Leadership

Mr Seamus Ian Cornelius
(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 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.

Ms Catherine Grant-Edwards
(Joint Company Secretary)

Technical Background: Chartered Accountant (ICAA), Bachelor of Commerce

Relevant Experience: Over 14 years’ experience in external audit and the provision of accounting, finance and company secretarial services to listed resource companies.

Mr Greg MacPherson
(Head of Finance)

Technical Background:Chartered Accountant, PGDip (Fin), B.COM (Hons), BAccS

Relevant Experience: Mr MacPherson is a qualified Chartered Accountant with extensive experience in the resources industry. He began his career in the Assurance & Advisory division of KPMG, before moving into commerce where he later joined Anglo America to establish the joint venture company Anglo American Inyosi Coal. He has significant experience in working in joint venture companies in Africa and instituting the financial and commercial functions for these businesses.

Mr MacPherson has strong governance competencies and is a graduate of the Institution of Chartered Secretaries. He was a Board member and Chairman of the Risk and Audit Committee for the Phola Coal Processing Plant, a joint venture with BHP.

Mr Rod McEachern
(Chief Operating Officer)

Technical Background: PhD in Physical Chemistry, over 30 years of experience in the potash industry.

Relevant Experience: Responsible for the safe and environmentally responsible production of potash as the Vice President of Operations for Arab Potash Company and as General Manager of Nutrien’s Allan Division. Director of Process and Product Innovation for Nutrien, which included responsibility for new product development, process development for all Nutrien potash expansions, as well as innovation and advanced process control.

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.