How to Attend: The seminar is complimentary. Please register for it by Monday, October 27, 2025, to secure your place. RSVP via Eventbrite (click HERE) if you are interested in attending it.
For its Wednesday, October 29, 2025, Discussion Group seminar, CIM’s Management and Economics Society (MES), as part of its quarterly Perspectives & Insights on Metals and Mines series, is pleased to welcome:
Ken Hoffman
Commodity Strategist, Red Cloud Securities
who will deliver an online presentation on:
Hoffman and Ortslan Debate: Short- and Medium-Term Perspectives on the Long-Term Outlook for Battery Chemistry, Packs, and Metals
Abstract: Battery metals and materials have shaped mining industry discourse for over a decade, and in 2025, the conversation is more urgent than ever. This debate will examine exploration trends, supply-demand dynamics, pricing, valuations, and corporate strategy. With EVs, energy storage, and renewables driving soaring demand for lithium, nickel, cobalt, graphite, and copper, the sector is undergoing rapid transformation. Yet, aggressive supply responses (especially from China, Indonesia, and the DRC) have triggered sharp price corrections. Lithium alone has dropped over 80% since its 2022 peak, with similar declines across other key materials.
As exploration recalibrates, lithium and copper remain investment hotspots, while nickel and cobalt face pressure from shifting battery chemistries, notably the rise of LFP batteries. Geopolitical risks and fragile supply chains add further complexity, with tin prices spiking due to disruptions in Myanmar and the DRC. Still, the battery metals market is projected to reach over $46 billion by the end of 2025. This debate will also explore whether corporate strategies align with shareholder expectations and whether industry narratives reflect the long-term reality of metals consumption. It’s a timely opportunity to assess not just the data, but the strategic foresight shaping mining’s future.
About our presenter:
Ken Hoffman recently joined Red Cloud Securities Inc. as Commodity Strategist, bringing over 30 years of leadership in the commodities sector and significantly enriching the depth and scope of our research capabilities. Prior to this, Hoffman spent eight years at McKinsey as the global head of battery value chains, where he examined the full spectrum of the industry, from mining and refining to cell components, emerging technologies, and recycling. He has conducted more than 100 due diligence assessments across the battery ecosystem and played a key role in shaping the strategic direction for clients. Before joining McKinsey in 2017, Hoffman built a 25-year career in investment management, serving as Director of Metals & Mining Research and Portfolio Manager. His extensive experience positions him as a valuable asset in navigating the evolving landscape of battery materials and commodities.
Moderator: Terence Ortslan (Director at TSO Research (Resource Strategies and Policies))
Please join us!
Wednesday, October 29, 2025, at 3:30pm – 4:45pm ET (12:30pm – 1:45pm PT)
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Sponsored by:
About our CIM MES sponsor: IAMGOLD is an intermediate gold producer and developer based in Canada with operating mines in North America and West Africa.
About CIM MES’ Mineral Economics Discussion Group:
Since the mid-1980s, meetings of the Mineral Economics Discussion Group have taken place approximately once per month in Toronto between September and April. A regular program of meetings has taken place in Vancouver since 2015 and in Montreal since 2017. Speakers have addressed almost every aspect of the minerals industry except for strictly technical topics in geology, mining, and metallurgical engineering. A collegial, seminar-style atmosphere is fostered in order to allow lively discussion and exchange of ideas, with opportunities to network and socialize at live events. Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, a full program has been maintained in a webinar format that better serves all our CIM and CIM MES members and guests throughout Canada and internationally.
Keep up to date by checking us out at: www.cimmes.org
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Click HERE to register!
