EXECUTIVE MANAGEMENT TEAM
BRIAN MENELL | Chief Executive Officer
Over 25 years of owning, developing and operating natural resource and mining projects across 18 sub-Saharan countries, the CIS, and Canada. The Menell family company, Anglovaal Group, has been an important player in the African mining and industrial scene for 80 years.
- CEO of the Kemet Group - developing natural resource projects across sub-Saharan Africa and advising various African Governments on mining policy and M&A activity.
- Chairman of Brazilian Nickel, a private UK company developing nickel laterite heap leach project in Brazil.
- Director of Li-Cycle, the biggest lithium-ion battery recycler in North America.
- Director of US Vanadium, a vanadium specialty chemicals company in the US.
- Executive Director of Anglovaal Mining - developed the Chambishi Cobalt smelter and refinery, and the Nkomati Nickel Mine together with numerous other metals projects. Sold the company to Anglo American in 2001.
- De Beers - executive positions in London, Antwerp, Windhoek, and Johannesburg.
- B.A (Hon.) Political Science & Economics, University of Pennsylvania (1984-1988).
RICHARD TITE | Chief Investment Officer
17 years’ experience in mining finance, investing and company development in North & South America, Europe and Africa.
- Founded Vicuñita Minerals, a precious metal mining company in central Peru.
- Director at Cutfield Freeman & Co, a leading independent corporate finance advisory firm specializing in mining and metals.
- B.A. in PPE from Oxford University (1st class) and a M.A. in International Relations and Finance from The School of Advanced International Studies in Washington D.C.
SIMON GARDNER-BOND | Chief Technical Officer
20 years as a Geologist and Mining Analyst.
- Senior Metals and Mining Analyst at Investec Asset Management, helping to manage multi-billion dollar funds focused on the natural resources space.
- Senior Mining Analyst at stockbrokers Ocean Equities Limited and Peel Hunt.
- Mining Analyst at Argent Partners Limited, a boutique M&A advisory focusing solely on the metals and mining space.
- Exploration Geologist in Spain and Ireland.
- M.Sc. in Mineral Deposit Appraisal (Mineral Exploration), Royal School of Mines, Imperial College. B.Sc. (Hon.) in Geology and Physical Geography, University of Liverpool.
HENRY FINNEGAN | Chief Operating Officer
Former British Army officer, where he ran front line combat operations in Afghanistan. Has spent the last six years with Kemet Group, managing new business ventures.
- Spent significant time developing projects in Africa across a number of sectors.
- Holds the Investment Management Certificate; the Certificate in Corporate Finance; and Level 1 of the Chartered Alternative Investment Advisor (CAIA). BSc (Hon.) Biology, University of St. Andrews.
CARMEL SEXTON | Chief Financial Officer
More than 30 years’ experience of strategic finance leadership, management, delivery and operations in a multinational environment.
- Senior Manager at Anglo American, the largest producer of platinum and major producer of diamonds, copper, nickel and iron ore, with responsibility for special projects including global restructuring and international tax.
- CFO of Element Six Group, the world’s foremost synthetic diamond and tungsten carbide super-materials company, during a period of significant transformation for the organisation.
- Head of Tax, Treasury, Pensions and Insurance for the Element Six Group.
- Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Ireland.
LUKE ROGERS | Manager Mining Operations
Mining Engineer and Mineral Processing Engineer with over 10 years’ supervisory and managerial level experience across emerging markets.
- Production Mining Engineer at Glencore on a 200KT+ copper/cobalt operation in DRC.
- Held several further Operations Manager positions across mining projects Zambia, DRC, Sierra Leone and the UK.
- B.Eng. (Hon) in Mining Engineering and an M.Sc. in Minerals Engineering, Camborne School of Mines, University of Exeter.
KEN SANGSTER | Consulting Metallurgist
A metallurgist with more than 40 years of experience throughout Europe, Africa, Australia and North and South America in various roles with Anglo American, Rio Tinto and Outokumpu Copper Resources. He serves as Mineral Industry Consultant to numerous financial institutions.
JAMES SPURGEON | ESG Consultant
25 years of consulting experience quantifying and valuing environmental and social impacts and dependencies for businesses, financial institutions and governments. He has undertaken well over 200 natural and social capital valuation studies in a broad variety of sectors across the world.