Board Composition and Experience
The Danakali board composition provides the experience and expertise to facilitate and manage the progression of DNK's 50% ownership of the Colluli Potash Project in Eritrea, East Africa:
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.
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.
The board is supported by a strong management team:
Mr Niels Wage
(Chief Executive Officer)
Technical Background: Master’s Degree in Business Economics (MSc), INSEAD International Directors Programme Certificate in Corporate Governance (IDP-C), Vice President Marketing, Freight and Potash at BHP.
Relevant Experience: Responsible for all worldwide freight activities for BHP, the biggest diversified mining company in the world. Also responsible for marketing, sales and supply chain for the Jansen Potash Project. Sat on the Board for International Plant Nutrition Institute (IPNI) a recognised fertiliser industry body.
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 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.
