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  • Diana Bauer
  • Director of the Office of Economic Analysis
  • U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Policy and International Affairs
  • Diana Bauer oversees economic and technology systems analysis. She led the teams that drafted DOE’s 2010 and 2011 Critical Materials Strategies. Before joining DOE, she led the extramural sustainability research program at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, focusing on topics such as green manufacturing, green building, transportation, and land-use planning. She also spent some time leading the Center for Climate Change and Environmental Forecasting at the U.S. Department of Transportation. Early in her career, she modeled dynamic systems, built robots and developed computer-aided design tools. Dr. Bauer has also spent time in Asia, serving as a visiting researcher in Japan, a technical editor in Taiwan, and an English teacher in China. She has a Ph.D. in mechanical engineering from UC Berkeley.
  • Pol Le Roux
  • Vice President Sales & Marketing
  • Lynas Corporation Ltd.
  • Pol Le Roux graduated in robotic engineering and held different positions in manufacturing sites, Renault Mexico and Rhone-Poulenc France, until 1992 when he moved to business. After 4 years in Rhone-Poulenc corporate strategy, he was assigned to lead the Asian Polyamide business based in South Korea, prior to moving back to France in 2002 where he took charge of Rhodia (former Rhone-Poulenc) Rare Earth Electronic business. In 2008, he took charge of Rhodia Diphenols global business unit, based in China. At the end of 2010, Pol Le Roux joined Sydney based Australian company, Lynas Corporation, as the Vice President for Sales & Marketing.
  • Jeffery Green
  • President
  • J.A. Green & Company
  • Jeff Green has over 16 years of experience in the Department of Defense and on Capitol Hill. Mr. Green most recently served as Staff Director to the House Armed Services Subcommittee on Readiness, as well as Counsel to the full committee’s policy staff, overseeing all matters related to acquisition policy, industrial base issues, defense trade, and a USD156 billion operation & maintenance budget. Prior to his service on Capitol Hill, Jeff served as Legislative Director for the Coalition Provisional Authority Office of Legislative Affairs, working directly with senior CPA, Department of Defense, Department of State, Office of Management and Budget and White House officials.
  • He has written numerous articles related to the defense industry, government procurement and strategic materials, appeared on Fox News and the BBC and been quoted in an array of news publications. He has testified on strategic materials issues before the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission. In 2012, he founded, and currently serves on, the Strategic Materials Advisory Council. He also serves as a member of the U.S. Magnetic Materials Association and the REE World Advisory Board.
  • Prior to his extensive legislative branch and Pentagon experience, Jeff served in the Air Force as a Missile Combat Crew Commander and continues to serve as a Lieutenant Colonel in the United States Air Force Reserve.
  • A graduate of George Washington University, the University of Miami and Cornell University, Jeff holds both a Masters of Law in Government Procurement and a Juris Doctor and is admitted to the practice of law in the District of Columbia, Florida and New Jersey. He is currently Vice-Chair of the ABA Public Contract Law Section’s Legislative Coordinating Committee.
  • Gary Billingsley
  • Executive Chairman and Director
  • Great Western Minerals Group
  • Gary Billingsley has a BSc. Advanced degree in Geology from the University of Saskatchewan. He is also a Chartered Accountant, a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Saskatchewan, a Engineer, Geoscientist and a member of the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Saskatchewan. For the last 12 years, he has been a director and an officer of Great Western Minerals Group Ltd. and currently serves as Executive Chairman. He is also a director of Wescan Goldfields Inc., listed on the TSX-V.
  • Mr. Billingsley has worked in the mining industry for the past 40 years. He was employed as a mine geologist for several years for companies including Granduc Operating Company (an affiliate of Newmont Mining), Hudson Bay Mining & Smelting Co. Ltd., and in surface exploration for Cominco Ltd., Sherritt Gordon and Hudson Bay Exploration and Development Ltd. In 1983, Mr. Billingsley joined Claude Resources Inc., serving as a director and officer until 1992.
  • In 1993 and 1994, in his role as a consultant to Great Western Minerals, Mr. Billingsley led the team that discovered two diamond-bearing kimberlites, at Candle Lake, Saskatchewan. For the last eight years, he has focused on the rare earth industry and formulated the “mine to market” strategy currently being implemented by Great Western through the active exploration and development of several rare earth projects, along with operating two value-added manufacturing facilities specializing in the production of permanent magnet alloys.
  • Colin Bird
  • Chairman and CEO
  • Galileo Resources PLC
  • Colin Bird is a seasoned mining engineer and resource public company founder and operator. His formative years were in operational management in Southern Africa and thereafter he operated in a number of commodities in Africa, the Middle East, Latin America and Canada.
  • Colin Bird founded Jubilee Platinum Plc, Kiwara Plc and has been involved in a number of AIM listed and Canadian listed resource companies.
  • Peter Cashin
  • President and CEO
  • Quest Rare Minerals Ltd.
