Speakers

Faisal Ahmed is the founder and Managing Partner of AKW Consultants. With over 25 years of international experience, he leads the firm’s strategic vision, bringing clarity and precision to advisory when stakes are high.

A Chartered Accountant by qualification, Faisal built his expertise at KPMG and PwC UK, where he spent 14 years advising global institutions on financial crime compliance, audit, and regulatory strategy. He later joined HSBC as Director and Global Head of Client Due Diligence for AML Compliance, overseeing complex risk programmes across multiple jurisdictions.

Faisal has advised organizations in over 50 countries across multiple industries including banking, precious metals, real estate, and digital assets. His experience spans end-to-end regulatory frameworks, anti-financial crime systems, responsible sourcing, ESG design, and cross-border restructuring. Whether leading an AML transformation for a global bank or guiding a precious metals refinery to OECD and UAE Good Delivery standards, Faisal delivers solutions that combine strategic insight with practical implementation.

He is an accredited UAE Ministry of Economy Auditor, an approved UAE Good Delivery program reviewer, and a Court Expert in gold sector compliance recognised by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. He's also an Expert Trainer at Institute of Banking studies in Kuwait, ADGM Academy, and DMCC Responsible Sourcing Training programme for the precious metals sector. To date, he has delivered over 300 institutional training courses to regulators, investigators, and corporate leaders across the globe.

Faisal’s leadership is defined by a commitment to empowering clients with clarity, protecting their reputation, and enabling confident decision-making in complex environments.

Barbara graduated in Earth Sciences at the University of Lausanne in Switzerland and got her doctoral degree at the Universities of Lausanne and Fribourg in the field of archaeometry, a research topic which aims to use mineralogical, geochemical and geostatistical tools to solve historical questions. She then worked at the Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology and later on for the Swiss Federal Office of Public Health, Consumer Protection Division. Barbara is founder of Geoforensic, a company active in traceability of mined materials, notably through the "Geoforensic Gold ID" tool. She is also Privat Docent in the field of natural resource management at University of Lausanne and lecturer at University of Geneva.

Edward Bickham leads the World Gold Council’s work on artisanal and small-scale mining. His previous work for the WGC includes leading the consultation processes for the development of the Responsible Gold Mining Principles and the Conflict-Free Gold Standard.

His career in the mining sector includes a decade as Global Head of External Affairs for Anglo American plc responsible for government and stakeholder relations, social performance, corporate affairs and ethics. He was involved in the development of the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative and served for seven years on its Board as well as being involved in other multistakeholder processes such as the Voluntary Principles on Security and Human Rights and the Cyanide Code (of which he is a Director).

Edward has served as Special Adviser to the UK Foreign Secretary and Home Secretary and in his business career was closely involved in the launch of satellite television in Britain. He is a past Chair of the Institute of Business Ethics and of the Programme Committee of development NGO Care International. He graduated in law from the University of Oxford.

Dario Biedermann is Head of xTrace, a digital traceability and origin verification solution focused on mineral supply chains.

He holds an MSc in Applied Geophysics from ETH Zurich and has worked for over seven years in gold traceability and sourcing, with a particular focus on artisanal and small scale gold mining and centralized processing plants. His work combines the practical use of X ray fluorescence, compositional data, and operational workflows to support origin assessment, material screening, and supply chain risk management.

Dario’s approach is deliberately pragmatic: solutions must function under field conditions, reduce operational friction, scale across diverse sourcing environments, and deliver practical value where supply chain risks are highest.

Ed joined the LBMA in September 2015 as the Operations Director and was appointed Chief Finance Officer in January 2017. He is responsible for directing and defining the LBMA’s Financial and Business Operations strategies and is the business process lead for all Membership matters. He is also responsible for the Human Resources, Technology, Contractual Support, Commercialisation, and Office Management functions of the LBMA business.

His career includes 31 successful years in the British Army, where he served in many countries spanning Europe, Asia, Africa and the Middle East. For his final 6 years of service, he was stationed in Defence Equipment & Support working across the whole UK MOD to finance the resources necessary to operate all Land, Sea and Air platforms and Assumptions.

Since leaving the Army, he has worked successfully within the commercial sector, running major multi-site logistics and fulfilment operations with significant P&L responsibility. He moved into the Precious Metals sector in 2012. Before joining the LBMA, he led the development of all Precious Metals Operations capability and facilities at G4S Cash Solutions UK Limited, where he worked in partnership with Deutsche Bank AG to build and operate a state-of-the-art Precious Metals vaulting capability.

Peter Boyd is Founder & CEO of Time4Good, working with leaders and their teams across sectors to build purpose-driven strategies for maximum positive impact. He is a Lecturer at the Yale School of the Environment and Resident Fellow at the Yale Center for Business and the Environment, where his 'Connected Leadership' course (with Coursera) has over 120,000 enrolled worldwide.

Peter has spent over two decades at the intersection of business, sustainability, and system change. He was Launch Director & COO of Sir Richard Branson's Carbon War Room; Chair of the Energy Efficiency Deployment Office at the UK Department of Energy & Climate Change; and was project lead for The B Team's 'Net-Zero by 2050' initiative ahead of COP21 — all following twelve years at the Virgin Group, including CEO of Virgin Mobile South Africa, and his first role at McKinsey & Co.

Today he serves as Co-Chair of the UN Race to Zero Expert Peer Review Group, and on the board of Sustainable Westport in his Connecticut hometown.

Outside work, Peter is a Masters student at Cambridge, has completed over twenty marathons and ultramarathons — including the Marathon des Sables in 2004 and 2024 — and lives in Westport with his wife and three children.
 

Nick Bridge CMG had a 30 year career in diplomacy and the civil service focused on global economic and environmental challenges. 

