Challenges and Opportunities of the Critical Minerals Revolution

Abstract: The realities of climate change and the global need to transition to non-carbon emitting energy generation, distribution, and utilization are creating fundamental national security implications and driving an order-of-magnitude demand increase for a wide array of critical and essential minerals. Significant increases in the production of critical and essential minerals are strategically vital to achieving the desired green energy transition. This lecture will present the scale of critical and essential mineral requirements and focus on the many technical, human resource, jurisdictional, financial and ESG challenges and opportunities that the mining industry faces.

Bio: Edward (“Ed”) C. Dowling Jr. joined Compass Minerals as president and chief executive officer (CEO) in January 2024. He continues to serve on the company’s board of directors, as he has since March 2022.

Dowling has more than thirty years of leadership experience and international mining expertise. Prior to joining Compass Minerals, Dowling served as the president, CEO and member of the board of directors of SSR Mining Inc. (f/k/a Alacer Gold Corp.), a publicly traded hard rock mining company (2008–2012), and was chair of the board (2013–2020). Previously, he was president and CEO of Meridian Gold Inc. (2006–2007), executive director for mining and exploration at De Beers S.A. (2004–2006) and executive vice president for operations at Cleveland-Cliffs Inc. (1998–2004). Additionally, he formerly served as chair of the board of PJSC Polyus and of Copper Mountain Mining Corporation. Dowling currently serves on the board of directors of Teck Resources Ltd.

A former petty officer in the U.S. Navy, Mr. Dowling earned a Bachelor of Science in mining engineering and mineral processing, a Master of Science in mineral processing, and a Doctorate in mineral processing from Penn State University.

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