Our Speakers
ALEX BROOKS – Senior Analyst, Cannacord Genuity Limited
Experienced public capital markets professional, with a track record in sustainability, industrials, energy & natural resources, and consistently delivering for my organisations, both buy & sell side, in developed & emerging markets. Extensive experience in IPOs and a wide range of industrial sectors from chemicals to oil services. Experience of managing research process from inception to marketing, to capital raise completion. Wide knowledge of the energy and materials industries, especially in their interaction with capital markets, and in energy transition. Strong team head in multiple roles and well regarded by institutional clients, corporates, colleagues and sales. Currently focussed on sustainability, as it applies to industries from agri-tech through to electrification of transport, heat, and industry.
AMANDA VAN DYKE – Managing Director, ARCH Sustainable Resources Fund
Amanda van Dyke is currently the Managing Director of the ARCH Sustainable Resources Strategy at ARCH Emerging Markets Partners Limited. The ARCH Sustainable Resources fund invests in sustainable mining companies that are capable of producing the critical minerals that are required to support the green economy and the transition to net zero. Amanda has over 20 years of experience in commodity markets. Prior to ARCH, she managed an UCITS Gold and Precious Metals Fund. Prior to fund management Amanda worked in Junior Mining Investment banking for well known specialist banks. Amanda is former Executive Chairman of Women in Mining UK, sponsored by Rio Tinto, Anglo American and Glencore. During her mandate, she re-launched Women in Mining UK into a globally recognised brand and network, authoring many thought leadership pieces advocating for the positive role of women in the mining sector. She is a professional Gemologist and has a joint MBA and Master of International Economics from SDA Bocconi, and China Europe International Business School (CEIBS).
DAVID CUNNINGHAM – Director, Cleantech & Renewables at Gneiss Energy
David is a senior corporate finance professional with over 20 years’ experience in equity, debt and structured finance transactions and with a focus on renewable energy infrastructure and cleantech businesses since 1998. David previously worked at Wood Plc as an Investment Manager providing renewable energy transactional advisory services to debt and equity investors including both buy and sell side mandates ranging from utilities, IPPs, corporates, institutional funds and banks. Prior to Wood Plc David was a number 1 Extel Rated equity analyst with 23 years experience in the fields of investment banking and research. His focused sectors include renewable energy infrastructure, environmental technologies, mobility, energy efficiency/storage, hydrogen generation and electricity price forecasting. David has originated and executed seven IPOs on the London stock exchange in addition to numerous private placements in the cleantech and renewable energy industry.
DAVID SANDBROOK – Head of Minerals, Carter Jonas
David Sandbrook is a chartered surveyor and chartered planner with over 35 years’ professional experience gained within commercial property and the specialist mineral, waste management and renewable energy sectors. David is a Group Partner at Carter Jonas, where he is national Head of Minerals & Waste Management. He advises mineral & waste operators, landowners, infrastructure providers, energy companies and financial institutions on specialist estate management, valuation and planning matters, with particular specialism in compulsory purchase and severed mineral interests. David is a RICS Registered Valuer and Accredited Expert Witness. He is an immediate past member of RICS Governing Council and a member of the Policy Advisory Group of the Mineral Products Association. David lives in Derbyshire, where he is a Trustee and operational Member of Derby Mountain Rescue Team. He is also a Director of the Katherine Martin Charitable Trust.
DR KATHRYN GOODENOUGH – Principal Geologist and International Lead, British Geological Survey
Dr Kathryn Goodenough is a Principal Geologist, and International Lead, at the British Geological Survey in Edinburgh, where she has worked since 2001. Her work focuses around the geology, resources, and wider supply chains of critical raw materials, such as lithium and the rare earth elements, that are essential for the energy transition. She collaborates worldwide to develop research, build capacity, and inform policy on these topics.
DR MARK IRELAND – Senior Lecturer, Energy Geosciences Associate Dean Global Partnerships Newcastle University
Dr Mark Ireland joined Newcastle University in 2019. He is a Senior Lecturer in Energy Geosciences, and since 2022 has been the Associate Dean of Global Partnerships in the Faculty Science, Agriculture and Engineering (SAgE). He is a geologist by training, who started his career in the upstream oil and gas sector with bp. He now works on the decarbonisation of energy systems, specifically the role of geosciences in low carbon energy systems and the use and application of seismic reflection data to understand geological processes. He has led geoscience projects across academia and industry and is currently involved in a diverse range of applied research projects, spanning energy storage, geothermal energy and carbon capture storage. In his role as Associate Dean for Global Partnerships, he provides leadership and oversight of the implementation of the global strategy in the SAgE Faculty to improve the university’s global profile and impact.
DR ROBERT PELL – Founder & CEO, Minviro
Dr Robert Pell is the Founder & Director of Minviro, which is a spin-out company from University of Exeter. Robert completed his PhD at Camborne School of Mines (University of Exeter) as part of the NERC funded SoSRare project on the topic ‘responsible sourcing of rare earth elements’. During this project, novel LCA approaches were developed and applied to rare earth element projects in the pre-feasibility stage of development. A unique method to apply LCA to mine planning was also developed and these technologies have been further refined and applied in commercial settings. Prior to this, Robert worked as Assistant Editor at International Mining, a globally distributed magazine covering technical innovations and project case studies for the mining industry.
