Resources and Energy Corporate Affairs Summit

Partner at Mallesons

Sally is a partner at Mallesons, with over 25 years experience as a commercial projects lawyer managing native title, heritage, land tenure, regulatory and environmental aspects of project development, implementation and closure.

Sally works to achieve native title and heritage agreements, environment and project approvals that enable projects to proceed and succeed in the long term.

Mining and Resources journalist

Kristie is an award-winning journalist with over 17 years of experience covering the mining industry. As an editor and columnist, she writes for leading global mining publications and is a steering committee member of the Melbourne Mining Club.

She is a regular contributor to MINING.com, The Northern Miner and Denver Gold Group’s Mining Forum Live and is a columnist for Stockhead, Resources Rising Stars and Mining Network. She also previously worked for Aspermont.

Kristie has several awards for her reporting, including the Diggers and Dealers Media Award and AMEC Electronic Media Awards.

Chief Innovation Officer & Director

Ruth is Chief Innovation Officer at Purple, as well as a media strategist, crisis communications practitioner, presenter, journalist, and digital advisor. Since the launch of ChatGPT in November 2022, she has delivered workshops and presentations to thousands of Australians, helping them build their ‘AI-Q’ and translate their AI ambitions into scalable, effective practice.

She specialises in helping people experiment and play with generative AI technologies, advocates for greater corporate governance and awareness of AI risks, and champions the development of the critical thinking skills that underpin good AI adoption.

Director, Communications APAC, Newmont

Rosalie is an experienced corporate affairs leader, with expertise spanning strategic communications, media relations, reputation management, stakeholder engagement, issues management and crisis communications.

She has extensive experience across the resources sector, advising senior leaders and navigating complex operating and stakeholder environments.

Rosalie previously held senior communications roles with the Chamber of Minerals and Energy of Western Australia, including Director of Communications and Campaigns, and spent more than a decade in senior media advisory roles with the WA Government.

Chief Executive Officer of Minerals Council

Tania joined the Minerals Council of Australia in 2018, bringing extensive experience across the resources, energy and public policy sectors. She previously served as CEO of CO2CRC, a leading research organisation advancing carbon capture and storage technologies and as Chief Adviser in Treasury’s Personal and Retirement Income Division.

Her senior Australian Government roles also included advising the Industry Minister on oil and gas regulation, exploration, development and sustainable mining, and serving as Australian Joint Commissioner and Sunrise Commissioner for Australia and Timor-Leste. She was awarded the Public Service Medal in 2014.

Vice President, Government Relations at Woodside Energy

Andrew leads Woodsides engagement with Australian Federal Government stakeholders, parliamentarians, the diplomatic community and a broad range of influential policy and industry stakeholders. He is a member of Woodside’s Sustainability, Policy & External Affairs Leadership Team and brings more than 15 years of experience spanning government relations, corporate affairs, policy, communications and regulatory approvals. Since joining Woodside in 2010, Andrew has held a range of leadership roles supporting major energy developments and transactions. His career has included work across Australia, Asia, Africa and Europe, advancing complex energy projects in diverse policy and regulatory environments.

Chief Corporate Affairs Officer, ASC

Bev joined ASC in October 2025 as its inaugural Chief Corporate Affairs Officer.

She leads the organisation’s external engagement activities that enhance ASC’s reputation and social licence, including media, events and branding, government relations, community and First Nations engagement, and sponsorships.

Prior to ASC, Bev served as Country Manager and Vice President, External Affairs at Albemarle Lithium Australia. She has also held senior leadership roles at Santos, Woodside Energy and St John of God Health Care, and advisory positions within both the Western Australian and Australian Governments.

Bev brings significant non‑executive experience, having served as Chair and Deputy Chair of several not‑for‑profit organisations, including the Barking Gecko Theatre Company and Volunteering WA.

Corporate Affairs Manager, Westgold Resources

Annette’s communications career began unusually, in a seismic monitoring facility for deep-level gold mines in Africa. As a 20-year-old ‘computer operator’, she learned the art of crisis communications whenever the earth moved.

Her career spans corporate affairs and executive roles with global mining houses and services firms. In 2008 she joined Perth consultancy, Purple – a firm she helped shape and grow, becoming CEO and later MD.   Last year Annette returned to the gold sector, to head corporate affairs at ASX100 gold company, Westgold Resources.

She Chairs CME's Corporate Affairs Standing Committee, and is a NED of Purple and Football West.

Mining & Resources, The Australian

Nick Evans has covered the Australian resources sector since the early days of the mining boom in the late 2000s. He joined The Australian’s business team from The West Australian newspaper’s Canberra bureau, where he covered the defence industry, foreign affairs and national security for two years.