Nick was the UK Special Representative for Climate Change from 2017 to 2023, and prior to that the UK's Permanent Representative on the Governing Boards of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and International Energy Agency (IEA). Nick was Foreign Office Chief Economist and a diplomat in China, Japan and the United States.  Nick also worked in the Treasury, where he co-led the launch of a $4 billion immunisation finance facility that is estimated to have saved 5 million lives. In 2022, Nick was appointed Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George in the Queen's Jubilee Honours List.

He is a Visiting Professor in Practice at the London School of Economics, Associate Fellow at the Royal Institute for International Affairs, and advises & speaks on the root causes of our global environmental crises and how to solve them.

Andrew is the founder and CEO of Kumi, a leading advisory firm specialising in responsible supply chains and human rights due diligence. With extensive experience in the mining and metals sector, Andrew and his team support companies in identifying and managing human rights and broader ESG risks, strengthening social performance, and ensuring compliance with industry standards.

Under Andrew’s leadership, Kumi has gained recognition as a trusted authority on the development and implementation of compliance standards and industry best practices for responsible sourcing. Kumi works closely with organisations such as the OECD and the European Commission, with Kumi authoring the Due Diligence Implementation Guidelines for the EU Batteries Regulation and being retained as the compliance assessor for the EU Conflict Minerals Regulation.
 

Brad Brooks-Rubin is a Partner and head of the Nonprofit Practice at the boutique law firm Arktouros, where he works with a wide array of private sector clients and nonprofits facing sanctions and financial crime risks, including a number of entities in the gold and minerals sector. Brad is a non-resident affiliate with the Economics Program and with the Human Rights Initiative at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, as well as an Adjunct Professor at Georgetown University, where he co-teaches a course on natural resources policy. Brad has served as a Senior Advisor at the State Department, an attorney-advisor for the Office of Foreign Assets Control, and the Managing Director of the nonprofit organization The Sentry. 

With over 15 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.

Michèle is based in Zurich, Switzerland.

Alex Buck has over 20 years of experience in the mining industry. She joined Endeavour in 2019 and was appointed Vice President of ESG in 2023 where she is responsible for leading the Group's ESG strategy, as well as managing the Endeavour Foundation.

Alex is a member of Women in Mining UK (WIM UK), where she served as Managing Director for three years from 2019, championing diversity and inclusion across the industry.

Ruth was appointed Chief Executive of the LBMA in January 2014. She is responsible for the success and strategic development of the LBMA, in partnership with the Chairman and the Board. She is also responsible for maintaining accountability to and the quality of, the Association's Membership and Good Delivery Refiners as well as representing the interests of the Association in relation to regulators, investors, media and international precious metals markets.

Before being appointed Chief Executive, she spent seven years working in the Association, initially as Commercial Director and then as Deputy Chief Executive, where she acted as the main lead on Governmental Affairs. She was also responsible for the Association's work on supply chain due diligence, with particular regard to the creation and implementation of the LBMA’s Responsible Gold Guidance. She has represented the Association at industry, governmental and multi-stakeholder regulatory forums. She continues to serve as Vice Chair of the OECD Multi-Stakeholder Governance Group for Responsible Minerals. As Commercial Director, she oversaw the development of the LBMA Conference, the LBMA's quarterly publication the Alchemist and the LBMA website.

Prior to joining the LBMA, she worked in bank finance and US corporate law at the law firms of White & Case and Norton Rose, and also acted as a monitor at the UN Commission on Human Rights in Geneva. She has an MSc in History of International Relations from the London School of Economics and a degree in English Literature from Kenyon College in Ohio.

Ms. Culillas is the CEO of the Swiss Better Gold (SBG) Association, a non-profit organisation bringing together key actors of the gold supply chain to promote responsible sourcing and support artisanal and small-scale mining communities in accessing international markets. In this role, she leads the Association’s strategic direction and drives initiatives that advance more inclusive and sustainable industry practices.

She brings over 15 years of experience in sustainability, project and change management, with a strong track record of aligning business strategy with environmental and social responsibility goals. Prior to SBG, she was Corporate Social Responsibility Manager at Chopard Group, where she defined and implemented the company’s sustainability strategy and led the rollout of responsible gold sourcing at industrial scale.  

Earlier in her career, she worked extensively on humanitarian programmes across Africa, Asia, the Middle East and the Balkans, including with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) during operations in the Northern Caucasus.
 

Olivier Demierre is ESG Director at MKS PAMP with a focus on upstream and industry-wide responsible sourcing initiatives. He has led a number of responsible sourcing initiatives and participated actively in key industry-wide responsible sourcing initiatives and forums (he is a member of the Multi-Stakeholder Group of the OECD Forum on Responsible Mineral Supply Chains, president of the Board of the Swiss Better Gold Association, past member of the Governance Committee of the Public-Private Alliance for Responsible Minerals Trade).

Olivier joined the MKS PAMP GROUP in 2000. Before that, he gained in-depth experience in the Banking and Finance sectors with management positions in the audit and business advisory as well as bank finance and operations areas. Olivier is a Swiss Certified Accountant.
 

Clara Demilew is the General Manager, Sustainability and Environment at The Perth Mint, leading the organisation’s Sustainability Strategy and embedding responsible sourcing, climate change, and sustainability risk management across operations and product delivery.

With senior leadership experience across Europe, Asia, South America, and Australia, Clara is known for integrating sustainability into core business strategy while balancing commercial growth with environmental and social impact.

She has an engineering background and is a GRI Sustainability Professional and ISO Lead Auditor, recognised for her pragmatic, future focused approach.

