Who we are.
The work of Resource Resolutions is managed by our Core Team and overseen by a Global Advisory Council comprising leading figures from industry, government, civil society and academia to ensure balance and provide strategic direction. The Council is an advisory body not involved in the governance or oversight of individual assignments.
Assignments are delivered by the Core Team working with members of our Expert and Mediator Roster appropriate to the specific situation. This roster brings together expertise in designing and delivering conflict resolution processes across different regions with deep understanding of the complex issues specific to natural resources. This list below provides just a few examples of the experts in our roster.
Daniel Litvin
Founder & CEO
Formerly Founder and CEO, Critical Resource | Expert on geopolitics, sustainability & natural resources.
Daniel previously founded Critical Resource, a leading advisory firm on sustainability and geopolitical risks facing resource assets, which he sold in 2020 to ERM, the world’s largest sustainability consulting firm. He remains a Senior Advisor to ERM and is Visiting Senior Fellow at the LSE’s Grantham Institute on Climate Change.
Previously, Daniel was an advisor to McKinsey and Rio Tinto leadership, a senior fellow at Chatham House in energy geopolitics, and environment correspondent at ‘The Economist’. He is author of ‘Empires of Profit: Commerce, Conquest and Corporate Responsibility’.
Chad Holliday
Chief Advisor
Global Advisory Council
Ex-Chair of Shell, Bank of America, WBCSD and Mission Possible Partnership
Chad is the former chairman of Royal Dutch Shell (2015–2021) and Bank of America (2010–2014) and served as CEO and director of DuPont. He is chairman emeritus of the U.S. Council on Competitiveness and has chaired the Business Roundtable’s Task Force for Environment, Technology, and Economy, as well as Mission Possible Partnership, the leadership alliance on industry decarbonisation.
Chad is a founding member of the International Business Council and was chairman of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD).
Dame Meg Taylor
Global Advisory Council
Founding VP of the World Bank’s independent complaints body | Leading advocate for conflict resolution
Between 1999 and 2014, Dame Meg served as founding Vice President, Compliance Advisor Ombudsman (CAO) at the World Bank Group, with responsibility for addressing the concerns of communities affected by projects financed by the International Finance Corporate (IFC) and the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA).
After this, Dame Meg served as Secretary General of the Pacific Islands Forum from 2014-21, where she advocated for the sustainable development, management and conservation of the Pacific Ocean and its resources. Prior to her CAO tenure, Meg served as Ambassador of Papua New Guinea to the United States, Mexico and Canada.
Mark Cutifani CBE
Global Advisory Council
Former CEO, Anglo American | former Chairman, Vale Base Metals | former CEO, AngloGold Ashanti
Mark is formerly CEO of Anglo American, a role he held from 2013 to 2023. With over 40 years of experience in the mining industry, Mark has worked in senior leadership positions at several global mining companies, including Inco, AngloGold Ashanti, and Vale Base Metals. He is also currently non-executive director and chair of the sustainability committee at both TotalEnergies and Laing O’Rourke.
Mark is known for his leadership in transforming companies, improving operational performance and advocating for sustainability and responsible mining practices.
Chris Melville
Co-founder
Head of Operations
Former head of political risk with Tullow Oil | Expert in conflict resolution, stakeholder engagement and natural resources
Chris is formerly head of political risk with Tullow Oil, an Africa-focused upstream oil and gas company, a role he held from 2012-2020. In this role he was responsible for co-ordinating responses to stakeholder issues arising across the company’s exploration, development and production business.
Previously he acted as a consultant to resource industry clients across Sub-Saharan Africa, focusing on managing stakeholder risk and developing relationships in frontier mining jurisdictions. He is a qualified community mediator and conflict resolution specialist.
Prof. Elizabeth Robinson
Global Advisory Council
Acting Dean, Global School of Sustainability at the LSE | Leading environmental and climate economist
Elizabeth is an environmental economist and Acting Dean of the Global School of Sustainability at the London School of Economics, with over 25 years of research experience, particularly in low-income countries. She focuses on climate change, systemic risk, environmental policy, and food security. As Director of LSE’s Grantham Research Institute, she has contributed to global initiatives like the Lancet Countdown and has served in advisory roles for the UK government and international bodies. Her work integrates climate mitigation, health co-benefits, and sustainable development strategies.
Kandeh Yumkella
Global Advisory Council
Former UN Under-Secretary General | ex-founding CEO, Sustainable Energy for All | former Chair of UN Energy
Kandeh is Chairman of the Presidential Initiative on Climate Change, Renewable Energy and Food Security in Sierra Leone. A distinguished development and agricultural economist, he is a former UN Under-Secretary General and Special Representative of the Secretary-General, and former founding CEO of the Sustainable Energy for All initiative.
Previously, Kandeh was a two-term Director-General of UN Industrial Development Organisation (IDO). He currently co-Chairs the Global Council for Responsible Transition Minerals at the Paris Peace Forum and the Energy Strategy Group at the Africa-Europe Foundation.
