Our team

James has 15 years experience across mining, energy and commercial strategy, with a decade at Newcrest Mining and Roy Hill, followed by professional services and co-founding Iluminex in 2023.

His experience spans embedded finance, feasibility and commercial roles, where he was accountable for the strategy and execution of the organisation’s highest-value and most contentious external interfaces and contract packages. His core capability lies in unlocking value and de-risking high-stakes, commercially complex transactions. He brings a blend of operational mining insight, market expertise, and commercial leadership that enables him to navigate misaligned counterparties, structure robust commercial frameworks, and drive successful execution.

Ben brings more than 15-years of technical and analytical experience, beginning his career in hard-rock cave mining before moving into engineering and commercial consulting. His background spans geotechnical, civil and structural engineering, multidisciplinary infrastructure design and approvals, and energy market analysis, providing an end-to-end understanding of how operational, commercial, and regulatory factors shape outcomes. 

At Iluminex, Ben ensures analysis and strategy are both technically sound and commercially grounded. His ability to translate complex operational challenges into clear, pragmatic solutions enables clients to progress projects with confidence and clarity.

Dr Bharat is an applied statistician with over ten years’ experience in designing and delivering robust, decision-grade evidence using complex real-world data. Awarded her PhD in 2023, her research demonstrated the power of big data and reproducible analytical frameworks to generate reliable insights on the use, safety, and outcomes of medicines.

Her work is characterised by rigorous design, transparent and reproducible statistical methods, and careful handling of large datasets to minimise bias and uncertainty. She has substantial experience implementing, validating, and reviewing both established and novel analytical methods, ensuring outputs are defensible and fit for real-world application. This includes translating complex concepts into clear, relevant insights for diverse stakeholders.

Neel has extensive experience in financial and investment modelling across corporate advisory, strategy, and transaction roles, including work with boutique consultancies and a Big 4 M&A advisory team. He specialises in developing commercial, operational, and financial models to support investment assessments, strategic decision-making, and transaction processes. 

Neel has advised large-cap and mid-tier ASX-listed mining companies on major project evaluations, scenario analysis, and capital allocation decisions. His experience also spans healthcare, disability, government, and utilities. Neel’s strength lies in building robust analytical frameworks and translating complex analysis into clear, evidence-based, and actionable insights.