Leadership and Direction

Directors

John Hopkins

Non Executive Chairman

Mr Hopkins is a professional company director and chairman and is a graduate in law of the University of Western Australia and was admitted to practice as a barrister and solicitor for more than 35 years.

He has been on the board or chairman of nearly 20 public listed companies since 1985 (both in Australia and Canada) and as such has been involved in the financing and development (and subsequent M & A activities) of many gold, base metal, energy (coal and oil and gas), mineral sands and other resource projects in both Australia and overseas.

More recently he founded Fireside Resources Ltd., as Executive Chairman, an Australian public company which has acquired a number of resource projects in Indonesia. This company was acquired in 2010 by ASX listed Indo Mines Ltd.

He is currently chairman of ASX listed emerging gold producer Adamus Resources Ltd (ADU) and as such has overseen its last 4 years in making the transition from explorer to producer. In the past two months he has stepped down as Chair of ASX listed companies Dragon Mountain Gold Ltd (DMG) and gas explorer Exoma Energy Ltd (EXE) following management moving to China and Queensland respectively.

He is a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

Humphrey Hale
Executive Managing Director

Humphrey has over 14 years experience in the exploration and mining industry. This experience has principally been gained through exploration, resource development and mine feasibility roles for mining and exploration companies in various commodities.

Humphrey was a founding director of a private gold exploration company in QLD. He spent 5 years with an exploration and mining consultant where he gained experience in multiple commodities, before taking on management of near mine exploration including a major feasibility study to establish an underground mine for AngloGold Ashanti.

Jonathan Downes
Non Executive Director

Jonathan has over 12 years experience in the minerals industry and has worked in various geological and corporate capacities. Jonathan has experience in nickel, gold and base metals and has been intimately involved with numerous private and public capital raisings. Jonathan was a founding director of Hibernia Gold (now Moly Mines Limited) and Siberia Mining Corporation Limited (now owned by Monarch Resources Limited). Jonathan was an Executive Director of Siberia Mining Corporation Limited and is currently a Non Executive director of Graynic Metals Limited, Non Executive Director of Sabre Resources and the Managing Director of Ironbark Zinc Limited.

Adrian Byass
Non Executive Director

Adrian has over 12 years experience in the mining and minerals industry. This experience has principally been gained through mining, resource estimation, and mine development roles for several gold and nickel mining and exploration companies. Through his experience in resource estimation and professional association membership.

Adrian is a Competent Person for reporting to the ASX for certain minerals. Adrian has also gained experience in corporate finance and financial modeling during his employment with publicly listed mining companies. Adrian was a founder of Siberia Mining Corporation Limited (now owned by Monarch Resources Limited) and Hibernia Gold (now Moly Mines Limited). Adrian is currently an Executive Director of Ironbark Zinc Limited.

Jim Williams
Non Executive Director

Jim Williams is a highly experienced mining consultant with a long and succesful career spanning the globe in open pit and undergroud mining engineering. Jim served as Chief Mining Engineer for Bechtel in Australasia, Principal Mining Consultant for Minproc Engineers and CEO for Laverton Gold. Most recently, Jim was the founding Head of Mining for Fortescue Metals Group Ltd. As a Consulting Engineer he has reviewed more than twenty Feasibility Studies for major international banks.

Jim is a graduate of the Camborne School of Mines. He is also a Chartered Engineer and a Fellow of the AusIMM and a past Chairman of the Perth Branch.

Don Newport
Non Executive Director

Don Newport brings a wealth of mining project finance experience to the company. He is based in the UK and has over 35 years of banking experience, of which 25 years spent in the mining and resource sector. Don recently retired as the head of Standard Bank's Global Mining Finance Business. Prior to moving to Standard Bank, he led the Barclay's Capital Mining Sector Team. He has led or been closely associated with a number of significant mining corporate and project financings and has undertaken a variety of financial advisory roles.

Don is an Associate of the Chartered Institute of Bankers and holds the Certified Accountant's Diploma in Accounting and Finance.

Chris Corbett
Non Executive Director

Chris has more than 13 years experience in mining, corporate business development and investment management. Chris is currently employed by Resource Capital Fund, prior experience was gained in mine development, production and construction with contractor Byrnecut Mining Pty Ltd and corporate and divisional business development roles with Wesfarmers Limited. Chris is a graduate of the University of Western Australia with degrees in Engineering and Commerce, he has also completed postgraduate qualifications in Mining and Finance .

Chris is a member of Engineers Australia and a member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

Senior Managers

Richard Lucas
Chief Financial Officer

Mr Richard Lucas has been appointed as Chief Financial Officer and Company Secretary. Mr Lucas reached Director level at PWC and was seconded to Lihir Gold as Commercial Manager. Mr Lucas was more recently with the Geotech Group as Chief Financial Officer.

Rupert McCracken
Project Manager 

Rupert McCracken holds a Bachelor of Engineering (Mechanical) from the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology.
Rupert has over 25 years' experience in the development, construction and commissioning of mineral processing project. This experience has been gained whilst initially employed in various project positions for engineering groups, such as Bechtel, Transfield & Minproc Engineers, and latterly as project manager for mining groups, such as Comet Resources, Ticor South Africa, BHP Billiton and Resolute Mining. Most recently Rupert has successfully completed the Syama Gold Project in Mali, and prior to that was part of BHP Billiton's major projects review group. Rupert has executed projects in Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Mali, Mauritania, Ghana & Saudi Arabia. He has also been responsible for major feasibility studies, most notably, Comet Resources Ravensthorpe Feasibility Study, which culminated in Billiton's investment in that project.