Prior to that Nick was The West’s chief mining reporter through the height of the boom and the slowdown that followed.

Chief Executive Officer of the Perth USAsia Centre at The University of Western Australia.

Having spent 25 years in US foreign policy in the Korean Peninsula and Northeast Asia, and 10 years in Australia’s Indian Ocean capital, Professor Flake is one of the world’s leading authorities on Indo-Pacific strategic developments.

Since establishing the USAsia Centre in 2014, Professor Flake has strengthened international relationships between Australia, the US and the Indo-Pacific, establishing high-level diplomatic and policy dialogues, and authored scholarly and policy studies on security developments in the region.

A sought-after media commentator on US politics and foreign politics, Professor Flake is also a Governor of the American Chamber of Commerce in Australia (AmCham) and serves on the boards of the United States Studies Centre at the University of Sydney and the Australia Korea Foundation.

Director of Global Sustainability and External Affairs Fortescue

As Director of Global Sustainability and External Affairs at Fortescue since 2024, Bronwyn leads a consolidated approach to sustainability across the Fortescue Group and manages all aspects of external affairs, green shipping and global policy.  

Before Fortescue, Bronwyn held senior executive positions in the mining and government. She spent much of her career working for the World Bank across West Africa and Asia, managing strategic investment and advisory programs, as well as large-scale international development projects. Bronwyn is a member of Chief Executive Women and a Board member at Western Power.

Consultant and Author

Glen Kelly is a Noongar consultant and adviser with more than 30 years’ experience in native title and Aboriginal affairs. As CEO of the South West Aboriginal Land and Sea Council, he was chief negotiator for the South West Native Title Settlement.

He has served as CEO of the National Native Title Council and as a Member of the National Native Title Tribunal, where he conducted the Review of Native Title and Heritage Processes in Western Australia. Through Djilba Strategic, Glen advises Traditional Owner organisations, government and industry on agreement-making, governance, strategy, policy and independent review.

Head of Policy & Social Value at Synergy

Annabel leads policy, government relations, energy market advocacy at Synergy, WA’s largest electricity generator and retailer.

Over the past 15 years she has held senior roles across energy policy, infrastructure investment and corporate strategy both within and alongside the WA public sector. With extensive experience navigating the intersection of politics and policy in organisations such as Western Power, the Department of the Premier and Cabinet, and the Ministerial Offices, Annabel has had a front-line role in Western Australia’s energy transition, and what it takes for government, industry and communities to deliver tangible outcomes.

Senior Business Development Manager at EDL

Peter Kerr has spent 30 years working at the intersection of complex ideas, competing interests and important decisions. His career spans senior leadership in remote energy, growth and innovation, government relations, economics and business journalism. Peter is now Senior Business Development Manager at EDL Energy, following executive roles at Western Power and earlier careers with the Reserve Bank of Australia, the IMF and the Australian Financial Review. 

The Hon Madeleine King MP has served as Federal Minister for Resources and Minister for Northern Australia since June 2022 and was reappointed in May 2025. Elected in 2016, she represents Brand, encompassing Rockingham and Kwinana, where she was born and raised.

Before entering Parliament, she held senior roles at the University of Western Australia and was the inaugural Chief Operating Officer of the Perth USAsia Centre. A former shadow minister and political adviser, she is committed to ensuring economic development benefits all Australians. Minister King holds a law degree from the University of Western Australia and is a keen hockey enthusiast.

Chief of People and Sustainability Officer, PLS

Sandra is a corporate affairs and sustainability executive who leads corporate strategy and stakeholder relationship management in the resources sector, to maintain company reputation and drive improvements in sustainability and social performance.

She has deep leadership experience in building teams and people capability and creating a more inclusive work environment.

Prior to joining PLS, Sandra was Vice President of Corporate Affairs at Woodside.

Sandra also serves on the Executive Committee of the International Lithium Association (ILiA) and the Executive Council of the Chamber of Minerals and Energy (CME). She previously served as a Board Member of the Construction Training Fund, contributing to workforce development in Western Australia's construction industry.

General Manager, American Chamber of Commerce

Natalie Meyer is General Manager for Western Australia and the Northern Territory at the American Chamber of Commerce in Australia, where she convenes senior leaders across business, government and diplomacy.

She has developed and facilitated an extensive program of critical minerals, defence and strategic industry engagements, bringing together Australian and US government leaders, diplomats and executives from major resources, technology and defence companies. She has also conceived and led three executive level trade missions to the US, UK and Japan, spanning both Biden and Trump administrations.

With a career across Australia, Asia and Latin America, Natalie brings strong geopolitical and commercial context to facilitating candid, high-level conversations on critical minerals and strategic supply chains.

