrient areas, including both market and cost analysis. Prior to joining CRU, Dr Harrisson completed a PhD in Industrial Chemistry at Durham University.

Principal Analyst, Base Metals ,  CRU

William joined CRU in 2022 as a Principal Analyst, Base Metals.  He brings 17 years of prior mineral economics research and consulting experience across the base, precious and ferrous metal sectors.

His primary focus is on copper and on helping to further develop CRU’s base metals mining asset Costs and Emissions research capabilities.

Before joining CRU, William managed Wood Mackenzie’s Copper Costs & Emissions work for five years and spent a further 12 years at GFMS/Thomson Reuters holding various roles including Research Director, Mining. 

William is based in our London office and holds a BSc in Natural Sciences from the University of Durham.

Head of Base Metals,  CRU

CEO,  Aurubis
Roland Harings has been Chairman of the Executive Board of Aurubis AG since July 2019. Between 2014 and 2019, he was the CEO of MKM, a leading producer of semi-finished copper products, which was restructured and successfully sold in the beginning of 2019 to the KME Group. Most of his career, from 1995 until 2014, he worked for the global aluminum producer Alcan, later renamed Novelis in various key positions including General Manager of the Swiss aluminium rolling plant in Sierre and as VP Global Automotive leading the global expansion. Roland Harings has graduated in mechanical engineering at RWTH Aachen.

President,  SDI LaFarga COPPERWORKS
As President of SDI LaFarga COPPERWORKS™, Kurt Breischaft leads a high-performing team that continually drives efficiencies and innovates quality products. Kurt has worked in the copper industry for more than 25 years, building expertise in numerous roles from engineering to management to new product development. “The dedication and innovation I’ve seen from our team at COPPERWORKS™ over the last 8 years has been truly remarkable. Working together with our partners Steel Dynamics and La Farga, we have made extraordinary strides in manufacturing our Infinity™ fire-refined copper products. In 2020, we bought our new furnace online to produce Elemental™ electrolytic tough pitch copper products, and our team has gone to the next level.”

Chief Executive Officer,  Antamina

CEO,  Minsur

Juan Luis Kruger Sayán, es CEO de la División Minera de BRECA desde marzo de 2013. Cuenta con más de 25 años en posiciones de Alta Dirección en compañías multinacionales en el sector minero, telecomunicaciones, aviación comercial y consumo masivo en varios países de América del Sur, así como experiencia en consultoría estratégica en McKinsey.  

Antes de incorporarse a la División Minera fue vicepresidente Ejecutivo de Gold Fields Ltd. para las Américas y CEO de Gold Fields La Cima S.A.A. Previamente a ello, se desempeñó como CEO de LAN Perú S.A. y como CFO de Glencore en las operaciones para la región.  

Juan Luis es también Director y Miembro del Comité Ejecutivo de la Sociedad Nacional de Minería, Petróleo y Energía del Perú y Past President del Comité Sectorial Minero.   Es Graduado en Administración de Empresas de la Universidad del Pacífico, Perú y Master en Administración de Empresas de la Universidad de Harvard, Estados Unidos.    

Juan Luis Kruger Sayán, CEO of the Mining Division of BRECA since March 2013. Mr. Kruger has more than 25 years serving in top management positions in multinational companies in the mining, financial, telecommunications, commercial aviation and consumer goods industries in various countries of America, as well as experience in strategic consulting at McKinsey Co.  

Prior to Minsur, Mr. Kruger was the Executive Vice-President for the Americas of Gold Fields Ltd. and CEO of Gold Fields La Cima S.A. He previously served as CEO of Lan Peru S.A. and, CFO of Glencore´s operations for the region.   

Juan Luis is also Director and member of the Executive Committee of the Sociedad Nacional de Minería, Petróleo y Energía of Perú and Past President of the Mining Sector.  

He holds a degree in Business Administration from Universidad del Pacifico and a Master in Business Administration from Harvard Business School.

