Anne Oxley, co-founder and Chief Technical Officer of Brazilian Nickel, has been elected Chairperson of the Nickel Institute, the global trade association representing leading nickel producers worldwide. The appointment, announced on June 3, 2025, positions Oxley to lead the industry’s efforts in promoting responsible nickel production and supporting the metal’s role in the transition to low-carbon technologies.
Oxley succeeds Øivind Stenstad, Vice President of Health, Safety, Environment and Communities at Glencore Nickel, who completed his two-year mandate as Chairperson. The appointment runs for one year with the possibility of renewal for a second term. Oxley brings over 30 years of experience in the natural resources sector, with specialized expertise in nickel and cobalt development since 2003.
Leadership Transition Emphasizes Sustainability Focus
The leadership change at the Nickel Institute reflects the industry’s increasing emphasis on sustainable production methods and environmental responsibility. Oxley’s appointment comes as the global nickel industry faces growing demand driven by electric vehicle battery production and renewable energy infrastructure development. Her background in developing low-carbon nickel extraction technologies aligns with the Institute’s mission to promote responsible nickel supply chains.
Dr. Veronique Steukers, President of the Nickel Institute, expressed confidence in Oxley’s ability to advance the organization’s sustainability agenda. The Institute has been working to address environmental concerns surrounding nickel production while highlighting the metal’s essential role in clean energy technologies. Under Stenstad’s leadership, the organization focused on demonstrating that nickel can be produced sustainably and addressing stakeholder concerns about environmental impacts.
Oxley emphasized the critical importance of nickel in achieving global decarbonization goals, noting that the metal plays an essential role in batteries for electric vehicles, renewable energy storage systems, and various clean energy applications. The Nickel Institute represents companies that have collectively reduced their carbon dioxide emissions by nearly 9% since 1999, demonstrating the industry’s commitment to environmental improvement.
Technical Innovation and Heap Leaching Expertise
Oxley’s technical background centers on developing innovative nickel extraction methods, particularly heap leaching technology for nickel laterite deposits. This approach represents a lower-cost and inherently lower-carbon alternative to traditional high-pressure acid leaching and pyrometallurgical processing methods. Her work has focused on making previously uncommercial nickel laterite resources economically viable while reducing environmental impact.
Brazilian Nickel’s flagship Piauí Nickel Project in northeastern Brazil has successfully demonstrated commercial-scale heap leaching for nickel production. The project began producing intermediate nickel products in 2022 and targets full-scale production of approximately 25,000 tonnes per year of nickel and 1,000 tonnes of cobalt by 2026. The company has qualified its nickel products with cathode active material manufacturers including CNGR and has sold to customers in Europe and Asia for battery supply chains.
The heap leaching process developed by Oxley and her team addresses a significant industry challenge, as nickel laterites account for more than 70% of global nickel resources but only 42% of current production. Traditional laterite processing projects have experienced substantial cost overruns, with some exceeding original budgets by billions of dollars while failing to reach nameplate capacity.
Industry Recognition and Professional Background
Oxley’s career trajectory reflects the evolution of women’s participation in the mining and metallurgy sectors. She graduated from the Royal School of Mines at Imperial College London in 1990 with a degree in metallurgy and became a chartered engineer with the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining. Her early career included positions with major engineering companies in the Netherlands and France before joining European Nickel in 2003.
At European Nickel, Oxley led the development of nickel laterite heap leaching technology, managing pilot operations in Turkey and feasibility studies in Australia and the Philippines. She demonstrated the commercial viability of heap leaching for nickel laterites for the first time, establishing the technical foundation for subsequent commercial applications. Her work has been recognized internationally, with metallurgists in Russia and other countries citing her research papers on nickel heap leaching.
Brazilian Nickel joined the Nickel Institute’s Nickel Mark pilot program in March 2023, demonstrating the company’s commitment to responsible production practices. The Nickel Mark program, modeled after the established Copper Mark, aims to promote transparency, accountability, and responsible practices throughout the nickel supply chain.
Company Background and Market Context
Brazilian Nickel is a mining company focused on developing nickel laterite deposits using environmentally sustainable heap leaching technology. The company was founded in 2013 by Anne Oxley and her husband as a spin-off from Alyssum Ventures, which was established to commercialize nickel laterite heap leaching technology. Brazilian Nickel’s operations center on the Piauí Nickel Project in northeastern Brazil, which achieved first production in 2022 and is scaling toward full commercial operations. The company emphasizes sustainability and ethical principles, targeting carbon-negative operations through innovative processing methods and renewable energy integration.
The Nickel Institute serves as the global trade association for leading nickel producers, advocating for responsible nickel supply and sustainable industry development. The organization promotes the essential role of nickel in clean energy technologies while addressing environmental and social concerns related to nickel production. Member companies represent the majority of global primary nickel production and have committed to reducing carbon emissions and implementing responsible sourcing programs throughout their operations.
Nickel remains essential for the global transition to clean energy technologies, with demand projected to increase substantially as electric vehicle adoption accelerates and renewable energy infrastructure expands. The metal’s unique properties make it indispensable for lithium-ion batteries, stainless steel production, and various industrial applications. Current market dynamics reflect tight supply conditions as traditional high-grade sulfide deposits become depleted, making innovative processing technologies for lower-grade laterite deposits increasingly important for meeting future demand.