CEO and Co-Founder, Voconiq

Kieren is the CEO and Co-founder of Voconiq, a social performance technology platform. Voconiq currently operates globally at local and national scales to deliver community insights data to support deeper, more productive relationships between communities, companies, industries and governments.

Prior to founding Voconiq, Kieren led a research program in CSIRO for 11 years, developing and publishing the social licence to operate science foundation on which Voconiq was built. Kieren is a social and organisational psychologist by training and holds a PhD from The University of Queensland. He works across resources, renewables, agriculture and other industries.

Aaron Morey, Chief Executive Officer, Chamber of Minerals and Energy WA

Aaron became CEO of the Chamber of Minerals and Energy (CME) in 2025, now in its 125th year of championing WA's mining and resources sector. 

Previously, Aaron held roles with WA’s peak business body, CCIWA, and the Australian Productivity Commission. He also served as Principal Economics and Commercial Adviser to former Treasurer Ben Wyatt, and as Deputy Chief of Staff to the Treasurer.

Having managed significant projects including GST reform, major asset sales, the Bell Group negotiations, and the State’s relationship with China, Aaron is deeply passionate about the development of the WA economy and its world-class mining sector.

Deb Morrow is a seasoned executive and board director with 30 years’ experience in mining, energy, resources, and not-for-profit leadership.

Deb has delivered multi-billion-dollar global projects and held senior corporate roles at OZ Minerals and Woodside Energy and as CEO/MD has led Agrimin and Bia Energy Solutions.

Her corporate leadership experience includes strategy development, business transformation and health, safety and environment leadership including extensive experience in approvals and stakeholder engagement.

As current Chair of Holyoake, Executive Director of Miners’ Promise, and Non-Executive Director at GR Engineering Services, Deb brings strategic clarity and people-focused leadership to every role.

General Manager, Corporate Affairs, PLS

Jackie is the GM Corporate Affairs at PLS, a global lithium producer operating the Pilgangoora Operation in the Pilbara, the world's largest independently owned hard-rock lithium operation. She oversees communications, government relations, community engagement and brand, helping shape the company's relationships with employees, communities, government and industry stakeholders.

With more than 20 years' experience spanning media, corporate affairs and human resources, Jackie brings deep expertise in stakeholder engagement, reputation management and delivering outcomes in complex, high-profile operating environments.

Deputy Director General, WA Department of Water and Environmental Regulation

With more than 25 years’ experience in commercial and corporate development, operations, strategy and stakeholder engagement, Sasha is Deputy Director General at the WA Department of Water and Environmental Regulation. Previously, she was an executive with the Fortescue Group, Chief Executive Officer at Early Start Australia and has also held executive roles at Woodside Energy, Synergy and HBF.

Sasha has more than a decade in experience in non-executive roles, including as Fremantle Football Club Director and Lifeline WA Chair. Sasha is Chair of the inaugural AFL Women’s Committee at Fremantle Football Club, focused on accelerating the professionalisation of the women’s game.

Western Australia political correspondent, The Australian Financial Review

Tom Rabe is The Australian Financial Review’s West Australian Political Correspondent. He covers the intersection of politics and business on the west coast, particularly across energy, mining and defence. 

Prior to joining the AFR in 2023, Tom was a state political reporter for The Sydney Morning Herald and a journalist for Australian Associated Press in Sydney. 

State Secretary, WA Labor

Mark Reed was elected as WA Labor State Secretary in 2025.

Mark has been involved in the Party for nearly twenty years, and has worked on every state and federal election in Western Australia since 2007, as well as elections interstate. 

He played crucial roles during the 2017 and 2021 state elections, and the recent federal election in May last year.

He is a former senior official for the union now known as the United Workers’ Union. Mark served for over five years as Strategic Advisor and subsequently Strategic Director to the Premier in the McGowan Government, including during the McGowan Government’s world class response to the COVID-19 global pandemic.

Director at Corporate Affairs Australia

Sharon is a highly experienced Indigenous Affairs professional with more than 25 years’ experience advising the resources sector, government and Traditional Owners on Indigenous relationships, Native Title, cultural heritage, land access and engagement. She is recognised for her leadership in navigating complex social, cultural and regulatory environments and delivering enduring outcomes for Indigenous communities and project proponents.

A proud descendant and member of Esperance Tjaltjraak, Sharon is one of the few senior Aboriginal women to have held executive leadership roles in Australia’s resources sector. She brings deep knowledge of Pilbara, West Kimberley and Goldfields Aboriginal communities, Traditional Owners and regional benefit agreements.

