Beyond the Boom: Insights from the 2025 GIG Leadership Breakfast

This week’s Gold Industry Group Leadership Breakfast at Diggers & Dealers brought clarity and conviction to a gold market that’s buzzing with possibility.

Held at the historic Kalgoorlie Town Hall, the sold-out event drew more than 200 industry professionals eager to unpack the big question: Is the gold boom here to stay?

Hosted by the Gold Industry Group, the expert panel brought together the experience and foresight of Lawrie Conway, Managing Director and CEO of Evolution Mining; Liam Twigger, Executive Director and Deputy Chair of Argonaut; and Shayera Allen, Graduate Mining Engineer at Westgold Resources. Together, they navigated price predictions, policy priorities, and the structural shifts reshaping the gold sector’s future.

A full house: More than 200 industry professionals joined us at the historic Kalgoorlie Town Hall for the 2025 GIG Leadership Breakfast.

While there was no shortage of optimism about the gold price – with predictions it could hit $6000/oz – the panel kept the focus on what matters most: long-term thinking and sustainable growth.

Conway issued a clear message on cost discipline: “Just because gold went up 34 per cent does not mean you can spend more money,” he said. “We’ve got to keep the focus on the costs.”

For Conway, the real opportunity lies in investment today for tomorrow’s production pipeline – particularly among junior explorers and emerging talent. “If we’re seeing that price going to be higher for longer, that’s where you’ve got to be putting your money in now,” he said. “You need that production coming on in years six, seven, eight, nine years from now to keep that pipeline going.”

Panelists Lawrie Conway, Shayera Allen, and Liam Twigger with moderator Peter Klinger

That long view was echoed across the panel – and personified by Westgold’s Shayera Allen, who brought fresh perspective as an early-career professional in the industry. Her presence on the panel reflected a growing recognition of the need to elevate new voices and invest in future leaders, a sentiment reinforced by Conway’s call to back talent pipelines, not just production pipelines.

Argonaut’s Liam Twigger didn’t shy away from bold price predictions, but also acknowledged the fragility of capital flow to junior miners, noting: “The juniors, the explorers — they’re the ones that are struggling to see that money flow through.” The conversation moved beyond market cycles to broader sector resilience – from royalty reinvestment in regional communities to the critical role of technology in unlocking underground discoveries.

In a special moment, guests also had the chance to hold the $10 million, 18-carat gold Lexus Melbourne Cup, forged by ABC Bullion – a tangible symbol of gold’s prestige and permanence.

Now in its ninth year, the GIG Leadership Breakfast once again set the tone for Diggers & Dealers by bringing together decision-makers, emerging talent, and community voices. It was a powerful reminder that while the gold price may rise and fall, the true strength of the industry lies in its vision, its people, and its discipline.

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