Rose Ferrer is currently the President of Auro Resources Trading, Inc., an Accredited Gold Trader of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (the Central Bank of the Philippines). Auro Resources is part of the PJ Lhuillier Group of Companies, one of the largest financial services provider in the Philippines.

Ms. Ferrer led the overall business model design for Auro Resources to integrate gold trading and financial technology, to expand access of the Small-Scale Mining Sector in the Philippines to formal markets.  She and her team has been closely working with small-scale mining communities and various government stakeholders to further develop formalization, sustainability and financial inclusion for the Small-Scale Mining Sector, and, in doing so, uplift the lives of Filipinos and generations to come.

Ms. Ferrer has over 20 years experience in Financial Industry market development and expansion in ASEAN, mainly on banking, payments, consumer finance and capital markets. She is a graduate of De La Salle University in Manila with Bachelor of Science in Applied Economics and Bachelor of Science in Commerce, Management of Financial Institutions Degrees. She attended the Executive Education program of Columbia Business School in New York.

Shari Gittleman is a global sustainability and human rights executive with more than 20 years of corporate and field experience across mining, supply chains and multistakeholder initiatives. She currently serves as Interim Lead of the Global Coalition for Action on Artisanal and Small-Scale Gold Mining (ASGM), a global initiative jointly convened by the Intergovernmental Forum on Mining, the World Gold Council and the World Bank. The Coalition brings together governments, industry, miners, civil society and international partners to advance responsible and sustainable ASGM as a legitimate contributor to sustainable development and the formal gold economy. In this role, Shari is supporting efforts to advance country-level ASGM formalization, strengthen responsible supply chains and lay the foundation for long-term public-private collaboration.

Shari most recently served as Head of Social Performance and Human Rights and Senior Director of External Relations at Newmont Corporation, where she led global human rights strategy, represented the company in industry and multistakeholder initiatives and supported site-level approaches to responsible ASM. She previously held senior roles at New Balance Athletics leading responsible sourcing and supply chain due diligence across 30 countries, and at Freeport-McMoRan directing social performance strategy in Africa and Asia, including extended field-based leadership in Indonesia and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Shari has served on several multistakeholder bodies, including the U.S. State Department Responsible Business Conduct Advisory Committee, the Voluntary Principles on Security and Human Rights, the LBMA Artisanal and Small-Scale Mining Task Force and the Fair Labor Association. She holds an MA in International Relations from the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies.
 

Vivien Glass is Head of Supply Chain Integrity at the World Gold Council.

She has over 20 years’ experience working internationally with producers, refiners, jewellery brands, mining companies, standard initiatives, and NGOs to shape and implement responsible sourcing practices across precious minerals.

Vivien drives continuous improvement across supply ecosystems and leads on advancing industry practice.

Her background is rooted in physical gold supply chains, having founded the first traceable gold jewellery company in the UK in 2006 as a proof-of-concept.

Later, as a consultant, Vivien created chain-of-custody systems for gold mines.  Vivien’s provenance and transparency guidance proved essential to building trust and extensive support among stakeholders.

Vivien advised leading luxury jewellery brands in their sourcing strategies and has shaped initiatives across gold, diamond, and coloured gem sectors. She uses design-thinking, creativity and horizon-scanning skills to innovate and advance. Vivien is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts.

Vijayacittā joined LBMA in October 2024 as Head of Good Delivery. As a member of the Leadership team, her role is instrumental in driving the implementation of strategic initiatives and managing key stakeholder relationships. Responsible for driving operational excellence and efficiency of the Good Delivery and Physical Services team. Working with the Chief Technical Officer she implements the strategy for the Good Delivery List, setting long-term goals and ensuring alignment with LBMA’s overall mission, developing strategy on internal and external deliverables.

Before joining LBMA Vijayacittā worked across numerous sectors, and her experience spanned membership bodies, trade associations, awarding organisations and accreditation systems and processes, including qualification and standards regulators, quality assurance and accreditations.

Hélène Helbig de Balzac is co-founder of HIVE, a non-profit specialising in research and analysis of illicit natural resource trade. She is a leading expert on mining supply chains and trafficking networks in conflict-affected and high-risk areas (CAHRAs) across sub-Saharan Africa, with a particular focus on illicit gold and 3T minerals (tin, tantalum, tungsten).

Over more than a decade, Hélène has investigated corporate networks, financial flows, and the role of corruption and money laundering in fueling armed conflict and human rights abuses. She brings over 15 years of fieldwork experience across the Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda, Burundi, Rwanda, Mali, and Ivory Coast, with a proven track record of documenting human rights violations in line with international standards. At HIVE, she also supports companies in developing innovative responsible sourcing strategies.

Hélène holds a Master's degree in Sociology from the Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB) and an MSc in Comparative Politics from the London School of Economics (LSE).

I started my working career at Croda Chemicals in their R&D labs leaving as Quality Assurance Manager after 9 years. I then joined Nestle for 10 years latterly being Senior Technical Manager for their Kit-Kat brand.  In 1997 I joined Tata & Lyle (now part of ASR) based in East London eventually being promoted to the position of Head of Quality & Sustainability. In 2012 I joined Johnson Matthey as Divisional Sustainability Manager for their Precious Metal Products Division which is when I first came to Brampton & Salt Lake City.  After leaving JM, I briefly worked as a consultant before joining LBMA in 2017 as their Compliance Officer, looking after the Responsible Sourcing Program amongst other responsibilities. On leaving LBMA I joined British Petroleum as Global Sustainability Team Lead in their Upstream Purchasing and Supply Chain Management function, where I created a sustainability strategy that covered over $40B annual spend.  In May 2021 I joined Asahi as Senior Manager Precious Metal Supply Chain Assurance where I currently manage the compliance and sustainability functions for the North American business.  

