With commodity prices out of the doldrums, putting primary suppliers back into the profit zone and greenlighting projects and expansions, we are witnessing the beginnings of a New Battery Materials Cycle, this year's theme for the Oxford Battery Metals Lectures.

At the other end of the supply chain, over 50 new EV models are set to be launched across the UK and Europe in 2026, including a raft of more affordable B-segment vehicles. This is despite a softening of the 100% EV deadlines by 2035. Add to this the significant uptick in battery storage demand and supply chain disruptions in the DRC and Indonesia, suggesting an incredibly difficult period for supply chain incumbents, end users, and investors to navigate. 

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Henk de Hoop
CEO, SFA (Oxford)

Henk de Hoop joined SFA (Oxford) in 2022 as Chief Executive Officer. Widely recognised as a top-ranked investment analyst, he is also known to many of SFA’s clients as an early champion of SFA’s analytical coverage.

He brings nearly three decades of experience in mining engineering and mining finance. Before joining SFA, Henk served as Business Development Director at RMB Investment Bank. Earlier in his career, he spent 12 years as a Mining Analyst with several leading broking firms.

Andrew Leyland
Managing Director, SC Insights

Andrew has advised many leading OEMs and oil and gas companies on responding to the rapid growth of lithium-ion battery deployment across both electric vehicles and energy storage systems. His work has included guidance on contract structures, commercial terms, and direct investment in the sector.

He brings more than 20 years of experience in the metals, mining, and chemicals industries as both an analyst and consultant. His previous roles include Head of Forecasts & Consulting at Benchmark Mineral Intelligence, Director at Wood Mackenzie, and Associate Director and Senior Commodities Analyst at VTB Capital.

Through Supply Chain Insights, Andrew helps maintain industry-wide models and forecasts, delivering data and advisory solutions to organisations active in, or considering investment in, the battery sector. This work includes support for Lenders Market Reports, due diligence assignments, and feasibility studies.

He holds an MA in Politics, Philosophy and Economics from the University of Oxford.

Stefan Debruyne
Director of External Affairs, SQM / Novandino Lithium

Stefan joined SQM in 2005 and is currently responsible for stakeholder engagement as Director of External Affairs. He has previously held the position of Sales Director for lithium and iodine in the Asia-Pacific region. He has a Master's degree in commercial engineering and an Executive MBA.

Stefan is poised to delve into the groundbreaking innovations driving the lithium sector forward, highlighting SQM's contributions to shaping the future of electrification. From advancements in lithium extraction techniques to the development of high-performance lithium-ion batteries, Stefan's insights promise to offer a compelling vision of how lithium innovation is revolutionising the way we power our world.

Hannu Hautala
Senior Vice President Keliber Lithium, Sibanye-Stillwater

Hannu Hautala is Senior Vice President, at Keliber, part of Sibanye‑Stillwater, where he is responsible for the leadership of the Keliber Lithium Project in Finland. He oversees mining, concentrator, and refinery operations, supporting the development of one of Europe’s most significant lithium projects. His work focuses on operational readiness, commissioning, safety performance, and the establishment of stable, responsible production to serve the growing battery materials market. Based in Kokkola, Finland, Hannu Hautala brings extensive experience in industrial operations and large‑scale project execution. Before his current role Hannu Hautala worked among other roles as Executive Vice President at Outokumpu and as CEO of Nordkalk.

Varshan Gokool
Chief Financial Officer, Cornish Lithium

Cornish Lithium is developing both a lithium from hard rock mica and a geothermal brine project in Cornwall.  It’s hard rock Trelavour Project has an operational demonstration plant producing battery-grade lithium hydroxide, a completed Definitive Feasibility Study, planning and permitting well underway, with targeted commercial-scale production from 2030 onwards. On the geothermal brines side of the business, Cornish Lithium has geothermal well drilling planned for this year at its fully permitted Cross Lanes site to demonstrate lithium extraction from brines and ultimately move to commercial production at this site. With more than two decades of experience, Varshan has guided development mining companies from early project definition through to construction and production across multiple international jurisdictions.

He has arranged and led over US$1.5 billion in funding transactions across the entire capital structure, from equity to senior secured project finance debt, for mining projects. Varshan’s strategic financial leadership is central to advancing Cornish Lithium’s mission to deliver a domestic, low-carbon lithium supply for the UK, strengthening the UK’s industrial competitiveness and delivering the UK’s Critical Mineral Strategy.

