Board & Management
BOARD
Richard J Linnell
Chairman
Mr Linnell has been active in the resources and metals fields for over forty years and has significant global experience in the development and marketing of resources and commodities. He was the originator of the Bakubang Initiative, a Forum designed to revive the South African Mining Industry and which led to the establishment of the New Africa Mining Fund, of which he is Chairman of Trustees. He is Executive Chairman of Falklands Gold & Minerals Ltd, and holds a number of other Directorships.Simon J Farrell
Managing Director
Mr Farrell has a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Western Australia and an MBA from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. He has held a number of senior management and Board positions, principally in the resources sector over the last twenty years. He is currently a Director of LSE listed Kenmare Resources plc.Blair Sergeant
Finance Director
Mr Sergeant graduated with a Bachelor of Business and a Post Graduate Diploma in Corporate Administration, both from Curtin University, WA. He is a member of the Chartered Institute of Company Secretaries and an Associate of the Australian Society of Certified Practising Accountants. Mr Sergeant is currently a Non-executive Director of Vmoto Limited and Millepede International Limited, both listed on ASX.Steve Bywater
Non-Executive Director
Mr Bywater has a distinguished career in the resources industry developing and operating a total of 14 large-scale open pit mining operations. When working for Rio Tinto Coal Australia, he was Chief Operating Officer, and in this position oversaw seven mining operations, producing 60 million tonnes of saleable coal a year. Steve has a B.Sc. in Engineering Geology and Geotechinics from Portsmouth University and an M.Sc. in Rock mechanics and Excavation Engineering from Newcastle-upon-Tyne. He is also Chief Executive of Global Coal Management.Peter Cordin
Non-Executive Director
Mr Cordin has a Bachelor of Engineering from the University of Western Australia and is well experienced in the evaluation, development and operation of resource projects within Australia and overseas. He is the Managing Director of ASX listed Dragon Mining Limited.MANAGEMENT
Riaan van der Merwe
Chief Operating Officer
Mr van der Merwe, a Mining Engineering graduate of the University of Pretoria, began his career in South Africa’s deep-level gold mining industry, with the last 19 years of his career spent in the South African coal industry with the Anglo American Group. He has held senior management positions in both opencast and underground mines and headed up Anglo Coal South Africa’s Eskom and later Export operations, responsible for delivering some 32 million and 19 million tonnes per annum respectively into those markets. His latest role was to lead that company’s growth projects and mining services, involving a project pipeline in excess of R15 billion.
In addition to his mining qualification, Mr van der Merwe holds an MBA degree from the North-West University (formerly Potchefstroom University) and attended the Senior Executive Programme at Columbia Business School.
COMMITTEES
Audit Committee
Roles and ResponsibilitiesBlair Sergeant (Chairman)
Peter Cordin
Steve Bywater
Remuneration Committee
Roles and ResponsibilitiesSteve Bywater (Chairman)
Richard Linnell
Welfare, Health & Safety Committee
Peter Cordin (Chairman)Steve Bywater