Rob Williamson is the Executive Director and Chief Operations Officer at Alpha HPA, with nearly 25 years’ experience in large facility operations and executive leadership. His pragmatic approach and strategic acumen have been instrumental in propelling the company’s vertical integration strategy for advanced materials, contributing significantly to the decarbonisation of the tech sector. His focus is on building a high-performance project delivery team at the company’s full-scale HPA First Project, Alpha Sapphire Project, and Product Development Centre, showcasing his ability to deliver results while providing exceptional leadership to his team.

Gavin Loyden is the Managing Director and Founder of QEM, where he oversees the development of the Julia Creek Vanadium and Energy Project in northwest Queensland. With a background in energy project development and a commitment to sustainable practices, he is driving QEM’s mission to deliver innovative solutions for the renewable energy sector. Under his leadership, QEM is pragmatically advancing the integration of vanadium redox flow batteries to support the global energy transition.

Sylvia Tulloch is a material scientist with extensive experience in the establishment and management of high technology business. She has a particular interest in the commercialisation process, material science and manufacturing in the cleantech sector. Sylvia has held numerous Board and leadership roles across the corporate, industry, and the not-for-profit sectors. She is currently the Chairperson of Lava Blue where she leads efforts in developing high-purity alumina for batteries and other energy technologies.

Janus Electric, founded in 2020 by Lex Forsyth and Bevan Dooley, is transforming Australia’s heavy vehicle industry with sustainable electric power solutions. Driven by a mission to reduce emissions and fossil fuel dependency in road transport, Janus delivers innovative technologies that boost efficiency and sustainability for fleet operators.

With a background in trucking, Lex Forsyth, Janus Electric’s CEO, combines industry insight with over 20 years of experience, leading Janus in developing practical, high-impact solutions for fleet owners. Since its inception, Janus Electric has become a leader in heavy vehicle electrification, setting new standards for a zero-emissions future in Australia’s logistics sector.

Anthony Prior has an Engineering degree from The University of Queensland and an MBA from QUT in Management of Technology. For more than 25 years he has put this knowledge to good use delivering projects in the corporate and not-for-profit sectors including the renewable energy sector. He is the Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer at Prohelion, who specialize in the development and commercialization of advanced battery management systems and energy storage solutions. Anthony is also the Secretary of the Australian Solar Car Association.

Lee is Chief Executive Officer of Li-S Energy Systems. He has more than 25 years’ experience as a senior executive, including 10 years with Intergraph Corporation, (a US-based Fortune 1000 technology company) in roles including Vice President – Asia Pacific, plus 5 years as the Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of NASDAQ and ASX listed technology company, Metal Storm Limited.  Over the past 5 years, Lee has been the founder and director of a company delivering innovative Internet of Things (IoT) products to business and consumer markets. He was also the Vice President – Asia Pacific for a European telecommunications operator with a market focus on automotive manufacturers and enterprise IoT solutions. Lee has a First Class BSc. (Hons) degree in Civil Engineering and a PhD in Artificial Intelligence and Geographic Information Systems.

Professor Cori Stewart is an Industry Professor with the University of Queensland with a background in innovation and industry collaboration, she is dedicated to driving advancements in manufacturing efficiency and competitiveness. She has worked in the corporate sector as well as for government and universities and is a keynote speaker on many topics including technology transformation, supply chains, research commercialisation and industrial policy. As the Founder and CEO of the ARM Hub, Cori has built an Australian-first not-for-profit technology commercialisation company. ARM Hub has nurtured hundreds of businesses to validate, commercialise and modernise using cutting-edge technologies, design thinking, new IP and workforce development strategies in defence, energy, medical, resources, agriculture sectors and more.  She is passionate about driving impact through university and industry collaboration and building strategic and trusted collaborations in Australia and across the globe.