Mark Podlasly
Global Advisory Council
CEO, First Nations Major Projects Coalition | leading advocate for indigenous participation in major projects
Mark, a member of the Nlaka’pamux Nation, is CEO of the First Nations Major Projects Coalition, representing over 170 First Nations communities in Canada. Renowned for fostering dialogue between First Nations and energy, infrastructure and resource companies, Mark is a leading advocate for equitable partnerships and Indigenous participation in major projects, seeing genuine co-ownership as the foundation for consent and sustainable success. He manages his Nation’s mining trust fund and serves on the boards of CIBC and Hydro One. A recipient of the Meritorious Service Medal for Indigenous Leadership, Mark is a leading voice for integrating Indigenous values, dialogue, and economic reconciliation in resource development globally
Rikard Scoufias
Senior Advisor
Senior expert on corporate-stakeholder relations | Former Country CEO Trans-Adriatic Pipeline | former head of Government Relations, bp
Rikard is an expert in corporate diplomacy and inter-cultural management, and has an extensive, multidisciplinary record helping organisations navigate complex governance, stakeholder, and political risks. He has held senior leadership roles in regulated and emerging markets on five continents. He is currently Non-Executive Chairman of a European energy resources company.
Prior to this, Rikard was CEO of one of Europe’s largest energy infrastructure projects and Head of Corporate & Government Affairs at bp. Rikard has also served as an advisor/advisory board member with Chatham House, a global ESG think-tank and Harvard Business Review’s Advisory Council.
Jeroen Ouwehand
Senior Advisor
Senior energy disputes lawyer | Former Global Senior Partner, Clifford Chance | CEDR Qualified Mediator
Jeroen is the former Global Senior Partner of law firm Clifford Chance and the former Managing Partner of its Amsterdam office. With 25 years’ experience in commercial and corporate litigation and arbitration, he was the firm’s practice area lead for Continental Europe and has acted in numerous high-profile disputes involving the energy sector.
As Global Senior Partner he set up and led the Clifford Chance Global ESG and Responsible Business Boards, which defined the firm’s ESG offering for clients and its internal ESG programme. He is also a qualified mediator with the Centre for Effective Dispute Resolution (CEDR).
Ben MacLeod
Core Team
Associate at Resource Resolutions | research focus includes critical minerals and geopolitics
Ben joined Resource Resolutions as an Analyst in 2024 after earning a Master’s degree in Development Studies from the University of Cambridge. His research explored social and political factors driving conflict over the mining of lithium in the Andean ‘Lithium Triangle.’
He also holds a first-class BA (Hons.) in History from Trinity College Dublin, graduating in 2023.
Ruth Allington
Expert and Mediator Roster
Expert mediator for resource and infrastructure projects | former President of Trustees of The Geological Society
Ruth Allington is a Chartered Geologist, Chartered Engineer, and Registered Mediator with over 40 years of experience in engineering geology, resource evaluation, and dispute resolution. Specialising in surface mine and quarry design, resource evaluation, and community engagement, she has worked globally in mining, quarrying, and environmental assessment.
Ruth is a qualified mediator and Dialogue Road Map Facilitator, with expertise in dispute resolution for natural resource and large-scale infrastructure projects in the UK and internationally.
Ian Coles
Expert and Mediator Roster
Senior legal advisor to miners, governments and investors | former Head of Africa and Mining Practices, Mayer Brown
Ian is a highly experienced legal advisor to mining companies, governments and financial institutions. He was a partner with Mayer Brown until 2024, having served as the leader of its Global Mining, Project Finance and Africa practices since 2002. Ian has represented project sponsors, investors and other participants on all aspects of mining finance, from project finance to commodity finance and restructuring; recent work includes matters in Niger, Turkey, Senegal and Oman.
Ian has advised numerous governments on regulatory reform and attracting mining investment. He has written and presented extensively on all aspects of legal and regulatory coverage in the mining industry.
Lovejit Dhaliwal
Expert and Mediator Roster
Expert on global conflict, foreign policy & strategic communications | experienced international affairs journalist
Lovejit is an award-winning journalist who has covered international conflict for over 20 years for the BBC. Her coverage has spanned major global events, from the Ukraine-Russia war, the conflict in Sudan, to climate change, revolutions in Central Asia, and the Arab Spring.
Lovejit sits on the advisory board of the British Foreign Policy Group.
Antonio La Viña
Expert and Mediator Roster
Expert climate negotiator | experienced environmental litigator and community advocate
Tony has over 40 years of experience and has held numerous leadership positions in government, diplomacy and the law. He currently serves as Associate Director for climate policy and international relations at the Manila Observatory and he was a lead negotiator and spokesperson of the Philippine delegation during the 2015 COP21 climate negotiations in Paris. In addition to his climate work, Tony is a co-founder of the Legal Rights and Natural Resources Center in Manila and the managing partner of a human rights, climate justice, and general litigation law firm, through which he has acted on behalf of communities affected by resource development. He is also currently a member of the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague.
Eric Rasmussen
Expert and Mediator Roster
Former Global Director of Natural Resources, EBRD | expert in technical, regulatory and sustainability issues for energy and resource projects
Eric has 30 years’ experience financing energy, natural resource and infrastructure projects in Europe and beyond. He acted as Global Director of Natural Resources at the European Bank of Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) from 2013-23, having previously held banking and leadership roles in the EBRD’s Russia team.
