Board of directors

Broad commercial expertise and extensive industry experience.

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  Chairman

  Qualifications:

  Mining and Metallurgical Engineering (Hons), (National Technical University, Athens, Greece)

  Loucas Pouroulis is the Executive Chairman of the Group, with responsibility for the development of strategy and the identification of new opportunities for the Group. He began his career in Cyprus in 1962, and his initial post graduate training took place in Germany, Sweden and Cyprus. Loucas is trained as a mining and metallurgical engineer and has 50 years' experience in mining exploration, project management, financing and production in open pit and underground mining operations, including PGM and gold mines. He immigrated to South Africa in 1964 and joined Anglo American, where he rose rapidly through the management ranks and received extensive training and experience. In 1971, Loucas began to pursue his own mining interests, initially focusing on gold mining opportunities considered uneconomical by the majors. By the 1990s, he had established Petra Diamonds and, since 2000, has established Eland Platinum, Tharisa Minerals, Kameni, Keaton Energy and TransAfrika Resources.

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  Chief Executive Officer

  Qualifications:

  Bachelor of Science and Business Administration, (Boston University, USA)

  Phoevos Pouroulis is the Chief Executive Officer of the Group, with responsibility for overall strategy and management. Phoevos has held various senior managerial and operational positions in his more than 15-year career. He has extensive experience in project management, mining design, commissioning and mining operations, including chrome and PGM mines, having been involved in South Africa's mining industry since 2003. He has served as Commercial Director for Chromex Mining plc and was a founding member of Keaton Energy. Phoevos is on the Council of the International Chrome Development Association.

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  Chief Finance Officer

  Qualifications:

  Bachelor of Accounting, (University of Kwa-Zulu Natal Pietermaritzburg, South Africa), CA(SA); Member, South African Institute of Chartered Accountants

  Michael Jones is the Chief Finance Officer of the Group and is responsible for the overall financial operation and the financial reporting management of the Group. Michael has more than seven years senior financial management experience in the mining exploration and development sphere. In addition, he has 18 years experience in investment banking, focusing on mergers and acquisitions and capital raisings of both equity and debt.

Independent Non-Executive Directors

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  Lead Independent Non-Executive Director

  Qualifications:

  Bachelor of Science (Hons), Ph.D. in Mineral Technology (Imperial College, London), FSAIMM

  David Salter has a total of 30 years' experience in the development and management of mining companies, including both open pit and underground PGM mining operations. David's most recent public company roles were Chairman of Keaton Energy until its sale to Wescoal and the managing director of Eland Platinum until its sale to Xstrata in 2007. He is a non-executive director of a number of unlisted mining companies.

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  Independent Non-Executive Director

  Qualifications:

  Chartered Accountant and Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales

  Antonios Djakouris is a qualified chartered accountant and has over 30 years' experience as a manager and director, having served in a number of posts with the Bank of Cyprus, including internal audit, credit review and retail banking, and as group general manager in charge of operations. From 2003 to 2009, he directed the Bank of Cyprus group's overseas operations, including banks in the United Kingdom, Australia, Russia, Romania and Ukraine. Antonios currently serves in an honorary capacity on the board and executive committee of the Cyprus Anti-Cancer Society, one of the largest charities in Cyprus.

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  Independent Non-Executive Director

  Qualifications:

  Bachelor in Economics and Political Science, Ph.D. in Management (Banking and Finance)

  Omar Kamal has more than 20 years’ experience in the field of finance, investment management, strategic advisory services and high-growth entrepreneurship. His regional and international experience extends over a wide array of sectors, including mining, real estate, finance, healthcare and education, across Asia, the Middle East and Europe.

  Until August 2015, he was the co-Group CEO of a business group owned by a prominent family from the Gulf Cooperation Council. Prior to that, he occupied several executive roles at leading regional banks in the Middle East, and before that, was a partner with Ernst & Young on the advisory and consulting side.

  Omar continues to serve on the boards of a number of listed and unlisted companies.

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  Independent Non-Executive Director

  Qualifications:

  MA Natural Sciences (University of Cambridge), PhD Archaeology (University College London)

  Carol Bell has more than 35 years’ experience in the energy and allied industries including a successful career as a Managing Director of Chase Manhattan Bank’s Global Oil & Gas Group, Head of European Equity Research at JP Morgan and several years as an equity research analyst in the oil and gas sector at Credit Suisse First Boston and UBS Phillips & Drew. Carol has broad public company experience and currently sits on the Boards of Ophir Energy plc, Petroleum Geo-Services ASA, Bonheur ASA and Ganger Rolf ASA. She is also a non-executive Director of the BlackRock Commodities Income Investment Trust plc and sits on the board of Finance Wales, the venture capital arm of the Welsh government.

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  Independent Non-Executive Director

  Qualifications:

  MSc Mineral Production Management (Royal School of Mines, Imperial College London), MSc Water Resource Management and Water Environment (Bournemouth University)

  Roger Davey has more than 30 years’ operational experience at senior management and director level in the mining industry in South America, Africa and Europe. Previous positions include being the Senior Mining Engineer at NM Rothschild (London) in the Mining and Metals project finance team; Director, Vice president and General Manager of Minorco (AngloGold) subsidiaries in Argentina; Operations Director of Greenwich Resources plc; and various production roles from graduate trainee to mine manager, in Gold Fields of South Africa.

Non-Executive Directors

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  Non-Executive director

  Qualifications:

  Bachelor of Arts (Economics, Mathematics) degree from University of Pennsylvania, USA

  Ms Hu holds a Bachelor of Arts (Economics, Mathematics) degree from University of Pennsylvania, USA. She has more than 15 years’ experience in business development and investment, ranging from project financing to high growth early stage ventures investing. She is the Senior Manager (Environment) of NWS Infrastructure Management Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of NWS. Before joining the NWS group, she worked as an investment professional in the USA and Hong Kong.

  Ms Hu will be serving on the Risk Committee of Tharisa.

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  Non-Executive director

  Qualifications:

  Bachelor (Ferrous Metallurgy) (Shanghai Metallurgy Technology Academy)

  Zhong Liang Hong is a Chinese national with 33 years’ experience in commodity trading. Representing Fujian Wuhang Stainless Steel Co., Ltd and Hong Kong HeYi Mining Resources Company, Zhong has a strong understanding of analysis and forecasting of commodity markets and end user demand. He started his career in 1980 at the Baosteel Group. In 2001 he founded Shanghai Hongli Metal Material Co., Ltd, and is still the chairman of this company. In 2002 he expanded his business to import manganese into China and became the sole manganese agent in China acting for BHP Billiton.