Kylie Porter | Greater Whitsunday Alliance (GW3)

Kylie Porter is the Chief Executive Officer of Greater Whitsunday Alliance (GW3), an economic development organisation based in the beautiful local government regions of Mackay, Isaac and Whitsunday. GW3’s role is to secure long term prosperity for the region’s 180,000 + residents, by securing new and emerging industry investment whilst still supporting high value legacy sectors.  Kylie is an ecosystem development specialist, a self described ‘super connector’ and a champion for communities and their place at the table of new industry development and planning. She is also a founding Director of C-Res, one of Australia’s largest social enterprises which delivers a local buying platform in remote and regional locations across Australia in partnership with BHP and is a member of the Clean Expert Economy Panel helping guide Queensland’s low emission future. 

Mac Powolny | Nautitech

Mac Powolny is an accomplished CEO with a demonstrated history of senior leadership roles in the mining & metals industry, bringing extensive global experience from European, American, and Australian Original Equipment and Technology Manufacturers. A strong business professional, who graduated from universities in Denmark and Poland, Mac has been leading Nautitech for the recent 8 years - an award-winning technology and industry-first solutions provider for the mine sites around the world.

Darren Moor | Queensland Government

Darren Moor is an accomplished executive with over 14 years of leadership experience in the public sector, currently serving as the A/ Deputy Director General Georesources within the Department of Resources. Throughout his career, Darren has demonstrated a strong commitment to driving strategic leadership in the Georesources industry, effectively coordinating services that support minerals, coal, petroleum, and gas operations across Queensland. His role involves not only fostering collaboration with industry stakeholders and communities but also managing both regulatory and advocacy responsibilities to ensure that projects align with public interest.

In previous positions, Darren successfully delivered key government initiatives related to water, land, and vegetation management. He has a proven track record of providing strategic intelligence and direction in policy development, advocating for effective resource management, and reducing red tape.

Darren holds a degree in Natural Resource Management, which complements his extensive professional experience. His strategic focus on sustainable development in the Georesources sector reflects his commitment to making a positive impact on the communities he serves.

Renu Kannu | Core Innovation Hub, Australian Automation and Robotics Precinct

Renu Kannu is the National Robotics and Innovation Lead at CORE Innovation Hub, operator of the Australian Automation and Robotics Precinct (AARP). AARP is Australia’s largest test, R&D, demonstration, and training ground for emerging automation, robotics, remote operations, and zero-emissions technologies. Renu leads the growth of the facility and builds an ecosystem of start-ups, scale-ups, industry, academia, and technology companies. Her expertise lies at the intersection of mining, energy, and resources, with specialties in robotics, automation, and green tech. Her superpowers include project management, stakeholder engagement, strategic partnerships and growth strategies.

Ben Seligmann | University of Queensland Sustainable Minerals Institute

Ben Seligmann is a risk specialist, systems thinker, and teacher. Over the last 13 years, he has worked in academia, engineering consulting, HSE, and risk and compliance across the mining, infrastructure, healthcare, and education industries. He currently focuses on risk management research at the Minerals Industry Safety and Health Centre (MISHC), part of the Sustainable Minerals Institute at the University of Queensland. His particular research interests are causal network topology analysis, risk assessment in practice, modeling of accident scenarios, and engaging with the complexity of socio-technical systems.

Paul Fenner | Emesent

Paul Fenner is a senior enterprise sales professional with over 30 years of experience delivering advanced systems and support solutions across the mining, mineral processing, and power generation industries. His work focuses on aligning innovative technologies with operational goals, particularly in complex and high-risk environments. With a strong foundation in business and systems analysis, data management, and IT infrastructure, Paul has been instrumental in driving digital transformation through solutions such as Emesent’s Hovermap. He specialises in identifying process inefficiencies and implementing strategies that enhance operational performance, safety, and customer outcomes. Paul is also a dedicated mentor and strategic advisor, committed to guiding teams and shaping sales approaches that deliver measurable value and long-term impact.