Owen Williams
Head of Lithium Strategy & Business Development, Equinor

Owen Williams is Head of Lithium Strategy & Business Development at Equinor, where he leads the company’s lithium strategy, business development, and commercial activities, including offtake and finance. His work is focused on advancing lithium assets in Europe and the United States, with the goal of supporting commercial production and building sustainable battery materials platforms.

He has developed his career over more than two decades across strategy, business development, market analysis, and corporate venture building in the energy sector. At Equinor, he has played a central role in shaping new growth platforms, first through his work in corporate strategy and innovation, then as a founding member of the Future Business team, where he helped incubate and scale zero-carbon businesses beyond oil and gas. Earlier, at Statoil, he held a series of senior strategy roles, including VP Corporate Strategy, where he led teams analysing external trends, competitor positioning, and the strategic implications for the business.

Before joining Statoil, Owen worked as a consultant at Wood Mackenzie in Edinburgh and Singapore, focusing on upstream oil and gas. Prior to that, he led analytical services at Infield Systems, building and managing a multidisciplinary team delivering market due diligence and sector studies across the energy supply chain. He began his professional career at Douglas-Westwood, supporting consulting engagements on technology commercialisation and market entry in the energy industry.

Ed Hollings
Specialist Process Engineer, Hatch

Edward has worked for over 20 years in the minerals processing and metallurgy sector. He works for Hatch in London, and his role covers both Study Manager and Lead Process Engineer on a range of metals and mining projects. In recent years his focus has been on the emerging lithium, battery metals, and rare-earths sector. In the past he has worked in a range of operations and projects in both base and precious metals, including lithium, gold, copper, cobalt, nickel, lead, zinc, tin, rare-earths, and uranium.  He has a diverse range of experience across multiple process circuits, including milling circuits, concentrators, leaching, gravity, and smelting operations. He is particularly interested in cross disciplinary projects such as geo-metallurgy and other big picture value improvers.

Dr Xiaohan Wu
Strategic Consultant, Porsche Consulting

Dr. Xiaohan Wu is a strategy consultant specialising in battery technology. His focus includes market dynamics, technology disruptions, and their business implications for players in the cell, component, and upstream (mining & refining) industries. His expertise positions him as a leader in identifying and evaluating emerging battery technologies, notably solid-state batteries.

Olimpia Pilch
Chief Strategy Officer, Critical Minerals Africa Group

Olimpia Pilch is Chief Strategy Officer, with a focus on advocacy, geopolitics, and critical minerals. A trained exploration geologist, she has become a respected global voice in critical minerals policy. Her work combines technical expertise with a practical, policy-driven approach to addressing supply chain challenges.

She is a Director of the Critical Minerals Association Australia, and also works as a consultant and strategist for critical minerals companies around the world. In addition, she is the author of The Critical Minerals Pragmatist.

Across these roles, Olimpia brings together deep technical understanding and pragmatic strategic thinking to help shape solutions in a rapidly evolving global critical minerals landscape.

George Heppel
Vice President Commodity Research, BMO Capital Markets

George Heppel joined BMO in July 2024 as Vice President, Commodities Analyst, and is based in London as part of BMO's Commodity Strategy team. He focuses on providing thought leadership and market intelligence to both base metals and battery raw materials. Before joining BMO, George was Head of Commercial and Market Analysis at BASF plc and is well-regarded as a global battery raw materials expert. Prior to BASF, he was a senior consultant at CRU Group and held roles at ICD Group and Shell. George holds a MEng. (Materials Science, Economics and Management), from the University of Oxford.

Simon Gardner-Bond
Chief Technical Officer, TechMet Ltd

Simon Gardner-Bond is Chief Technical Officer, with 20 years of experience as a geologist and mining analyst.

His career spans technical, financial, and strategic roles across the mining sector. He has served as a senior metals and mining analyst at Investec Asset Management, where he helped manage multi-billion-dollar natural resources funds. He has also held senior mining analyst positions at Ocean Equities Limited and Peel Hunt, and worked as a mining analyst at Argent Partners Limited, a boutique M&A advisory firm focused on the metals and mining sector.

Earlier in his career, Simon worked as an exploration geologist in Spain and Ireland, giving him practical, on-the-ground industry experience that complements his capital markets and advisory background. He also serves on the boards of Cornish Lithium and REEtec.

Simon holds a BSc (Hons) in Geology and Physical Geography from the University of Liverpool, and an MSc in Mineral Deposit Appraisal (Mineral Exploration) from the Royal School of Mines, Imperial College.