  • Peter Cashin has over 30 years of experience in all facets of the mines and minerals industry. Peter graduated from McGill University with a Masters of Science degree in 1985. Mr. Cashin has worked for Major and Junior mining exploration companies in Quebec, Ontario, the Maritimes, the United States and overseas. Peter also worked for a period with the Ontario Ministry of Northern Development and Mines in the area of mineral resource promotion and marketing.
  • Guy Desharnais Ph.D., P.Geo
  • Senior Geologist
  • SGS Geostat Canada
  • Guy Desharnais earned a Ph.D. from the University of Manitoba in 2004 with a thesis entitled “Geochemical and Isotopic Investigation of Magmatism in the Fox River Belt: Tectonic and Economic Implications”. This study focused on trace elements, including REEs within layered intrusions; a separate undergraduate thesis was also completed on a metasomatized carbonate body. Guy has completed projects (resource estimates, mine audits or geometallurgical studies), on many comodities including Ni, Cu, Co, Pt, Pd, Au, Ag, Zn, Pb, Fe, P, Ti, Nb, REE and coal. He recently completed the first resource estimate on Geomega’s Montviel carbonatite-hosted REE-Nb deposit in northern Quebec.
  • Andre Gauthier
  • President
  • Matamec Explorations
  • Andre Gauthier holds a Bachelor of Business Administration and has completed the required Masters courses in Project Management from University of Quebec in Montreal. He is president and director of Mistassini Mineral Resources Inc., a public mining company. From February 1999 to September 2003 he was secretary-treasurer and CFO of Prêt à porter Subito Presto Inc., a company that manufactured medium to high-end clothing (main client Mexx Canada). From 1994 to 1996 he was Vice-President of the public junior mining company Q.E.X. Resources Inc. (which became Adventure Gold Inc. in 2007). From 1984 to 1992, he was secretary-treasurer and CFO of Abior Exploration Inc. (which became Exploration Diabior Inc., now merged with Virginia Gold Mines Inc.). He has been president and CEO of Matamec Explorations since 2003.
  • Dr. Jon Hykawy, Ph.D, MBA
  • Head of Global Research, Clean Technologies and Materials Analyst
  • Byron Capital Markets
  • Dr. Jon Hykawy is part of the Research team at Byron Capital Markets, and has a specialized focus in the area of clean technologies and the associated electric metals including lithium, vanadium, the rare earths, uranium, tin and silver.
  • Jon holds both a PhD in physics (1991, Manitoba) and an MBA (1997, Queen's) and has been working in capital markets as a clean technologies/alternative energy analyst for the last five years. He began his career in the investment industry in 2000, originally working as a technology analyst.
  • His current areas of focus are the industries surrounding electric metals, such as lithium, the rare earths and tin, ranging from availability and production to motor and battery technologies. He has extensive experience in the solar, wind, and battery industries, conducting significant research in the areas of rechargeable batteries, ranging from rechargeable alkaline to lithium to flow batteries.
  • Marc LeVier
  • President, CEO and Director
  • Texas Rare Earth Resources Corp
  • Marc LeVier was appointed as President, CEO, and Director in May 2011. He spent 22 years with Newmont Mining Corp. in several professional capacities, including 16 years as the Senior Director of Metallurgical Research and Development. Mr. LeVier led the world-class metallurgical research team in the development of processes for resources which have become Newmont's primary producing properties today. These include the development of the Gold Quarry refractory ore treatment plant (ROTP) at the Carlin Trend in Nevada, the Batu Hijau porphyry copper-gold mine in Indonesia, the heap leach operations at Minera Yanacocha in Peru, the Ahafo operations in Ghana, the Phoenix operation in Nevada, and the Boddington operation in Australia. Mr. LeVier led the teams in the development of the former operations at Minahasa in Indonesia and the Zarafshan-Newmont Joint Venture heap leach operation in Uzbekistan.
  • With 40 years’ experience in advanced process engineering within the mining industry, he has developed and led multi-disciplinary teams in the development of hydrometallurgical, chemical, and engineering design processes for base metals, industrial minerals, uranium, coal, iron ore, and precious metals and has published numerous technical papers on metallurgical research and process development. Mr. LeVier served as the President of the Mining and Metallurgical Society for four years.
  • Tracy McSheery
  • President and CEO
  • PhaseSpase
  • Tracy McSheery is a businessman, engineer and researcher working with NASA, the US Army, Navy and Air Force as well as the FBI, Sandia National Labs, UC Berkeley, Stanford, MIT, UC Santa Barbara, UC San Diego, Cambridge and numerous other universities on a multitude of training, engineering and scientific projects. Mr. McSheery has a degree in Mechanical Engineering from UC Berkeley, and a Masters degree in Applied Physics from UC Davis, and deals with high speed video, computer animation, computer vision, advanced materials and engineering design. Mr. McSheery served as a Lieutenant in the United States Navy, and holds a patent in computer tracking and is working with researchers in rehabilitation and training of children with special needs. Mr. McSheery is working with the US Army Corps of Engineers on corrosion resistant steel reinforcement as well as starting a new company to build Water Turbines to capture megawatts of energy from tide and currents.
