Graham Willett is a geoscientist, project manager and company director with more than 30 years’ experience across the Australian mining industry, working with precious, base and strategic metals. He recently retired as Founder and CEO of Strategic Metals Australia and is now researching the global rare earths exploration and development industry.
Graham has been directly involved in eight mineral discoveries, including gold, copper-gold, phosphate, rare earths, tantalum and niobium. His experience includes the discovery and development of the world-class Mt Weld rare earth deposit in Western Australia, where he was Project Manager for the Mt Weld Development Project from 1981–1991. During this time, he worked across corporate strategy, project development, R&D, multidisciplinary team management, finance and legal matters, as well as national and international negotiations. He also developed a strong understanding of the downstream critical minerals industry through visits to technology companies across Europe, Japan and the USA, investigating emerging applications for specialty metals in electronics, glass, automotive, alloys, ceramics and magnet manufacturing.
Graham has also made a significant contribution to industry-focused education and mentoring. From 1992, he founded and led the CEED Program in Queensland, which connected university students with companies through applied research and technology development projects. Over the life of the program, Graham personally mentored around 1,400 students, many of whom went on to employment with their host companies.
As a mentor, Graham brings a rare combination of exploration, discovery, project development, corporate leadership and downstream industry experience. He is particularly passionate about helping the next generation understand the full critical minerals value chain and the importance of connecting geological research with real-world industry needs. With decades of experience in rare earths and critical metals, Graham is generous with his knowledge and keen to support researchers as they develop both their technical expertise and understanding of where their research can lead.