Susan Egan Keane is Senior Director of Global Toxics at the Natural Resources Defense Council.  Susan is a public health specialist with over 35 years of experience working on a range of domestic and international environmental health issues.  Most recently Susan has focused on reducing global mercury pollution, particularly in artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM).  She is now working with the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and UNEP on the GEF-funded planetGOLD programme to reduce mercury use in ASGM in eight countries.  She is also the co-leader of the ASGM Area of the United Nations Environment Program Global Mercury Partnership. 

With more than 20 years’ experience in mining, Ben Kirkwood leads ESG for Pallion and  ABC Refinery. 

Ben is responsible for developing and executing the Group’s environmental, social and governance strategy, including advancing sustainability initiatives and overseeing ESG performance reporting.

Before joining Pallion, Ben held senior roles at organisations such as Accenture and IDC where he led sustainability strategy and research.

CEO of beSirius, the AI infrastructure for critical minerals value chain. Former CSO at ERG and a co-developer of Re|Source, the battery traceability platform backed by Glencore, Tesla, and Umicore. Anastasia contributed to the World Economic Forum's Mining and Metals Platform and is one of the 100 Global Inspirational Women in Mining.

Sage Lenier is a rising voice in climate solutions. She leads Futureline, a new-age environmental think tank based in NYC, and regularly reaches an audience of millions with her speeches and interviews. In 2023, TIME named her a Next Generation Leader for designing, teaching, and scaling the largest student-led class in UC Berkeley’s history. Sage is now applying her focus in climate finance.

Estelle is CEO & Founder of B CorpTM advisory firm, Levin Sources, which has helped 150+ clients mine, trade, source, invest, regulate, advocate & enable more responsibly & sustainably through 260+ projects on 150+ minerals in 80+ countries. She is chair of the Investing in African Mining Indaba's Sustainability Committee, Commissioner for the Global Investor Commission for Mining 2030, member of Women in Mining UK's Policy Committee & mentor for iWIM's International Women in Natural Resources Mentoring Programme. She is a proud Global Inspirational Woman in Mining (WIM100; 2020) and in 2024 was awarded status as a “Mining Elite in Africa 2024” by Africa Mining Review, alongside 9 other industry leaders including Mark Bristow and Neale Froneman.

Estelle is an expert in environmental & human rights due diligence, standards design & implementation, ASM & minerals policy, for transition, precious, conflict & development minerals; she has extensive experience in gold. Estelle is a certified board director & collaborative pioneer, championing other women in mining, SMEs, marginal voices, human rights & nature, speaking truth to power to build sustainable, valuable & equitable minerals systems. She is a natural matchmaker, horizon-scanner and opportunity creator given her multi-disciplinary background & creative streak.

Sasha Lezhnev is Senior Policy Advisor at the Sentry in Washington, DC, helping lead the organization’s engagement on conflict gold, critical minerals, and the Great Lakes Region of Africa. He is also founding director of the Grassroots Reconciliation Group, a small NGO which has helped rehabilitate over 2,700 former child soldiers. He was previously Deputy Policy Director at the Enough Project, Senior Program Officer with the Northern Uganda Peace Initiative, and advisor to the Northern Uganda chief mediator. Sasha has also been Policy Advisor at Global Witness and is author of the book Crafting Peace: Strategies to Deal with Warlords in Collapsing States. He holds a Master’s in International Relations from Cambridge University and a B.S. in Foreign Service from Georgetown University.

I am Director of AI and Analytics at Tech Against Terrorism.  I have over 20 years of experience spanning financial and professional services, retail, and the public sector. He has worked globally, leading large analytics and data science teams across complex, multi-sector client accounts.

I currently represent Tech Against Terrorism, where he has been working in partnership with the World Gold Council to develop a quantification model for artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) in impacted countries. This work aims to generate robust, evidence-based estimates of illicit mining activity to inform and drive meaningful policy change.

Louis Maréchal joined the Centre for Responsible Business Conduct of the OECD in September 2014. He specifically works on projects related to the implementation of the OECD Due Diligence Guidance for Responsible Supply Chains of Minerals from Conflict-Affected and High-Risk Areas. His current portfolio entails, amongst other things, responsible sourcing of transition / critical minerals and responsible sourcing of gold.

Prior to joining the OECD, Louis Maréchal worked for four years with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of France on issues related to transparency and governance in the mining sector, and security of supply of strategic metals.

He started his career with a strategic consultancy firm focusing on the defence and extractives industries.

Alan manages the LBMA’s Responsible Sourcing Programme for precious metals, which is mandatory for all Good Delivery List Refiners.

Prior to joining LBMA, Alan spent over a decade carrying out investigative research into the intersection between natural resources, human rights and illicit financial flows. As the former director of research at IMPACT he has an intimate understanding of the challenges and vulnerabilities to responsible sourcing in the artisanal mining sector, trading and refining hubs and jewellery manufacturing centres. A journalist by training, he spent over a decade working in journalism in Canada, the UK and various countries in sub-Saharan Africa. Born and raised in Southern Africa, he holds a Master’s degree in conflict and development from the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) at the University of London.

Irene is Senior Fellow for Conflict, Security & Development and Latin America at the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS). In her role she is responsible for the research programme on Latin America security, governance, geopolitics, economics and development. She is also providing leadership and management of the Conflict, Security & Development programme activities and staff and she is the editor of the Armed Conflict Survey, one of the IISS flagship publications.