DR SEBASTIAN LEAPER – CEO & Co-Founder, Watercycle Technologies
Seb co-founded Watercycle Technologies while researching for a PhD in Chemical Engineering at the University of Manchester. His passion for sustainability has been with him since school and lies at the heart of the company’s ethos. Driven by curiosity and a desire to create change for the better, Seb hopes to inspire people to work together to build a greener future.
DR HADI MOZTARZADEH – Head of TechnologyTrends, Advanced Propulsion Centre
Dr Hadi Moztarzadeh is an R&D and innovation specialist with over 20 years’ experience in both academia and industry. Hadi is the Head to Technology Trends at the APC, a joint venture between UK government and automotive industry to accelerate the sector’s progress towards net zero. At APC, Hadi oversees the technology strategy and a portfolio of insights, foresights and supply chain analysis as well as automotive system-level and technology roadmaps, working closely with the Automotive Council, industry and research and innovation ecosystem. Prior to joining the APC, he was the Associate Dean (& Director) for Research, Innovation and Enterprise at the University of Salford, and before that, he had a 9-year career at WMG, University of Warwick and High Value Manufacturing (HVM) Catapult, most recently led WMG’s cross-Catapult technology portfolio and industrial skills programme. Hadi is a Chartered Engineer (CEng) and a Fellow of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers (FIMechE), and the vice-chair of the IMechE Midland region.
HENRY SANDERSON – Executive Editor, Benchmark Source and Author of ‘Volt Rush’
Henry is a journalist and author interested in China and clean energy. He is currently an Executive Editor at Benchmark Mineral Intelligence, the leading provider of data and information on the battery industry. Before that he covered commodities and mining for the Financial Times for seven years in London. He was previously a reporter for Bloomberg News in Beijing, where he co-authored a book about China’s financial system and state capitalism, China’s Superbank. He grew up in Hong Kong and lived and worked in China for seven years.
JASON BODDY – Associate Director, ARUP
Jason Boddy is a chartered Civil Engineer, an Associate Director with Engineering Consultants Arup and has over 30 years of experience as a geotechnical engineer. He leads the ground engineering team in Arup’s North region and is based in their Newcastle office. He was formerly the Chair of the Institution of Civil Engineers North East region, the Northern Geotechnical Group and currently is the Chair of Newcastle University’s Civil Engineering Industrial Advisory Board. He is passionate about tackling climate change, promoting carbon reduction and finding sustainable solutions in the field of Ground Engineering.
PROFFESOR JON GLUYAS – President designate The Geological Society & Former Chair, Durham Energy Institute
Jon Gluyas is a geoscientist with both industrial and academic experience. He started his career with BP in petroleum exploration and production. By 2001 he had formed his first of three companies which aimed to redevelop dead and dying oilfields but in 2009 after years of producing carbon he recognised the need to cease the use of fossil fuels. Since then he has been working on carbon geostorage and alternatives to petroleum- geothermal energy and hydrogen exploration. He has also co-led the helium exploration team that found the first new helium province in 100 years in Tanzania and the only one free of greenhouse gases. Basically, Jon has had a career based in improving our understanding of water rock interaction in the subsurface. From that he has founded three Earth observation companies, 3 energy transition companies and 4 helium and hydrogen exploration companies. He was also the first to publish on the potential commerciality of lithium in the Weardale geothermal fluids. Jon has just stepped down from running the Durham Energy Institute and is currently President Designate for the Geological Society.
LISL LEWIS – Senior Geophysicist, GeothermEx, SLB
Lisl Lewis is 25 years into a diverse and unusual career across different facets of the energy business: exploration for hydrocarbons, geothermal and minerals; academic research in geophysics; working in start-up mode to commercialize new technologies; coordinating corporate training; and promoting nature-based education for children. Recognizing the role that geothermal energy can play in the energy transition, Lisl joined GeothermEx with the goal of expanding the use of geothermal energy, particularly in the UK and Europe.
LORD BEN HOUCHEN – Tees Valley Mayor
Ben Houchen, Baron Houchen of High Leven (born 9 December 1986), is a British Conservative Party politician who was elected as Tees Valley Mayor in May 2017 after winning the 2017 mayoral election, defeating Labour candidate Sue Jeffrey by 2.2 per cent in the second round. He was re-elected in 2021, defeating the Labour candidate, Jessie Joe Jacobs. Houchen represents the five Tees Valley local authority areas of Middlesbrough, Stockton-on-Tees, Redcar and Cleveland, Hartlepool and Darlington. He also acts as chairman of the Tees Valley Combined Authority, the body tasked with driving economic growth and job creation in the area.
