Board of Directors

Nick von Schirnding – Independent Non-Executive Chairman

Nick joined the Board in March 2024 and has over thirty years’ experience in the mining industry. He has held senior Executive and Non-Executive positions including CEO and Chairman of a number of LSE and internationally listed mining companies. Nick brings significant experience across successful strategic development, M&A, and corporate governance, including within the UK regulatory framework. Geographically, Mr von Schirnding has far reaching expertise, having worked extensively in the Far East, South America and Africa. Mr von Schirnding currently acts as the Executive Chairman of Arc Minerals, an LSE listed mining company with projects in Zambia and Botswana, and holds Non-Executive Director positions at TSX.V and AIM listed Orosur Mining Inc, AIM listed Jangada Mines PLC and Fodere Titanium and Sustineri Group, both private ventures. Previously Mr von Schirnding was CEO of Asia Resource Minerals plc and prior to this he held senior roles at both Anglo American plc and De Beers.

Darren Bowden – Chief Executive Officer

Darren joined the Board in January 2019 and is a Mining Executive with 25 years’ experience building and developing mining projects across Australia, North and South America. Darren has worked across all aspects of the mining business from M&A to technical to operations and executive management. Some of the notable companies for which he has worked include Anglo Coal Australia, Glencore, Nyrstar and Mubadala. Some of the projects in which Darren has been involved include the Minera San Cristobal a silver, lead, zinc project in Bolivia (green field), the Prodeco coal project (brown field) as the VPO and for Mubadala as the CEO on a large underground gold project (green field), Minesa SA, in Bucaramanga. Darren is a Civil Engineer from University of New South Wales, Australia and is focused on driving strategic development and the successful optimization of companies.

Steven Smith – Non-Executive Director

Steven joined the Board in September 2021 and is currently a director of Candy Ventures S.À.R.L, a Luxembourg based Venture Capital business, funded by British entrepreneur Nick Candy. Steven qualified as a Chartered Accountant at BDO and subsequently as a Chartered Tax Adviser whilst at KPMG. He lectured in Taxation at FTC for four years and then held a number of senior financial positions at large Public and Private Groups culminating in him being appointed as CFO of a FTSE 250 company. Steven now holds a range of Non-Executive roles at companies including Audioboom Group plc, an AIM quoted media business. Steven is currently Interim Chairman while the Board endeavours to secure a suitable replacement independent Chairman for David Cather who resigned on 18 September 2023. Mr Smith is MTL Lux’s appointee to the Board, and as such is not considered to be independent.

Guy Walker – Non-Executive Director

Guy joined the Board in May 2011 and is a highly accomplished director and senior investment management executive with over 20 years financial markets experience. He has previously sat on the boards of several mining companies including exploration, development and production companies. Guy has extensive experience in capital raising through both traditional banks and alternative lenders.

Timothy Livesey – Independent Non-Executive Director

Tim joined the Board in May 2022 and has over 30 years of professional exploration, project development and mining experience in gold and base metals across Africa, Europe, the Middle East and Asia. Tim’s extensive career covers both technical and executive management in the industry. He has managed significant projects across the globe for companies such as Anglo-American PLC and Barrick Gold Corporation and held executive and board level roles across junior, mid-tier and senior companies. This includes his current role as Director and Chief Executive Officer of Oriole Resources PLC. Alongside this, Tim is also a fellow of the Geological Society and a Member of the Aus.IMM having graduated from the University of Newcastle with an honour’s degree in geology.

Tim is Chairman of the Remuneration Committee and a member of the audit committee.

Andrew Chubb – Non-Executive Director

Andrew joined the Board in April 2021 and is currently a Partner and Head of Mining at natural resources focused investment bank Hannam & Partners. Previously, Andrew was a Managing Director at Canaccord Genuity, where he worked for eight years in the natural resources team. He has a broad range of international corporate finance, restructuring, capital markets and M&A experience focusing on the metals, mining and natural resources sectors. During Andrew’s career, he has successfully advised on numerous IPOs, public and private equity and convertible capital raises and M&A transactions including AIM, TSX, ASX, NASDAQ and Official List companies. Prior to joining Canaccord Genuity, he spent four years with law firm BLP and has a first class law degree from Manchester University.

Andrew Chubb is Chairman of the Audit Committee and a member of the Remuneration Committee.