Frank Endres studied chemistry and physics at Saarland University, Germany, gaining his doctorate in 1996. He obtained his lecturing qualification at Karlsruhe University in 2002, since when he has been a full professor at Clausthal University of Technology.

Andrew Abbott gained his PhD in electrochemistry from Southampton University in 1989. Following post-doctoral studies at the universities of Connecticut and Liverpool, he became a lecturer at the University of Leicester in 1993, and Professor of Physical Chemistry there in 2005. Since 1999, Professor Abbott has been Research Director of Scionix Ltd.

Professor Doug MacFarlane leads the Monash Ionic Liquids Group at Monash University. He is currently the holder of an Australian Research Council Laureate Fellowship. He is also the Program Leader of the Energy Program in the Australian Centre of Excellence for Electromaterials Science. His group focuses on a range of aspects of ionic liquids and their application in the energy sciences and sustainable chemistry. Professor MacFarlane was a BSc(Hons) graduate of Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand and then undertook his graduate work in the Angell group at Purdue University, Indiana, graduating in 1983. After postdoctoral fellowships in France and New Zealand he took up an academic position at Monash. He has been a Professor of Chemistry at Monash since 1995 and was Head of School 2003-2006.