About

John Pollesel has over 30 years of experience in mining and most recently was Senior Vice President, Mining at Finning Canada. He was previously COO and Director of Base Metals Operations for Vale’s North Atlantic Operations, where he was responsible for the largest underground mining and metallurgical operations in Canada. Prior to this, he was Vice President and General Manager for Vale’s Ontario Operations. He also served as the CFO for Compania Minera Antamina in Peru, responsible for executive management in one of the largest copper/zinc mining and milling operations in the world. John is currently leading a private company that is developing an international fertilizer mining operation and serves on the board of directors for North American Construction Group and Noront Resources Ltd.

Trent Mell is a business leader and entrepreneur with more than 25 years of experience building companies, leading operations, and executing complex transactions in the resource sector. As the founding CEO of Electra Battery Materials, he is leading the development of North America’s first battery-grade cobalt refinery, launched a commercial-scale battery recycling demonstration plant, and secured a $700 million long-term offtake agreement with LG Energy Solution. He has also advanced permitting processes in both the U.S. and Canada, unlocked government funding programs, and forged enduring partnerships with OEMs, investors, and lenders.

Over his career, Trent has executed more than $3 billion in equity and debt financings and completed numerous M&A transactions, including mine acquisitions, project sales, and strategic joint ventures. At PearTree Securities, he built a mining capital markets division that generated nearly $300 million in deal flow in its first year and captured more than 50% of Canada’s charity flow-through financing market. Earlier in his career, he worked with teams that delivered new discoveries, successfully put new mines into production, and navigated complex permitting challenges. He also negotiated the US$750 million sale of a gold mine in Mexico and played a key role in Barrick Gold’s US$10.4 billion hostile takeover of Placer Dome.

Recognized as a thought leader in mining and battery materials, Trent has been invited to lecture at Stanford, MIT, the University of Toronto, and other leading institutions, sharing insights on critical minerals, corporate strategy, and leadership. He has also served on multiple boards, including Toronto Hydro, the Ontario Mining Association, and Boost Child & Youth Advocacy Centre, where he acted as Chairman. He holds three degrees from McGill University, an LL.M. from Osgoode Hall, and an Executive MBA from the Kellogg School of Management and Schulich School of Business, where he graduated as class valedictorian.

Alden Greenhouse has over 25 years of experience in mining and capital markets, currently holding the position of Vice President, Critical & Strategic Minerals for Agnico Eagle Mines Ltd.  Prior to his current role Mr. Greenhouse held the position of Vice President Corporate Development and Business Strategy for Agnico Eagle, during which he was a key leader in the team that completed the US$24B merger between Agnico Eagle Mines and Kirkland Lake Gold. 

Prior to joining Agnico Eagle in 2013, Mr. Greenhouse was the CFO of a junior mining company and before that worked in various roles at RBC Capital Markets’ fixed income and currency trading floor.  Mr. Greenhouse holds a Master of Science degree in Accounting and Finance from the London School of Economics and Political Science and an Honours Bachelor of Commerce from McMaster University. He also holds designations as a Certified Management Accountant (CMA - USA) and a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA).

Former Governor C.L. “Butch” Otter is an American businessman and politician who served as the 32nd Governor of Idaho, from 2007 to 2019. He was elected in 2006 and reelected in 2010 and 2014. Gov. Otter served as lieutenant governor for 14 years, from 1987 to 2001, and in U.S. Congress from the first district from 2001 to 2007. When he left office in January 2019, Gov. Otter was the longest-serving governor in the United States whose time in office had ran consecutively, at 12 years. His election win in 2014 was his tenth consecutive victory.

Before devoting his career full-time to politics. Gov. Otter spent more than 30 years as a business leader including 12 years as President of Simplot International.

David J. Stetson is a seasoned executive with over three decades of leadership experience in natural resources, finance, and corporate strategy. He has held senior roles across the energy and mining sectors, with deep expertise in restructuring, operational transformation, and governance.

David most recently served as Chairman and CEO of Alpha Metallurgical Resources (NYSE: AMR), where he drove significant operational improvements, reduced debt by approximately $800 million, and grew the company's market capitalization from $50 million to over $4 billion, positioning it as the largest metallurgical coal producer in the United States. He also served on the Board of Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals, chairing its Compliance and Corporate Governance Committee and supporting the company's restructuring and merger with Endo Pharmaceuticals.

David holds a Bachelor of Science from Murray State University, a Juris Doctor from the University of Louisville, and an MBA from the University of Notre Dame.

Susan Uthayakumar leads the Prologis’ customer-focused sustainability and energy solutions business as Chief Energy and Sustainability Officer. In this capacity, she is responsible for evaluating and scaling both existing and emerging energy solutions across the Prologis platform. She also partners with Prologis’ environmental stewardship, social responsibility and governance (ESG) team on strategy, progress, stakeholder engagement and related initiatives.

Prior to joining Prologis, Susan was president of Schneider Electric’s Sustainability Business Division. During her 16-year tenure with the company, she was instrumental in transforming Schneider Electric to a digital power and automation technology company by driving sustainability, efficiency and resiliency. Before that, she was CEO of Schneider Canada. Uthayakumar recently was recognized as a 2021 Environment+Energy Leader 100 Honoree for successfully delivering climate mitigation action to enterprise customers.

Previously, Susan led strategy and M&A projects globally with McCain Foods Limited, an international leader in the frozen food industry, and held various leadership positions with Deloitte, a global advisory firm.

Susan has an Executive MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University with a focus on international business practices. In addition, she holds a Master of Accounting (MAcc) and a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Waterloo.

Susan has also completed the Women’s Senior Leadership Program and Executive Scholar Certification from the Kellogg School of Management and holds the Chartered Accountant (CA) and Certified Public Accountant (CPA) designations.