Chief Operating Officer, Copper,  Rio Tinto
Clayton currently serves as Chief Operating Officer for Copper Operations. In this role, he has operating accountability for global operations and project assets spanning across Australia, North and South America. Before this, Clayton served as board director, executive chairman, and chief executive officer of the Iron Ore Company of Canada (IOC). Clayton has held several senior leadership roles in operations, logistics, engineering, projects, sales and marketing, business development, and joint venture board across iron ore, copper, minerals and coal in North America and Australia for the Rio Tinto group. Clayton has over 25 years of international P&L experience in the heavy industry sector and has also worked in Japan, South America, and Europe. Clayton possesses a unique ability to inspire morale and deliver process improvements, combined with a proven track record of helping businesses increase their value across multiple jurisdictions and commodities. Clayton holds Bachelor of Metallurgical Engineering and Masters of Business Administration degrees from the University of Utah.

Head of Base Metals,  CRU

CEO,  Aurubis
Roland Harings has been Chairman of the Executive Board of Aurubis AG since July 2019. Between 2014 and 2019, he was the CEO of MKM, a leading producer of semi-finished copper products, which was restructured and successfully sold in the beginning of 2019 to the KME Group. Most of his career, from 1995 until 2014, he worked for the global aluminum producer Alcan, later renamed Novelis in various key positions including General Manager of the Swiss aluminium rolling plant in Sierre and as VP Global Automotive leading the global expansion. Roland Harings has graduated in mechanical engineering at RWTH Aachen.

President,  SDI LaFarga COPPERWORKS
As President of SDI LaFarga COPPERWORKS™, Kurt Breischaft leads a high-performing team that continually drives efficiencies and innovates quality products. Kurt has worked in the copper industry for more than 25 years, building expertise in numerous roles from engineering to management to new product development. “The dedication and innovation I’ve seen from our team at COPPERWORKS™ over the last 8 years has been truly remarkable. Working together with our partners Steel Dynamics and La Farga, we have made extraordinary strides in manufacturing our Infinity™ fire-refined copper products. In 2020, we bought our new furnace online to produce Elemental™ electrolytic tough pitch copper products, and our team has gone to the next level.”

Chief Executive Officer,  Antamina

CEO,  Minsur

Juan Luis Kruger Sayán, es CEO de la División Minera de BRECA desde marzo de 2013. Cuenta con más de 25 años en posiciones de Alta Dirección en compañías multinacionales en el sector minero, telecomunicaciones, aviación comercial y consumo masivo en varios países de América del Sur, así como experiencia en consultoría estratégica en McKinsey.  

Antes de incorporarse a la División Minera fue vicepresidente Ejecutivo de Gold Fields Ltd. para las Américas y CEO de Gold Fields La Cima S.A.A. Previamente a ello, se desempeñó como CEO de LAN Perú S.A. y como CFO de Glencore en las operaciones para la región.  

Juan Luis es también Director y Miembro del Comité Ejecutivo de la Sociedad Nacional de Minería, Petróleo y Energía del Perú y Past President del Comité Sectorial Minero.   Es Graduado en Administración de Empresas de la Universidad del Pacífico, Perú y Master en Administración de Empresas de la Universidad de Harvard, Estados Unidos.    

Juan Luis Kruger Sayán, CEO of the Mining Division of BRECA since March 2013. Mr. Kruger has more than 25 years serving in top management positions in multinational companies in the mining, financial, telecommunications, commercial aviation and consumer goods industries in various countries of America, as well as experience in strategic consulting at McKinsey Co.  

Prior to Minsur, Mr. Kruger was the Executive Vice-President for the Americas of Gold Fields Ltd. and CEO of Gold Fields La Cima S.A. He previously served as CEO of Lan Peru S.A. and, CFO of Glencore´s operations for the region.   

Juan Luis is also Director and member of the Executive Committee of the Sociedad Nacional de Minería, Petróleo y Energía of Perú and Past President of the Mining Sector.  

He holds a degree in Business Administration from Universidad del Pacifico and a Master in Business Administration from Harvard Business School.