  • Luisa Moreno
  • Senior Mining and Metals Analyst
  • Jacob Securities Inc.
  • Luisa Moreno covers industrial materials with a major focus on technology and energy metal companies. She has been a guest speaker on television and at international conferences. Moreno has published reports on rare earths and other critical materials and has been quoted in newspapers and industry blogs. She holds a bachelor's and master’s in physics engineering as well as a Ph.D. in materials and mechanics from Imperial College, London.
  • David Morton
  • CEO and Director
  • Magswitch Technologies Inc
  • David Morton, an Australian now Living in Boulder Colorado with wife Annie, studied at Macquarie University and Sydney Universities Australia. An entrepreneur at heart having owned his first Business at 21 years old. He has since been involved in startup companies in Communications, Advertising Distribution, Property, Hospitality and Technology across a career spanning 35 years.
  • Moved to Colorado after the GFC to re-define the business objectives of Magswitch Technology a Magnetic Technology company with diverse Industry Applications that develops, manufactures and distributes finished products based on proprietary technology Globally. Magswitch is the classic disruptive Technology. David has interests in outdoor activities, particularly Cycling and Hiking.
  • Al Shefsky
  • President and CEO
  • Pele Mountain Resources
  • Al Shefsky founded Pele Mountain Resources in 1996 and has served as its President and CEO since that time. He has provided leadership and vision in advancing a generative strategy to acquire and explore resource properties in Northern Ontario and has successfully negotiated several strategic alliances to fund and operate the Company’s projects with junior and major mining companies including De Beers and Goldcorp. Since 2006, Mr. Shefsky has focused on advancing the sustainable development of Pele Mountain’s Eco Ridge Mine Rare Earths and Uranium Project in Elliot Lake, where the Company has emerged as a leader in Canadian rare earths development. Mr. Shefsky earned a Bachelors degree in Economics from the University of Western Ontario and a Juris Doctor degree from Pepperdine University School of Law.
  • Michael N. Silver
  • CEO
  • American Elements
  • Michael Silver is an expert on the current and future demand for rare earths and many other critical metals such as lithium, indium, and tellurium. Mr. Silver’s expertise also includes firsthand knowledge of the corporate supply chain from mine to finished goods, the industrial and scientific applications that make these elements important and their commodity value to the investment community. He is considered a pioneer in the fields of nanotechnology, materials science and alternative energy. Mr. Silver was one of the first Americans to establish a direct production and distribution supply chain from the rare earth mines in Inner Mongolia, China to North America and Europe. The company has operations in Los Angeles, California; Salt Lake City, Utah; Monterrey, Mexico; Baotou, China; Manchester, UK and a global distribution network. Over the last twelve months alone, American Elements has co-sponsored 74 industry and academic conferences.
  • Bob Wolf
  • VP of Sales and Marketing
  • Alliance LLC
  • Bob Wolf has more than twenty five years experience in the permanent magnet industry and has authored over a dozen articles. Bob is a graduate of Loyola University, BS – Physics, and DePaul University, MS – Physics. He has held the positions of Product Manager for Rare Earth Magnets at Crucible Materials Corporation, Manager of North American Marketing of Permanent Magnets for Philips Corporation, and Vice President Neodymium Iron Boron Sales for Ugimag Corporation and was on the Board of Directors of the Magnetic Materials Producers Association. Currently he is the Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Alliance LLC. He is also an instructor in mathematics at Purdue University North Central.
  • Patrick Wong
  • CEO and Director
  • Innovation Metals Corporation
  • Patrick Wong was most recently the Co-founder and Chief Investment Officer of Dacha Strategic Metals (TSX.V: DSM, OTCQX: DCHAF), a unique investment vehicle that invests in physical rare-earths. He is a recognized authority in the REE industry, having co-founded a strategic-metals investment company, authored several research articles and participated on industry panels as a guest speaker at various events. Mr. Wong is a Senior Editor and Analyst for RareMetalBlog.com and also serves on the Advisory Board for Medallion Resources. Patrick is a seasoned hedge-fund manager, with over 15 years of experience in various trading strategies, including capital-structure arbitrage. Prior to Dacha, he was President of a natural-gas trading company that created models to trade physical gas. Mr. Wong has an Honours BA from the Richard Ivey School of Business at the University of Western Ontario.
  • Han Yu
  • Deputy Director of Marketing Dept.
  • JLMAG Rare-Earth Co., Ltd.
  • Mr. YU Han, deputy director of marketing department of JLMAG Rare-Earth Co., Ltd., is mainly responsible for application industry research and analysis, strategic customer development, customer relationship management. He is with a lot of practical experiences in the rare-earth magnet industry. Mr. YU Han was graduated from University of the West of England, UK with Masters Degree in Marketing. Before joining JLMAG, he worked for a multinational rare-earth downstream application company in Germany, France, UK, Benelux, Nordic etc for many years, and he has good knowledge of rare-earth downstream application and its development.