Luke Danielson - President
Luke is the President and Co-Founder of SDSG. He is an attorney, professor, researcher, and consultant on minerals policy, national development strategies, and environmental and social performance in the mining and oil and gas industries. He is known for his work both on international and national levels on minerals policies, and has worked with over a dozen governments, including Chile, Mongolia, Mozambique, the Peoples Republic of China, and Peru. Luke was previously the Executive Director of the path-breaking global Mining Minerals and Sustainable Development Project at the International Institute for Environment and Development in London, an effort that involved a network of international staff and consultants across several continents, engagement with hundreds of stakeholders, and multiple forums, conferences, and reports. The findings of the MMSD Project established the first work plan and agenda for the International Council on Mining and Metals. Luke was the founding Director of the Mining Policy Research Initiative, a project of the International Development Research Centre that supported and conducted research on the social, economic, and environmental impacts of mining investment in the 23 countries of Latin America and the Caribbean. He was a member of the International Bar Association committee that developed the Model Mining Development Agreement, a tool for governments and investors to develop more stable and equitable mineral development agreements with improved development outcomes. Luke was a 2015 inductee into the International Mining Technology Hall of Fame for his contributions to Environmental Management and Stewardship. Luke Danielson Curriculum Vitae
Akua DebraH - Consultant
Dr. Akua Debrah is a Land Economist and Mineral Policy Analyst by training with over 10 years’ experience working on mining and economic development issues in Africa. She has a Masters in Urbanization and Development (with a focus on the global South), and previously worked with the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) on poverty reduction and the industrial development space in Ghana. In 2015- 2016, Akua was a Research Fellow in Natural Resource Management at the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) in Ethiopia, where, as part of the team, she drove the gender and mining project in five different African countries (Ghana, Democratic Republic of Congo, Guinea, Tanzania, and Zambia), with the aim of mainstreaming gender in mining policies and laws. Upon completion of her Ph.D. in 2018, Akua stayed with Wits University’s Mining Institute to spear head and co-lead projects on artisanal and small-scale mining, capacity building of mining communities, and leveraging the Africa Mining Vision as a tool for African economies’ sustainable development. Akua is well-published and is currently finalizing a second master’s degree in Energy to add to her portfolio of experience on effectively utilizing natural and energy resources for countries in the global South. Her current research interests include mining and sustainable development, artisanal and small-scale mining, renewable energy and the energy transition in the U.S. and Africa. She is a visiting lecturer at the Wits Mining Institute at the University of the Witwatersrand in South Africa.
Kristi Disney Bruckner - Consultant
Kristi Disney Bruckner is an attorney with 20 years of experience working on complex law and policy issues with governments, communities, companies, and multi-stakeholder initiatives. She is Senior Policy Advisor at the Initiative for Responsible Mining Assurance (IRMA) where she assists with IRMA’s public engagement, partnerships, and ongoing work to improve standards and audits. Her experience includes over a decade of leadership at Sustainable Development Strategies Group, working to align management of renewable energy and natural resources with sustainable development objectives. She has worked with government, community and industry stakeholders around the world to review and improve law and policy frameworks; build capacity to negotiate and manage natural resource contracts and company-community agreements; and advance the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Her work has included research and co-authorship of Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) validation reports for 16 countries, review of mining law and policies of over 70 jurisdictions, and review of community development requirements for the mining sector in over 50 countries. She has also worked with the Intergovernmental Forum on Mining, Minerals, Metals and Sustainable Development (IGF) to complete Mining Policy Framework Assessments, capacity building seminars, and guidance for IGF Members, including guidance on improving environmental and social impact assessment and management for the mining sector. She is an adjunct professor of climate change law, sustainable development and international trade, and community engagement courses at law schools in the US and Scotland. Kristi Disney Bruckner Curriculum Vitae
Verónica Morelli - Consultant
Verónica Morelli is a Peruvian lawyer with more than 15 years of professional experience in the extractive industries. She holds a Master of Laws degree in Natural Resources and Environmental Law and Policy from the University of Denver and a Certificate in Climate Change Economy and Law from FLACSO. She spent 10 years working in the private oil and gas sector, where she gained substantial knowledge of the upstream, midstream and downstream segments. Her roles involved providing legal advice on social and environmental management, advising on permits and environmental certifications, and negotiation and drafting of contracts. She also developed important expertise in port and marine regulations, as she provided legal advice on the construction and operation of the first LNG marine terminal in South America. In the public sector, Verónica worked as an independent advisor for the Environmental Assessment and Control Agency (OEFA), a specialized government agency under the Peruvian Ministry of the Environment that is responsible for environmental monitoring and ensuring the right balance between private investment and environmental protection. In that role she provided legal advice related to onshore and offshore oil and gas operations. In addition to her work at OEFA, she collaborated with SDSG on a project commissioned by the Intergovernmental Forum on Mining, Minerals, Metals and Sustainable Development (IGF) to prepare the IGF Secretariat’s “Guidance for Governments: Improving Legal Frameworks for Environmental and Social Impact Assessment and Management”. With SDSG, Verónica’s work has focused on artisanal and small-scale mining in Peru and, currently, on Lithium as a critical mineral for the transition to a green economy.
José Claudio Mozó - Consultant
José conducts research on natural resources and Indigenous rights for SDSG. He consults on country mining policy national assessments and in-country capacity building. He was a chief of staff and legislative counsel at the Chilean Senate, where he was part of a technical board to design a new framework for land regulation. José was an advisor to the Government of Sucre in Colombia for their search for opportunities for international cooperation and project formulation. He was a research assistant for corporations and the Human Rights Database Project at the University of Denver. José graduated with a Masters of Law from the University of Denver, Sturm College of Law and has a Bachelor of Law from Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile.
Ashley Smith-Roberts - CONSULTANT
Ashley is a licensed attorney and is a Consultant at SDSG, where she focuses on issues of international environmental law and human rights in the mining and renewable energy sectors. She brings an academic background in international business and economic law, international trade, and corporate social responsibility. She has collaborated with lawyers across the globe to evaluate trends in global supply chains and supplier management, and she has authored white papers on sustainable development. Ashley has contributed to assessments for Bettercoal and the Initiative for Responsible Mining Assurance (IRMA), as well as a guidance document for stakeholders to improve their legal frameworks and management of environmental and social impacts in the mining sector. She is passionate about working with companies to advise them on how their operations can have a positive impact on sustainable development goals.