She was previously Global Editorial Director, Thought Leadership at the Economist Group, where she was responsible for leading and growing the Thought Leadership business globally (including by overseeing large global client relationships from an editorial perspective and delivering high quality content) and she played a key role in disseminating and presenting the Economist Group's views and work to clients and other high-level audiences around the world. Previously, Irene was regional director for Latin America and the Caribbean at the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), where she provided intellectual and strategic leadership to the regional editorial team within the EIU's Country Analysis division. Before joining the Economist Group, she was director and senior Economist within the Centre for Global Competitiveness and Performance at the World Economic Forum, where she was responsible for competitiveness research on Latin America and Iberia and served as lead author and editor for a number of regional and topical competitiveness papers and reports among others. Before joining the World Economic Forum, she worked at the headquarters of Sudameris Bank in Paris for a number of years, holding various positions in the international affairs and international trade divisions. She has written, lectured and advised extensively on development, conflict studies, international trade, geopolitics and geo-economics, Global South and Latin America.

Irene holds an MA in Latin American Studies from the Institute for Latin American Studies, London University, and a PhD in International Economic and Trade Law from L. Bocconi. She is also a member of the board of trustees of Canning House, UK and a member of the advisory board of the Global South Unit at The London Business School of Economics (LSE), UK.

Anna Zaleski Mori works for the United Nations Global Compact (UNGC), a United Nations initiative committed to encouraging businesses and organizations worldwide to embrace sustainable and socially responsible policies while transparently reporting on their implementation.

In her capacity as Head, Sustainable Supply Chains and SMEs of the initiative aimed at advancing a just transition within supply chains, Anna is responsible for crafting innovative business platforms that drive sustainability and inclusivity for underserved SMEs. This mission is accomplished through strategic partnerships with corporations, government agencies, and local networks.

Anna's extensive career journey includes noteworthy contributions to the field of international development, sustainable trade and Human rights. Prior to joining the UNGC, she served as the Head of Partnerships for Gender Equality at the International Trade Centre, an agency of the United Nations and the World Trade Organization based in Geneva, Switzerland. Throughout her career, she has held various influential positions in business development for multinational corporations across the United States (The North Face), Brazil (Renault S/A), and China (Minht Ltd.).

Anna is a passionate advocate for human rights and inclusive trade practices. Her academic achievements include a Master's degree in Economics & Sustainable Development from the Université de Lyon in France and a Bachelor's degree in International Relations from the University of Curitiba in Brazil.

Gregory Mthembu-Salter is the director of Phuzumoya Consulting, a small consultancy that specialises in natural resource governance, and has been working on the political economy of ASM for nearly thirty years.

A former member of the UN Group of Experts on the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), which provided him with a detailed understanding of how ASM can fund conflict, Gregory has been working with the LBMA since 2022 to channel more responsibly sourced ASM gold into the Good Delivery List of refiners. The work has taken Gregory to Ghana, Zambia, Tanzania, Peru, and the Philippines, and in all of these places there are encouraging signs that responsible gold sourcing is rising. He is also an author. Gregory’s book “Wanted Dead and Alive” explored South African political economy and he is currently researching a new book on DRC. 

John Mulligan is Head of Sustainability Strategy at the London-based World Gold Council (WGC), leading its climate change and nature research programmes and associated engagement with investors, policy makers and stakeholder organisations. Furthermore, he contributes to the organisation’s wider insight and communications outputs to improve understanding of the whole gold supply chain, and the integration of ESG and sustainability considerations into strategic market perspectives. Mulligan also serves as President of the Sustainable Development Commission of CIBJO (World Jewellery Confederation), chairs the climate programme of the Watch & Jewellery Initiative 2030 (WJI2030) and is the main convenor of the industry group backing the Gold Industry Declaration of Responsibility & Sustainability Principles. Additionally, he recently assumed the role of Chairperson of the ISO (International Standardization Organisation) Technical Committee on Jewellery & Precious Metals.

Terance started his career in January 2000 with Billiton, where he worked for 18 months before moving to Rand Refinery. Terance joined Rand Refinery at the smelter in August 2001, where he progressed through several technical and leadership roles. In May 2008, he was appointed Head: Smelter, a role he held until January 2016. He was then promoted to Executive Head: SHEQ and Technical Assurance, a position he held from February 2016 to October 2024.

Since November 2024, Terance has served as Chief Technical and Sustainability Officer at Rand Refinery, where he is responsible for driving the company’s ESG strategy and advancing its technical capabilities.

He holds a BEng (Chemical) (First Class), BEng Honours (Environment), IMDP, PGDip (Human Sciences) (Cum Laude), MBA, and an MPhil (EBM).

Over the course of his career, Terance has successfully led numerous strategic projects and collaborated with leading scholars to advance his expertise in metallurgy. His experience spans hydro and pyrometallurgical processes, physical metallurgy, including the Theory of Sampling, as well as environmental sciences. He has played a pivotal role in positioning Rand Refinery as a pace-setter in SHEQ and sustainability practices.

A strong advocate of ethical leadership and sustainable performance, Terance has been recognised as a Rising Star in the Minerals and Mining sector (2012), and as a “Pay It Forward” leader (2022 and 2024). In 2023, he was nominated as co-chair of the World Conference on Sampling and Blending (WCSB11), held in Johannesburg.

Corporate Development Lead at Argor‑Heraeus (since April 2025): Serves as Corporate Development Manager at Argor‑Heraeus, based in Mendrisio, with responsibility for strategic initiatives, innovation‑driven business development, and cross‑functional transformation projects within one of the world’s leading precious‑metals refineries.

Extensive Strategy & Transformation Experience within Heraeus Group: Previously held senior roles at Heraeus Precious Metals, including Senior Manager Strategy & PM Research and Excellence Champion, contributing to group‑wide strategic initiatives, performance management, and research‑driven decision‑making in the precious‑metals business.