Mainak Majumder is a Professor at Monash University, specialising in batteries, energy storage, carbon materials and membrane materials science. His groundbreaking research focuses on developing innovative solutions for energy storage and water purification. In addition to his role as Associate Director of the Monash Energy Institute, Mainak was a Co-Founder and Non-Executive Director of Ionic Industries, who are involved in the commercialisation of graphene technologies. He is also the director of the Australian Research Council’s Hub on Advanced Manufacturing with Two-Dimensional Materials (AM2D) headquartered at Monash University.

David Piper is a Research Fellow at the commercial explosives company Orica, where he has investigated explosive hazards and blast-hardening over the last 13 years. David has a been actively researching how to safely electrify dangerous goods transport and is actively involved in UN working groups on the topic.

Rebecca Andrews is the Chief Executive Officer of Manufacturing Skills Queensland (MSQ). With a background in economic and community development, she has delivered over 25 years of professional experience for both private organisations and Government Departments. Her previous executive roles in Government have encompassed regional development, employment, small business and training. Under her leadership at MSQ, this independent organisation is building a sustainably skilled workforce for a future-proofed manufacturing industry.

Through his company K-BIK Power Pty Ltd, Kerry offers specialised consulting and engineering services to the electrical power industry. He has a Master of Engineering in Power Systems, an Honorary Doctorate and Professor in Industry Practices – Power Systems at QUT and has 50 years of experience in the electrical power utilities and manufacturing sectors.

Kerry is the current Qld Chair of Engineers Australia Electrical Branch and is an Electrical College Board Member. He has worked closely with industry and academia to understand the skills needed to deliver the energy transition. He has also been an active participant in an EA working group for battery safety and new technologies.

Shawn O’Sullivan is the Executive Director of TAFE Centre of Excellence – Clean Energy – Batteries, which is focused on preparing the future workforce to meet the needs of the battery sector. With a degree in Vocational Education and Training, and experience in curriculum design and industry engagement, he has been instrumental in shaping programs that meet the evolving needs of the job market. His dedication to student success and industry partnerships has significantly enhanced TAFE Queensland’s reputation as a leader in practical education.

As an Environmental and Chemical Engineer, Leigh has held a range of operational, commercial, project and strategy roles across the international resources sector, including ExxonMobil, Santos and Rio Tinto. Leigh is currently in a number of roles that pursue the objectives of Australia Battery Day. As Industry Professor at the UQ Sustainable Minerals Institute she is supporting the commercialisation
of research and technology related to improved critical minerals supply for the energy transition. As a Board Director for the Queensland Manufacturing Institute she is a passionate advocate towards
future-proofing Australian heavy industry and manufacturing.

Nick Whebell is the Business Development Manager of Cleveland Bay Chemical Company (CBCC), where he oversees strategic initiatives to diversify the business and develop new products with a philosophy of value adding local raw materials. With a degree in international business and finance and a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, Nick has consistently driven innovation and sustainability, building collaborative partnerships with researchers and other industry organisations. His leadership has been pivotal in growing the business from a single product operation in a niche market to supplying a large range of bulk chemical reagents, resulting in recognition of CBCC as a key player in the battery supply chain.

Michele Bauer is the Deputy Director–General for the Queensland Government Department of State Development, Infrastructure and Planning. She has extensive experience in driving strategic initiatives and policies to support industry and regional economic development.  Michele’s leadership has included executive roles in Office of the Coordinator-General focussing on complex projects and infrastructure planning.

Troy Sloan is the Head of Division, Sovereign Capability and Supply Chains Division, in the Australian Government Department of Industry, Science and Resources (DISR). In his current role, Troy supports innovative and competitive businesses and industries by securing Australia’s approach to sovereign industrial capability, ensuring supply chain resilience and crisis response, and enhancing industry participation in major projects. This includes responsibility for driving the Australian Government’s key agenda to kick start battery manufacturing in Australia through the delivery of the Australian Made Battery Plan, and the operations and oversight of the National Reconstruction Fund.

Prior to this Troy has held Senior Executive roles in the Australian Government Department of Social Services (DSS) as well as Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, the National Indigenous Australians Agency and the (then) Department of Infrastructure and Transport.

Troy has a Bachelor of Economics (honours) from the University of Adelaide.