LORD PETER LILLEY – House of Lords Environment and Climate Change Committee
MATTHEW LUMSDEN – CEO, Connected Energy
Matthew has been working in the renewable energy and clean tech sector since 2000 when he joined energy consultancy TNEI as Managing Director leading the direction and delivery of strategic UK consultancy programmes. In 2009, Matthew established Future Transport Systems. The company specialised in electric vehicle related consultancy and R&D, ultimately delivering several major EV trials, charging infrastructure roll outs, V2G trials and strategies for major industry players. Connected Energy was born out of the insight and knowledge gained in the EV industry and the challenges facing OEMs around electric vehicle batteries. The company commercialised R&D into stationary energy storage systems for business applications. Since then, Matthew has focussed on developing a business that joins the worlds of energy storage, electric vehicles and the circular economy, leading a team working on unique and world leading technologies and business models. Connected Energy’s E-STOR systems are now in operation across the UK and in Europe. Matthew is Chair of the UK’s North East Battery Alliance, a collaborative partnership of industry, academia and government designed to support the growth of the battery industry.
MICHELLE DUGGAN – Inward Investment Manager, Invest North East England
Michelle Duggan has been an inward investment manager at invest North East England since January 2021. In 2016 to 2020 she was previously appointed as Partnership manager of Newcastle University where she was responsible for cultivating and maintaining relationships among business partners. Her devotion to the North East is unmatched across her extensive career. With her other previous position as economic advisor at North East Local Enterprise Partnership she helped place where businesses invest, grow and prosper – delivering more and better jobs for everyone.
PHILIPPA OLDHAM – Stakeholder Engagement Director Advanced Propulsion Centre
A Chartered Engineer who is experienced and knowledgeable on the UK’s transport modes and infrastructure, she works to support the development of strategies that incubate collaborations. The Advanced Propulsion Centre has committed over £1.3bn investment into net-zero and low carbon automotive innovation, with the resulting products reducing carbon emissions and providing lasting economic benefits from jobs and inward investment. Key external roles include being a Board Member of Zemo Partnership, as Chair of Members Council and the Co-Chair of Industry Advisory Group for Driving the Electric Revolution Challenge.
PROFESSOR COLIN HERRON – Faraday Institution North East & North East Battery Alliance
Colin Herron has worked in the automotive industry or associated with the industry for 50 years including 16 years in Engineering at Nissan. A key player in the negotiations to bring both the Nissan Leaf and the AESC Li ion plant to the UK. Currently head of the Faraday Institution Office North East (FINE) and the North East Battery Alliance (NEBA). Colin works closely with the car industry, battery industry, government bodies (DBT, OFI, DIT, DfT, APC, Innovate, Catapults and professional institutions (IET, RSC) to understand and translate future technology into an adoption strategy. Oral evidence to the House of Commons Transport Committee on Motoring of the Future and in 2021 gave written and Oral evidence to the House of Lords Science and Technology Committee on the role of batteries and fuel cells to achieve net zero. Colin has a PhD (manufacturing), is a Professor of Practice at Newcastle University. Appointed a CBE (2018) for services to business and renewable energy. Not a traditional academic but a person who has combined industrial experience with the public sector. Research area outside of developing a battery manufacturing ecosystem is the roll out of EV charging infrastructure, and the variables associated with it. Currently working on developing a skills centre for battery manufacture and a new Electrification Process Innovation Centre (EPIC) at Newcastle University.
RICHARD TAYLOR – Director & Co-Founder, Green Lithium
Company founder and vision behind Green Lithium, the UK’s first lithium refinery. Richard is passionate about enabling our planets transition to sustainable energy and the current opportunity to develop commercially viable, localised, low – carbon supply chains within the UK and EU to support this. Richard is a thought leader and spoke at CO26 and Davos World Economic Forum on what issues, innovation, and opportunities the transition to net-zero presents.” Former Managing Director of Green Lithium with a with wide-ranging energy and natural resources market/sector knowledge built over a 10-year career with roles at Petrofac, Maersk Oil and Deloitte, a demonstrated history of working in the Green Energy, Renewables and Natural Resources industry. Strong business development professional who graduated from the University of Leeds in Geological Sciences and then The Chartered Institute for Securities & Investment. Richard’s passion is building green businesses for a greener world.
TOM NIGHTINGALE – North East Stakeholder Manager, Equinor UK Ltd
Tom is an experienced professional marketer with more than 20 years in the energy sector, focused on strategic planning, market analysis and external communications. His main achievements to date include winning a number of awards including the Queens Award for Enterprise: International Trade and supporting executive management with successful business plans for expansions at DUCO Ltd and sister companies Angoflex Ltda and Asiaflex Products Sdn Bhd. He also developed JDR’s 5 year strategic plan and supported a multi-million pound expansion at JDR’s Hartlepool facility and new facility in Newcastle upon Tyne, all of which were key to successfully being acquired by TFKable Group in 2017. At DeepOcean, He also prepared business cases for the company’s two flagship vessel’s, the Edda Freya and Maersk Connector.
VIKKI JECKELL – Sustainable Supply Chain Expert, Tees Valley Lithium
Experienced Supply Chain Leader, with a demonstrated history of working in both established businesses and start-ups in chemicals, automotive and decarbonisation industries. Skilled in Negotiation, partnership development, contracts, Network design, Team development and Customer Satisfaction.