More recently, Eric has advised the European Commission on funding applications under the EU Critical Raw Materials Act and is an approved expert for CRMA project evaluations. He currently holds two board positions with Europe-focused mining companies. He has recently acted as an advisor to Rio Tinto on financing and structuring renewable energy assets.
Audace Ntungicimpaye
Expert and Mediator Roster
Former VP for external affairs in Africa, Kinross Gold | expert in conflict and resource management across Africa
Audace has experience in a number of senior roles at Kinross Gold and BHP, where he latterly served as Vice President for External Affairs in Africa and Government Relations Manager for Africa, respectively.
Before his tenure at Kinross and BHP, Audace held the role of Director General of Geology and Mines in Burundi and taught in the Department of Earth Sciences at the University of Burundi. Audace earned his PhD in geology from the University of Ghent in Belgium.
Dr. Jessica Moody
Expert and Mediator Roster
Expert on conflict analysis and peacebuilding in Sub-Saharan Africa
Jessica is a conflict analyst and researcher specialising in conflict, peacebuilding, and politics in Africa. Her work explores political violence, transitional justice, and post-conflict memory, with a particular focus on fragile and conflict-affected zones in West Africa.
Jessica also has deep experience advising resource companies on their investments in West Africa, providing analysis and insights on corporate social responsibility and community relations in fragile areas. She has undertaken extensive field research in Senegal and Cote d’Ivoire, facilitating dialogue among key stakeholders in the government, civil society, and the resource industry.
Michael Eddy
Expert and Mediator Roster
Expert in Indigenous partnerships, energy policy & government relations | Head of External Relations, Cedar LNG
Michael is a senior Corporate Affairs leader with 20 years’ experience in Indigenous relations, public affairs, communications and government relations. Most recently he has acted as the Director of External Affairs at Cedar LNG, the first Indigenous-led LNG project in the world, where he oversees relationships with federal, provincial, and Indigenous governments, as well as communities, media, and industry partners.
Michael has a proven track record of delivering successful outcomes for complex and high-profile projects, such as LNG Canada, where he worked closely with First Nations, non-Indigenous communities and the Canadian and BC governments for nine years.
Francis Tazoacha
Expert and Mediator Roster
Expert in mediating community resource conflict in Africa | Former director of Nkafu Policy Institute
Francis has extensive experience in peace and security, focusing on conflict resolution, human rights, and governance in Africa. He has led numerous dialogue and peacebuilding processes in Africa and served as the Director of the Peace and Security Division at the Nkafu Policy Institute and the Centre for Conflict Resolution and the Pan African Institute for Development. His roles include research, policy advocacy, capacity building and dialogue facilitation.
Additionally, Francis is an advisor for the Canadian International Institute of Applied Negotiation and has contributed to training programs and strategic planning for conflict resolution and peacebuilding across Africa.
John Nagulendran
Senior Advisor
Philanthropist focused on peacebuilding | board member, Kofi Annan Foundation | ex Managing Partner, Pala Investments
John has over twenty years’ experience working as a negotiator, mediator, and M&A lawyer. As co-founder of the Nagulendran Philanthropy Alliance, he is dedicated to capacity-building initiatives that promote peace and social entrepreneurship and sits on the Board of the Kofi Annan Foundation.
Prior to establishing the Nagulendran Philanthropy Alliance, John was the Managing Partner at Pala Investments – a resource-focused private equity fund. He is an experienced corporate finance lawyer and today deeply involved in efforts to advance peace mediation and foster conflict resolution.
James Gordon
Senior Advisor
Lawyer, mediator and conflict resolution specialist
James has more than a decade’s direct experience of resource conflict in Africa and Latin America, acting as an on-the-ground mediator or strategic adviser to leadership, on issues ranging from historic legacies and land ownership to the equitable distribution of benefits from mining.
A former Barrister, James is the Principal of Coactis, a specialist advisory practice at the intersection of law, policy and dialogue. James has advised industry groups on policy and strategy, facilitated multi-party dialogue and collaboration processes, designed conflict transformation processes (transforming incentive structures and group behavioural dynamics) and mediated resource disputes. Prior to this, James was an Executive Director and co-founder of Concentric Alliance, a conflict and development consultancy based in Johannesburg, South Africa.
Prof. Dong-Young Kim
Expert and Mediator Roster
Public dispute resolution and environmental planning expert | Associate Dean at the KDI School of Public Policy
Dong-Young is the Associate Dean at the KDI School of Public Policy and Management and has over 20 years of expertise in public dispute resolution, consensus building, and participatory governance. He has provided negotiation and resolution training to officials from developing countries worldwide as well as consulting for Korea’s government agencies, corporations and NGOs.
Professor Kim holds a Ph.D. from MIT and advanced degrees from Yale, Seoul National University, and Yonsei University. He is an award-winning educator, recognised for his contributions to governance and conflict resolution.
Resource Resolutions 