Chief Operating Officer, Copper,  Rio Tinto
Clayton currently serves as Chief Operating Officer for Copper Operations. In this role, he has operating accountability for global operations and project assets spanning across Australia, North and South America. Before this, Clayton served as board director, executive chairman, and chief executive officer of the Iron Ore Company of Canada (IOC). Clayton has held several senior leadership roles in operations, logistics, engineering, projects, sales and marketing, business development, and joint venture board across iron ore, copper, minerals and coal in North America and Australia for the Rio Tinto group. Clayton has over 25 years of international P&L experience in the heavy industry sector and has also worked in Japan, South America, and Europe. Clayton possesses a unique ability to inspire morale and deliver process improvements, combined with a proven track record of helping businesses increase their value across multiple jurisdictions and commodities. Clayton holds Bachelor of Metallurgical Engineering and Masters of Business Administration degrees from the University of Utah.

Head Strategist ,  Pala Investments

Jessica is Head Strategist at Pala. Her focus is on investigating emerging technologies such as electric vehicles, renewables, recycling and blockchain, and forecasting the impact these trends will have on commodity markets and how investors will finance the future economy. She also leads Pala’s ESG due diligence process.

Prior to joining Pala, Jessica was Commodities Strategist and an Equity Research Analyst at BMO Capital Markets - a member of their top-ranked Metals & Mining global research team - where her in-depth analysis and integrity gained the trust of asset management and industry clients around the world.

Head of Base Metals Demand & Markets ,  CRU

Panos is CRU’s lead stainless steel market analyst and Editor of Stainless Steel Flat Products Market Outlook and Stainless Steel Flat Products Monitor.

Panos started his career in commercial roles with copper and aluminium fabricators in the 2000s. He joined CRU in 2008 as a copper demand and wire & cable analyst. Panos moved to CRU’s NiSSSA team (Nickel, Stainless Steel and Special Alloys) in 2011, assuming the lead analyst role for cobalt and molybdenum. In 2015, Panos moved on to Rio Tinto Copper focusing on marketing intelligence analysis in the space of copper by-products, especially molybdenum. He rejoined CRU in 2018. Panos holds a first degree in Economics, an MSc in Finance and Commodities, and an MBA.

Executive Director,  The Copper Mark
Michèle Brülhart, Executive Director, The Copper Mark Michèle Brülhart serves as the Executive Director of the Copper Mark since the establishment of the organization in December 2019. With over 10 years of experience working on the design, implementation and independent assessment of sustainability standards, Michèle has evaluated and assisted companies at every level of the supply chain—from raw material to end product—and across multiple materials. She was previously the Director of Innovations at the Responsible Minerals Initiative (RMI) and served as the Head of Auditing at RCS Global for several years. Prior to her work at RCS Global, she held roles focused on responsible sourcing at Underwriters Laboratories, the German Development Cooperation (GIZ) and STR Responsible Sourcing

Assistant Vice President, Sustainability ,  LME
Alice is the Assistant Vice President within the Sustainability team and CEO office at the London Metal Exchange (LME). Alice’s role involves the creation and execution of sustainability-related strategy at the LME. This includes leading the work on the LME’s net-zero strategy and LME passport, a digitals credentials register which LME-listed metal producers to publicly share environmental, social and governance (ESG) certifications and metrics. Alice joined the LME in 2019, having previously worked at Morgan Stanley.

Chief China Economist,  ICBC Standard Bank

Jinny joined ICBC Standard Bank in early 2016 as Chief China Economist, and leads the China markets strategy and research team. Her focus is to deliver China macroeconomic and market insights to internal and external stakeholders. Her team launched the Belt and Road Economic Indices, which offers unique insight into China’s increasing connectivity with emerging economies. She also helps stakeholders to understand more about China’s Interbank Bond Market (CIBM), as it opens further to foreign investor access.

Prior to joining ICBCS, Jinny was a London-based Senior Economist at Standard Chartered Bank. She covered key China-Europe macro topics with a focus on Renminbi internationalisation. Her previous economist roles include covering China based in Shanghai, Europe, and supporting the Chief Economist.

Heading up the European RMB Solutions team, Jinny chaired the Education and Marketing stream of the City of London’s Renminbi initiative. Widely recognised as a China and Renminbi expert in London, she makes frequent appearances in media and at high-level conferences.Jinny studied Economics (BA Hons) at the University of Durham.