Dr. Elin Jennings | University of Queensland Sustainable Minerals Institute

Dr. Elin Jennings is a postdoctoral research fellow at the BRC, Sustainable Minerals Institute, University of Queensland. She works with the MIWATCH group, focusing on characterising mine waste for resource recovery and remediation. Elin earned her PhD from the University of Exeter, Camborne School of Mines researching Acid Mine Drainage-related contaminants in rivers. She has contributed to urban geochemistry mapping and received several academic awards, including the Walter Idris Bursary and the Mineralogical Society of Great Britain and Ireland Award. She also worked on Project PAMANA, profiling soils in the Agno Catchment to assess land use and geology controls.

Darren Moor | Queensland Government

Darren Moor is an accomplished executive with over 14 years of leadership experience in the public sector, currently serving as the A/ Deputy Director General Georesources within the Department of Resources. Throughout his career, Darren has demonstrated a strong commitment to driving strategic leadership in the Georesources industry, effectively coordinating services that support minerals, coal, petroleum, and gas operations across Queensland. His role involves not only fostering collaboration with industry stakeholders and communities but also managing both regulatory and advocacy responsibilities to ensure that projects align with public interest.

In previous positions, Darren successfully delivered key government initiatives related to water, land, and vegetation management. He has a proven track record of providing strategic intelligence and direction in policy development, advocating for effective resource management, and reducing red tape.

Darren holds a degree in Natural Resource Management, which complements his extensive professional experience. His strategic focus on sustainable development in the Georesources sector reflects his commitment to making a positive impact on the communities he serves.

Jamie McCorkell | Talisman

Jamie McCorkell is the General Manager of Sustainability at Talisman Technical, with extensive experience leading organisational change, process improvement, and infrastructure projects. A specialist in health, safety, and environment (HSE) management, Jamie develops and governs systems that ensure compliance and drive operational excellence. With a background in environmental engineering and leadership roles across defence, water utilities, and the resource sector, Jamie is skilled in change management, regulatory reform, and sustainable development. His experience spans business process frameworks and operating model designs, auditing, Six Sigma improvement, data-driven decision-making and most recently AI tinkering.

Kerrod Toby | Ochre Social Performance

Kerrod Toby is a proud Gangulu and Iman man, and a First Nations entrepreneur. As Managing Director of Ochre Social Performance, he has significantly contributed to Indigenous engagement in the Bowen Basin Mining industry. Kerrod specializes in aligning market-led opportunities with genuine business and employment pathways for Traditional Owners during the post-carbon transition. He is known for recruiting, training, and mentoring future Indigenous leaders, collaborating with industry to foster culturally safe environments. His companies provide world-class social performance services while nurturing the next generation of Indigenous business leaders.

Katrina Grange | Ochre Social Performance

Katrina Grange is a Central Queensland-born consultant with over 20 years’ experience in journalism, public relations, stakeholder engagement, and social performance across the resource, energy, and infrastructure sectors. In 2024, she co-established Ochre Social Performance (OSP), an Indigenous-owned and led consulting firm, with Kerrod Toby. Katrina is committed to empowering regional communities through the post-carbon transition by delivering global best-practice social performance. Her work with OSP focuses on collaborating with local leaders to build capability and shape processes that promote collective knowledge sharing and foster legacy community benefits.

Reza Akbari | Central Queensland University

Dr. Reza Akbari is an Associate Professor of Management at CQUniversity, Australia. His expertise spans logistics, supply chain management, sustainability, and Industry 4.0. Reza’s research focuses on how supply chain integration and digital transformation can drive environmental, social, and economic outcomes. He is the author of the book “Road to Outsourcing 4.0: Next-Generation Supply Chain”, where he introduces and defines the concept of Outsourcing 4.0. Reza has published more than 40 peer-reviewed journal articles, book chapters, and industry reports, and works closely with industry partners on ESG-focused projects, circular economy initiatives, and responsible resource management.