Top‑Tier Consulting Background: Earlier career at Simon‑Kucher & Partners (Senior Consultant) and PwC Germany (Manager, Customer Practice), advising international clients on pricing, go‑to‑market strategy, sales reorganization, and commercial excellence across industries such as commodities, industrial goods, insurance, construction, and services

Dr. Tomasz Orpiszewski is a researcher at the Zürich University of Applied Sciences, specialising in asset management and evidence-based ESG risk metrics. Previously, he worked as quantitative analyst and fund manager across hedge funds and asset management. He holds a PhD in financial economics and is a CFA and CQF charterholder.

Daniel Ortega-Pacheco is Director of BioCarbon S.A., a consulting and advisory firm supporting governments, companies, investors and international organisations on sustainability, environmental markets, responsible sourcing and sustainable finance.

He currently serves as a Non-Executive Director at The Copper Mark, the leading assurance framework for responsible mineral production and will assume the role of Chair of the governing body following the organisation's transition in 2026, when it is expected to steward the new global mining standard under development through the Consolidated Mining Standards Initiative (CMSI).

He also serves as Co-Chair of the Expert Panel of the Integrity Council for the Voluntary Carbon Market (ICVCM) and as Executive Director of the Partnership for Agricultural Carbon (PAC), a pioneering initiative developed with the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) and the Voluntary Carbon Markets Integrity Initiative (VCMI) to mobilise private finance for climate-smart agriculture across Latin America, the Caribbean and the Global South.

Over the course of his career, Daniel has worked at the intersection of governance, sustainable finance, climate policy and natural resource management. He has advised governments, development finance institutions, multilateral organisations and private sector leaders on market-based approaches that advance sustainable development, climate action and responsible value chains. Prior to his current roles, Daniel served as Ecuador's Minister of Environment and held senior diplomatic and international leadership positions, participating in the governing bodies of institutions including the Global Environment Facility, the UN Clean Development Mechanism and the International Renewable Energy Agency. He also served on the Advisory Council of the Green Bond Principles.

His work focuses on strengthening integrity, stakeholder trust and effective governance across environmental and commodity markets, helping organisations navigate the transition towards more sustainable, resilient and responsible economic systems.

Sophia Pickles investigates supply chains and specialises in natural resource extraction, trade and its impacts. She endeavours to be an active listener. She is a published author on human and environmental rights with over fifteen years of investigative research experience, including in-person research in natural resource production and trading hubs.

Dominic Raab is the Head of Global Affairs at Appian Capital Advisory, Special Envoy for the World Gold Council on artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM), and a Distinguished Fellow at the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI). At Appian, Dominic provides strategic geopolitical advice on the challenge of securing critical mineral supply chains, and helps develop the Public Private Partnerships required to deliver supply chain security. At the World Gold Council (WGC), Dominic published ‘Silence is Golden’ in 2024, a report on the violent exploitation of artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM), and the measures needed to counter the  illicit flows financing terrorism, mercenaries and organised crime. In 2026, the World Gold Council appointed him as Special Envoy on ASGM. At RUSI, Dominic works with the team to examine and address current global geopolitical challenges. Dominic was the MP for Esher and Walton between 2010 and 2024. Dominic has extensive executive experience, in international affairs, national security, geopolitical risk, and the Indo-Pacific region. He held a range of Cabinet posts including Foreign Secretary, Justice Secretary and Deputy Prime Minister to two Prime Ministers. In April 2020, the Covid-19 pandemic, Dominic deputised for the Prime Minister, helping to lead the government’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic. An experienced negotiator and strategist, during his tenure as Foreign Secretary, the UK developed the UK-India Road Map, securing Comprehensive Strategic Partner status for the UK and launching negotiations on a UK-India Free Trade Agreement. As Foreign Secretary, he published the UK’s ten-year international strategy, focusing on Britain’s comparative advantage in tech, trade and financial services, the need to adjust to hybrid security threats, and the long-term Indo-Pacific tilt in UK foreign policy. Prior to his parliamentary career, Dominic trained at the law firm Linklaters in competition and WTO law, litigation, project and asset finance. In 2000, he moved to practice international law at the Foreign Office, advising on shipping, UK investor protection, counter-proliferation, counter-terrorism and war crimes. He was posted to the Hague as First Secretary between 2003 and 2006, representing the UK at the international courts. Dominic studied Law at Oxford and attained an LLM in International Law at Cambridge, winning the Clive Parry Prize for International Law. He has published several books and papers on human rights, free enterprise, UK competitiveness, and social mobility.

Amardeep supports the General Counsel across the Responsible Sourcing Programme, market development projects and legal and regulatory work. She has over ten years policy experience covering both financial services and competition regulation. Amardeep joined LBMA from the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), where she worked on merger and market investigations. Throughout her career she has closely engaged with government, regulators, trade associations and consumer organisations.

Larissa Rodrigues is a Brazilian researcher and policy analyst specialized in gold mining, sustainability, and natural resource governance. She serves as Research Director at Instituto Escolhas, where she leads initiatives focused on artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM).

Her work has contributed to regulatory developments and policy debates on the Brazilian gold market, particularly around transparency, traceability, and integrity in the sector. Larissa frequently contributes to international discussions on responsible gold sourcing involving governments, industry representatives, civil society organizations, and financial institutions.
 

Urs Röösli is CEO of aXedras AG, a software provider focusing on the precious metals industry. He brings over 20 years of senior experience in different roles in the precious metals industry, focusing on digitalising supply chains, designing and implementing process automation, and creating digital products.

He holds an M.B.A in Economics from the University of St. Gallen, has completed executive and board education at IMD and the Swiss Board School.

