Leadership

Mr Seamus Ian Cornelius
(Non-Executive Chairman)

Technical Background: Corporate lawyer LLB, LLM

Relevant Experience: Cross-border resources and finance commercial negotiations and documentation.

Mr Neil Gregson
(Non-Executive Director)

Technical Background: Qualified mining engineer (University of Nottingham)

Relevant Experience: Mining and finance industry professional with extensive investor market, finance, portfolio management and leadership experience. Over 35 years in asset management, senior roles within Credit Suisse and most recently at JPM Global Natural Resources Fund.

Mr Samaila D. Zubairu
(Non-Executive Director)

Technical Background: Banking and finance, President and Chief Executive Officer Africa Finance Corporation (AFC)

Relevant Experience: Extensive project finance experience in green-field project finance, acquisitions, corporate transformation, privatization and equity capital market transactions

Mr Taiwo Adeniji
(Non-Executive Director)

Technical Background: Senior Director for Investment Operations & Execution, Africa Finance Corporation (AFC)

Relevant Experience: Extensive in infrastructure investments and financial sector development

Mr Robert Gordon Connochie
(Non-Executive Director)

Technical Background: Industry expert, B.A. Sc, MBA

Relevant Experience: Extensive senior line management experience from the potash industry, directorships of listed international potash companies and leadership positions on multiple Potash Industry Associations

Mr John Daniel Fitzgerald
(Non-Executive Director)

Technical Background: Chartered Accountant, Fellow of FINSIA, BSc Applied Science

Relevant Experience: Extensive project finance experience (Optimum Capital, NM Rothschild and Sons, Investec Bank Australia, Commonwealth Banks and HSBC Precious Metals).

Ms Zhang Jing
(Non-Executive Director)

Technical Background: Master’s Degree in International Consultancy and Accounting

Relevant Experience: Ms Zhang Jing joined the board in June 2016, and has held investment and project management roles in public listed companies in China. She brings more than 15 years of international trading and business development experience to the board.

Ms Melissa Chapman
(Joint Company Secretary)

Technical Background: Certified Practicing Accountant (CPA), Bachelor of Commerce, AGIA/ACIS, GAICD

Relevant Experience: Over 17 years’ experience in the provision of accounting, finance and company secretarial services to public listed and private resource companies in Australia and the UK.

Mr Niels Wage
(Chief Executive Officer)

Technical Background: Master’s Degree in Business Economics (MSc) from University of Amsterdam, INSEAD International Directors Programme Certificate in Corporate Governance (IDP-C).

Relevant Experience: Mr. Wage is a recognised professional with extensive experience in the potash sector. Prior to joining Danakali Niels held a number of senior management roles at BHP, including VP Potash, VP Freight and VP Diamonds. He was also responsible for marketing, sales and supply chain for the Jansen Potash Project. Niels has been with Danakali since 2018 and is now leading the team, transforming the exceptional resource of Colluli into a producing world class SOP project.

Mr Stuart Tarrant
(Chief Financial Officer)

Technical Background: Fellow of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA)

Relevant Experience: Extensive exposure in the mining industry with core skills in financial modelling, financial systems deployment, procurement, budgeting, and cost analysis and optimisation.

Mr Tony Harrington
(Project Director)

Technical Background: Mechanical Engineering and Project Management

Relevant Experience: Over 35 years’ experience managing the delivery of EPC, lump sum and EPCM projects across a diverse range of commodities, mineral processing units and jurisdictions including East Africa, West Africa, Southern Africa, China, Europe, UK and Australia.

Mr Zeray Leake
(Country Manager)

Technical Background: Geologist

Relevant Experience: Development and exploration of potash, gold, base metals and industrial minerals.