Immediate Past President, Liberal Party WA

Caroline practised as a lawyer for approximately 15 years in national and international law firms. She specialised in commercial litigation and corporate insolvency and has worked on a number of high-profile court cases and international arbitrations.

She is now a political columnist and commentator and runs an online retail business she co-founded in the preloved luxury goods space. Caroline is a Vice President of the Liberal Party of Australia and has just completed a four-year term as the State President of the Liberal Party (WA).

Managing Director & Co-Head, Sodali & Co

Paul is Managing Director and Head of Perth for global financial communications and shareholder advisory firm Sodali & Co.

He has extensive experience in communications, stakeholder engagement, and issues and crisis management, forged over a 25-year career in media and corporate affairs  in agriculture, mining, energy technology and defence.

Paul has worked major Australian agribusinesses and has held senior corporate affairs positions at Woodside and Shell, where he worked on major projects including the North West Shelf, the Browse Joint Venture, Shell’s Prelude Floating LNG Project and the integration of Shell Australia and QGC post the Shell-BG merger in 2016.

Director at RedBridge

Kos specialises in compiling and interpreting research, statistical data and polling to provide a unique insight into the cause and effects of social and political issues impacting communities across Australia.

Often sought for expert commentary on polling data and its impact on all levels of politics, Kos’s keen understanding of the nature of political parties and government decision-making (drawn from more than 25 years of political experience with Victorian Labor) allows him to deliver effective solutions for a broad range of clients.

Senior Corporate Affairs Advisor, Chevron Australia

Andrew Smith has a 30-year career working in media, government advisory and corporate affairs and believes in the strong value corporate affairs practitioners can bring to industry. Across 15-years at Chevron Australia, Andrew has led teams in media and communications in addition to senior functional roles in government affairs, major capital projects and energy transition. His earlier career included ministerial media advising for the Western Australian government as well as newspaper and television reporting and producing in Perth and London. Andrew studied journalism, politics and economics at Curtin University and is a graduate of AICD’s Company Directors Course.

Chief Corporate Affairs Officer, Arafura Rare Earths

Penelope joined Arafura in June 2025 and brings with her a diverse background across international corporate finance, investor relations and corporate affairs. At Arafura, Penelope has responsibility of Government Relations, Investor Relations and Corporate Affairs.

Penelope was Executive Director Natural Resources and Energy WA at Commonwealth Bank of Australia and spent more than a decade at Fortescue Metals Group, responsible for delivering their transformational capital management strategy through from 2009 to May 2022, JV negotiations and partnerships, and was responsible for establishing the company’s sustainability rating and Sustainability Financing Framework. 

Head of Consulting, CRU

Alex has over 20 years of experience in the global metals & mining industries. He established CRU’s offices in Australia over a decade ago, leading the development of CRU’s coal market team, products, models and market services. Alex now heads  up the CRU consulting practice across APAC.

Prior to CRU, Alex led the coal market analysis group at Xstrata Coal, where responsibilities included the formulation of the company’s coal sales and marketing plans, business strategy, and work on business development and M&A processes. He also spent more than a decade as a bulk commodities analyst at several major banks including Citigroup and BAML, researching base metal and bulk commodities markets.

Chief of Staff at Business News

As Chief of Staff, Isabel directs daily news coverage across a team of more than a dozen business reporters. She reports on critical minerals, insolvencies and restructuring, and corporate finance.

Isabel is also the editor of Business News’ Power 500 publication, which depicts the state’s most influential leaders by sector.

As well as being a committee member of Women in Media WA, Isabel previously worked in the Great Southern, first at the Great Southern Weekender and then at the Albany Advertiser and Narrogin Observer newspapers. 

Former WA Treasurer and Corporate Advisor

A respected leader known for his sharp insights into the political and economic forces shaping Australia’s mining and resources industries.

Ben is a highly experienced executive, with current roles including Non-Executive Director at Rio Tinto, Non-Director at Woodside, and Chairperson at Crown Resorts and Perth Festival. Ben was also previously the Treasurer of WA.

He is also a director of his consulting firm Wyatt Martin, providing support to organisations on public affairs issues.

President, Horizon Engage

Alexander leads Horizon Engage's global research agenda and advises Fortune 500 clients on the political and commercial dynamics shaping the international energy market.

He leverages more than two decades experience on energy politics focusing on Russia, the Caspian and Central Asia, with a robust senior government and industry network. His counsel spans state-owned energy companies, sanctions and counter-sanctions regime and regulatory framework, governing upstream and transportation projects.

Prior to Horizon Engage, Alexander served as Head of Research at Eurasia Group in New York, and in corporate finance at SBC Warburg in London.

Alexander is the author of Power, Personalities and Political Risk: Inside Russia’s Oil and Gas Industry.