Adam Rolfe is a sustainability leader specializing in responsible mining, sourcing, and mineral trade across global supply chains. He serves as the Senior Director of Standards and Partnerships at the Responsible Minerals Initiative (RMI), where he oversees the organization’s standards and assurance portfolio—including the flagship Responsible Minerals Assurance Process (RMAP)—and leads strategic engagement with global standard‑setting bodies.

Before joining the RMI, Adam led business development for GemFair™, De Beers Group’s responsible artisanal and small-scale (ASM) diamond sourcing initiative, supporting the integration of responsible ASM production into global markets. Prior to that, he was Senior Manager for Good Governance at Levin Sources, advising governments, donors, standard setters, and private-sector stakeholders on responsible mineral supply chains and mineral sector governance.

Adam holds a Master’s degree in Human Rights from the London School of Economics and a Bachelor’s degree in History and Politics from Queen Mary University of London.

Simon Rutledge is Commercial Director APAC at IBI International Logistics, a global secure logistics provider specialising in the transportation of precious metals and other high-value commodities. Based in Sydney, Simon leads commercial strategy across the Asia-Pacific region and working closely with miners, refiners, financial institutions and other industry participants on complex international supply-chain movements.

Simon has more than 15 years experience across logistics, supply chain and secure transport. Prior to joining IBI, he held commercial roles at A.P. Moller – Maersk during the company’s early decarbonisation journey, where he gained first-hand exposure to the development and implementation of emissions measurement frameworks, customer-facing emissions reporting, and the practical challenges of delivering emissions reduction initiatives at a global scale.

His current focus includes emissions measurement and carbon offsetting within high-security logistics environments, and collaborating across the precious metals value chain to support practical, transparent approaches to sustainability and responsible sourcing. 

“Some people want it to happen, some wish it would happen, others make it happen." Michael Jordan

Ivan is in charge of the Production Business Unit of the OCIM Group.

Based in Lima, Peru, he is the General Manager of Soleil Metals SA, a subsidiary of the OCIM Group, reporting directly to the CEO.

A seasoned professional with extensive hands-on experience and a strategic vision, driving the project's development in Peru. This includes financial projections, assets, working capital, cash flow, organizational structure, and talent acquisition. Additionally, optimizes operational performance in coordination with OCIM's headquarters.

He leads relationships, negotiations, and supply management with small and medium-scale artisanal gold producers, optimizing logistics, metallurgical processes, asset security, financial and legal management, as well as community and government relations. He oversees and supports the formalization of miners and the attainment of critical international certifications, ensuring the export of high-quality gold in compliance with LBMA standards and Peru’s “Artisanal and Small-Scale Mining” (ASM) regulations.

Recognized as a key reference figure in small- and medium-scale mining, he is frequently invited to conferences and television programs to discuss the potential of the gold sector. He holds a Master’s in Business Administration from EADA (Spain), a Diploma in Strategic Marketing from CENTRUM at the Pontifical Catholic University of Peru. He is a Chemical Metallurgist from TECSUP (Peru).

An expert in certifications, leadership of gold metallurgy processes, and risk analysis within the supply chain, he possesses in-depth knowledge of Peru’s mining potential and the international gold market. A specialist in international certifications, he is an associate of the Mining Board at the National University of Engineering.

With over fifteen years of experience in the Mining and Energy sectors, he has held leadership roles in multinational companies such as SODEXO, ACHILLES, PECSA, and MESSER, driving B2B strategies and negotiations. In the past five years, he has led companies related to ASM gold supply and metallurgy.

With a "make things happen" mindset, a strong sense of urgency, and a results-driven approach with integrity, his experience and vast network of contacts with small and medium-scale miners ensure optimal supply and profitability for OCIM’s project in Peru.

Passionate about triathlon, cycling, and mountain sports, he is also an enthusiast of geopolitics and Peruvian politics.

His vision is to position OCIM as a global leader in the responsible supply of ASM gold processing for LBMA-certified refineries and SBG brands.
 

Famke is a consultant in Strategic and Responsible Minerals. Based in Brussels, she guides industry actors in ESG-related risk management towards meeting buyer expectations, industry standards, and/or (EU) regulatory requirements. She equally works with Governments (EU / non-EU) and investors, to gather insights and/or deal with challenges and opportunities related to critical raw materials throughout supply chain stages. 

With strong due diligence expertise on standards and (EU) regulations, Famke supported leading EU CRM processing companies, as well as downstream manufacturers, in aligning policy and processes with EU Regulatory requirements standards (incl LBMA, RMI, CopperMark) through audit (preparatory) advisory. She is ISO9001 Lead auditor certified.

To advance CRM-related investments, she guides de-risking of corporate CRM projects through evaluations and capacity building advisory. As evaluator, she works with EIT RawMaterials and European Commission (DG GROW) on Critical Raw Materials Act (CRMA) Strategic Projects and EU Global Gateway projects. 

Previously, Famke served as Director Global Trade with Deloitte Belgium, and Business & Trade policy adviser at ITC agency of UN/WTO.

She is author of several studies and articles on critical raw materials, EU policy, and responsible mineral supply chains. She is frequent speaker on minerals supply chain conferences (ResourcingTomorrow, GigaBattery etc).
 

Andrew is the Account Director for Mining & Energy at Control Risks Group, where he supports senior executives navigating responsible sourcing, financial crime, and supply chain challenges in CAHRA environments. Before joining Control Risks, he was a shareholder, board director, and advisor for mining exploration, commodity trading, and commodity logistics businesses operating across Zambia, Namibia, the DRC, and Ghana. Andrew is a Namibian-trained lawyer with 18 years' experience in London spanning risk advisory, corporate intelligence, and natural resources investment.

With over two decades of experience in sustainability, responsible sourcing, and assurance within the precious metals sector, Nirali brings deep practical expertise to further LBMA’s mission of advancing integrity and transparency in precious metals value chains.

