BOARD OF DIRECTORS
JOHN CLARKE
Non-Executive Chairman
Mr Clarke brings considerable experience in mine management, mineral exploration, corporate acquisition and mine development in the mining sector in Africa. He has worked both in Smelting and Mining operations during his career and has been a Director of several companies which have had exploration, development and mining activities in Africa. Having joined Ashanti Goldfields in 1982, Mr Clarke held a succession of mine management, strategic and corporate planning roles before becoming the Executive Director in charge of Business development. He contributed to establishing Ashanti's gold exploration program throughout sub-Saharan Africa. In 1997 Mr Clarke joined Nevsun Resources as President and CEO, taking the Company in to Eritrea and the discovery the Bisha Mine. Bisha started production as a high grade gold deposit overlaying a high grade copper supergene, and is now a substantial copper/zinc operation. Mr Clarke has been involved in acquisition, exploration, development and mine management in the DRC for 25 years.
Mr Clarke holds a B.Sc. in metallurgy from University College Cardiff, a Ph.D. in metallurgy from Cambridge University and an MBA from Middlesex Polytechnic.
Nigel Ferguson
Managing Director (BSc Geology, FAusIMM, MAIG)
Mr Ferguson is a geologist with 32 years of experience who has worked in senior management positions for the past 20 years in a variety of locations. He has experience in the discovery and definition of precious and base metal mineral resources throughout the world, including DRC, Zambia, Tanzania, Saudi Arabia, South East Asia and Central America. He has been active in the DRC since 2004 in gold and base metals exploration and resource development.
Mr Feguson wa founding director of Burey Gold Ltd, Ethan Minerals Ltd and has been associated with several other IPO’s on the ASX and TSXV exchanges.
Mr Ferguson is also a Director of Okapi Resources Ltd (ASX: OKR) and Director of AJN Resources Corp.
RHETT BRANS
Non-Executive Director (Dip. Engineering (Civil))
Mr Brans is an experienced director and civil engineer with over 45 years’ experience in project developments. He is currently a Non-Executive Director of Australian Potash Limited and Carnavale Resources Ltd. Previously, Mr Brans was a founding director of Perseus Mining Limited and served on the boards of Syrah Resources Limited, Tiger Resources Limited and Monument Mining Limited.
Throughout his career, Mr Brans has been involved in the management of feasibility studies and the design and construction of mineral treatment plants across a range of commodities and geographies including for gold in Ghana, copper in the DRC and graphite in Mozambique. He has extensive experience as an owner’s representative for several successful mine feasibility studies and project developments.
GRAEME JOHNSTON
Technical Director (BSc MSc DIC)
Mr Johnston is a geologist with over 30 years’ experience in Australia, the Middle East, Romania, Malaysia and the DRC. Mr Johnston worked on various gold projects before joining Rio Tinto and then with Midwest Corporation where he was the Principal Geologist during its sale to Sinosteel Corporation for US$1.4 billion. Following this, Mr Johnston was a funding director of Goldstar Resources and then Ferrowest Limited where he was Technical Director for nine years and contributed to the successful completion of the Feasibility Study for the Yalgoo Pig Iron Project.
Mr Johnston’s technical experience is focused on the transition between orebody delineation and mine opening and has worked on over five projects that resulted in new mines being commissioned. Mr Johnston initially joined the AVZ team in May 2017 as Project Manager for the Manono Project before stepping into the role of Techical Director.
PETER HULJICH
Non-Executive Director (BCom/LLB, GD-AppFin, GAICD)
Mr Huljich has over 25 years’ experience in the legal, natural resources and banking sectors with a particular expertise in capital markets, mining, commodities and African related matters. He has worked in London for several prestigious investment banks, including Goldman Sachs, Barclays Capital, Lehman Brothers and Macquarie Bank with a focus on Commodities and Equity and Debt Capital Markets and has extensive on-the-ground African mining, oil and gas and infrastructure experience as the Senior Negotiator and Advisor for Power, Mining and Infrastructure at Industrial Promotion Services, the global infrastructure development arm of the Aga Khan Fund for Economic Development (AKFED) whilst resident in Nairobi, Kenya. Mr Huljich holds Bachelor of Commerce and an LLB from the University of Western Australian and is a Graduate of the Securities Institute of Australia with National Prizes in Applied Valuation and Financial Analysis. Mr Huljich is also a graduate of the AICD Company Directors Course. Mr Huljich is also an Independent Non-Executive Director of ASX listed Kogi Iron Limited (ASX:KFE).
EXECUTIVE TEAM
Leonard math
CFO & Company Secretary
Mr Math is a Chartered Accountant with more than 13 years of resources industry experience. He previously worked as an auditor at Deloitte and is experienced with public company responsibilities including ASX and ASIC compliance, control and implementation of corporate governance, statutory financial reporting and shareholder relations.
MICHAEL HUGHES
Project Director - Manono Lithium and Tin Project
Mr Michael Hughes has over 35 years’ experience in EPC minerals and metals market, having worked for both Engineering companies and Clients to execute studies and projects. Experience covers all metals and minerals commodity plant design and construction in India, France, Australia, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Botswana, Madagascar and Ethiopia. Michael has served as the GM and VP of companies and as the MD of Bateman In India.
In the role of Project Director he has built a sulphuric acid plant in Madagascar, acted as a project sponsor several times, executed a diamond mine cutback upgrade, led the technical due diligence work for the international lenders on the Roy Hill Project and managed plant expansion upgrades at NSW gold mine.
SERGE NGANDU
Director Corporate Affairs -Dathcom Mining (Pr. Eng., MBA, M.Sc. Min.Proc. Eng., FSAIMM)
A metallurgist with 34 years experience in the African mining industry covering various commodities including PGMs, uranium and base metals as well as in the design, commissioning and operation of mineral processing plants. He was formerly Director of Hatch – Industrial Minerals (2004-06), Project Director for Areva Resources Centrafrique (2008-12), and a Business Development Executive, Worley Parsons from 2012 focussed on project development opportunities in Africa, including the DRC.
From 2016 he was Partner focussing on business development and metallurgy for DRC at Madini Metals, a specialist African mine developer and operator. Mr Ngandu joins the team as Director of Corporate Affairs for Dathcom Mining the DRC subsidiary.