Speakers

Eileen Maes is the External Affairs Manager at the Critical Minerals Association (CMA), the leading trade body for the UK critical minerals value chain. Over the past 5 years, the CMA has played a pivotal role in elevating critical minerals within the UK’s political and policy agenda and connecting industry with government. The CMA contributes strategic recommendations and delivers initiatives to strengthen collaboration across industry, finance, and innovation amid growing geopolitical and market volatility. Most recently, the association launched the UK Critical Minerals web platform, the largest public directory of UK-based critical minerals companies, services, and resources.

Eileen oversees the association's partnerships and communications, shaping thought leadership and external engagement across government, industry, and academia to advance the UK’s critical minerals strategy. She is the youngest woman to serve on the Steering Committee of the Geoscience Strategic Alliance, chaired by UNESCO Geoscience and Society. 

Previously, she served as Asia & Australasia Correspondent for the London Globalist, covering geopolitics across the region. She holds a degree in International Relations from the London School of Economics and a certificate from Yale University in Financial Markets, with an academic focus in Chinese economic and foreign policy.