Later in her career, she gained her Masters of Development Studies (MSc.) from the London School of Economics.

Associate Director, Commodities Strategy,  Macquarie
Alice is responsible for analysis of the base metals markets at Macquarie, with a primary focus on copper, zinc and lead. She joined the bank in June 2021 having previously worked at CRU for three years as a Principal Analyst covering zinc and lead supply and long-term copper pricing. Prior to this, Alice spent 14 years at Anglo American in a variety of strategy, business development and analytical roles within the Base Metals business, primarily focused on supply side analysis and development of the asset portfolio. Alice holds a PhD and MA in Materials Science & Metallurgy from the University of Cambridge.

Research Manager,  Concord Resources Ltd
Duncan Hobbs brings 30 years of experience to his London-based role as director of market research for all non-ferrous metals and related materials, including copper, traded by Concord Resources Ltd. Previously he managed an international team of senior staff delivering non-ferrous metals and bulk commodities market research at Noble Group, based in Singapore. Underlying these positions with physical traders, Mr Hobbs’ previous experience includes commodities market research and business development roles in financial services with Macquarie Bank; mining and metal production with Nyrstar; engineering services with Hatch; and independent research with CRU, where he was a member of the steel team. He began his career in dry bulk shipping market research with Drewry in London.

Head of Metals and Minerals Research,  Trafigura Pte Ltd.

Metals Strategist,  Goldman Sachs

Head of Base Metals Research,  Open Mineral

Vivienne Lloyd is the Head of Base Metals Research at Open Mineral. She has spent almost two decades in the base metals market research and analysis fields, with experience in consulting, sell-side research and the provision of strategic intelligence for physical trading.  

Prior to joining Open Mineral, Vivienne started her commodities career at CRU where she spent most of her time in the Copper analysis team, before joining Macquarie Bank’s Commodities Research team as the lead base metals analyst. Most recently she was Head of Zinc and Lead Research at Trafigura.

Vivienne holds a BSc in Mathematics from the University of Manchester.

Head of Base Metals Supply,  CRU
Erik Heimlich is Head of Base Metals Supply at CRU. Since joining CRU in 2012, Erik has been involved in the analysis of the copper market with a particular focus on Latin American mine supply.
Erik regularly undertakes site visits to copper operations around the world.

Erik holds an MSc in Economics and Econometrics from Essex University and is based in CRU’s Santiago office.

Managing Consultant,  CRU
Robert Edwards has twenty years of experience in the metals and mining industry. Between 1996 and 2004 worked at CRU focusing on the specialty steel and associated materials sectors. Subsequently, he worked for two years as group economist at the steel producer Corus / Tata Steel Europe, in London. In 2007, Robert returned to CRU where he worked on a variety of single client projects related to steel and steelmaking raw materials. In 2010, he took charge of CRU’s North American steel flat products research, with editorial responsibility for the company’s flagship Steel Sheet Monitor and Market Outlook publications.

In November 2012, Robert assumed responsibility for developing copper mining costs in CRU’s base metals unit. After a successful three and a half years in this role, he transitioned to a new position in the first half of 2016, covering global copper demand and markets.

Robert Edwards cuenta con veinte años de experiencia en la industria de minería y metales. Entre 1996 y 2004, se desempeñó en CRU, con un enfoque en los sectores de aceros especiales y materiales asociados. Posteriormente, fue economista del grupo en el productor de acero Corus / Tata Steel Europe, en Londres. En 2007, Robert volvió a CRU, donde trabajó en una variedad de proyectos para clientes individuales en relación con el acero y la materia prima para la industria del acero. En 2010, asumió el cargo de la investigación de productos planos de acero en Norteamérica para CRU, con responsabilidad editorial de las publicaciones insignia de la empresa, Steel Sheet Monitor y Market Outlook.

En noviembre de 2012, Robert asumió la responsabilidad del desarrollo de costos de la minería de cobre en la unidad de metales base de CRU. Luego de tres años y medio de éxito en este cargo, cambió a un nuevo puesto en la primera mitad de 2016, con responsabilidad de la demanda y mercados globales de cobre.