A Chartered Accountant by background, Nirali has built her career in effectively combining the rigour of financial systems with emerging sustainability practices. As a Senior Advisor to LBMA since 2020, she has already played a pivotal role in shaping the Responsible Sourcing Programme and, more recently, added her assurance expertise to strengthen governance of LBMA's Third Party Assurance Programme.

Prior to this, Nirali served as CEO at Responsible Gold, where she focused on leveraging blockchain, artificial intelligence and asset tokenisation to address resource responsibility, traceability, and financial inclusion in the gold sector. Nirali has also held senior positions at Deloitte, where she led sustainability services for the extractives sector and established global responsible sourcing compliance services.

Dr. David Soud is Head of Research and Analysis at I.R. Consilium, a family-owned consulting firm in Maryland, USA that specializes in issues of maritime security, resource security, and strategy. He is a leading expert on illicit supply chains and the criminal exploitation of extractives, including gold. His work on gold encompasses countering illegal mining, gold laundering, gold- based money laundering (GBML), and sanctions evasion, and has included a groundbreaking series of reports for the OECD as well as research grants. He collaborates with governments, law enforcement agencies, and international organizations, and with partners and clients from both civil society and the private sector. Dr. Soud is also Head of Resource Responsibility at the charitable nonprofit Auxilium Worldwide. 

Eduard Stefanescu has held the position of Sustainability Manager at the Pforzheim‑based precious metals recycling specialist and  long‑established company C.HAFNER GmbH + Co. KG for nearly four years. With an academic background in geosciences, holding a degree in mineralogy from the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), he began his professional career in plant engineering for mineral processing before later specializing in the sourcing and processing of critical  minerals and precious metals.

Since entering the precious metals sector in 2018, Mr. Stefanescu has developed deep expertise in the design, implementation, and  governance of responsible supply chains, including within the artisanal and small‑scale mining (ASM) sector. In his role at C.HAFNER, he is responsible for advancing environmental, social, and governance (ESG) topics and leads the development and implementation of the company’s sustainability strategy, regulatory compliance, and due‑diligence frameworks.

David Tait was appointed CEO of the World Gold Council in November 2018.

During his 35 years in the financial services industry, David has worked for a variety of highly regarded firms, most recently as Global Head of Fixed Income Macro Products at Credit Suisse. Prior to that he held senior trading roles at both Credit Suisse and UBS Investment Bank.

David began his career trading at Goldman Sachs, and then moved to Credit Suisse before building considerable asset management experience as a Partner at Bluecrest Capital.

He is a member of the Financial Markets Standards Board (FMSB) Advisory Council and chairs FMSB's Precious Metals Working Group.

David is also a major supporter of the NSPCC and has raised over £1.5 million by summiting Mount Everest on five occasions. He was the first person to traverse Everest from the North to South in 2007. He is an ex-trustee, Chair of the Rebuilding Childhoods Board and was awarded an MBE by the Queen for his services to the charity.

His life story has been made into the Julian Jarrold directed motion picture “Sulphur and White” starring Anna Friel, Dougray Scott, Mark Stanley and Emily Beecham. The Royal Premier was February 2020 and the proceeds will benefit the NSPCC.

Telmen Tumenjargal is a Senior Economist at the Bank of Mongolia, with over 10 years of experience in the central bank’s domestic gold purchasing programme and initiatives to strengthen the formalization and responsible sourcing of Mongolia’s artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) sector. His work focuses on improving gold supply chain transparency, advancing responsible sourcing practices, and facilitating cooperation between miners, refiners, industry associations, and international partners, including the Swiss Better Gold Association and the planetGOLD programme.

With a background in law and international relations, Iris Van der Veken has more than 20 years of global experience working in fast-paced environments including the technology, jewellery, and fashion industries, as well as the public sector. She has held different strategic leadership positions in the areas of public affairs, international relations, human resources, sustainability, and operations.

Her strong commitment to the global agenda of gender equality has led her to initiate the Generation Equality Campaign for the Jewellery Industry in the context of her former role as Executive Director of the Responsible Jewellery Council. She is a Board Member of ISEAL and Diamonds Do Good.

Van Der Veken holds a Bachelor of Law from the University of Antwerp (1990-1992). She is currently based in Geneva, Switzerland.

Peter Zoellner is an Austrian citizen. He earned a doctorate degree at the Vienna University for Economics and Business in 1983.

He joined Oesterreichische Nationalbank (the Austrian central bank) in Vienna and built experience both in the dealing room and in analytical units with regards to FX/gold reserves and monetary policy.

After establishing the Representative Office of Oesterreichische Nationalbank in New York and leading it for four years, Peter Zoellner was invited to become the Economic Advisor to the Austrian Federal Chancellor Franz Vranitzky. During this period (1991-1996), Austria joined the European Union and successfully prepared for participating in the European Monetary Union.

In 1996, Peter Zoellner returned to the Central Bank of Austria and served first as the Treasurer and then for three terms as Member of the Governing Board and Executive Director for the banking operations (1998-2013). He had extensive exposure to the gold markets by managing Austria's gold reserves and through his function at the Austrian Mint, as a Vice Chair of the Supervisory Board. At the time, the Austrian Mint held a 25% stake at the gold refiner Argor-Heraeus in Switzerland.

In 2013, Peter Zoellner joined the Bank for International Settlements in Basel, Switzerland and served as a member of the Executive Board and Head of the Banking Department until 2024. In this capacity, he shaped the strategy and implementation of the banking activities and supported a strong expansion of global operations and the FX and gold franchise of the BIS.

Currently, Peter Zoellner advises central banks and global international banks on strategic and operational capital market issues through his consultancy firm.