Mark Connelly
Non-Executive Chairman
Mark is a seasoned financial and commercial executive with extensive resource industry experience in CEO and Managing Director roles with several successful resource development and mining companies across multiple jurisdictions including Australia, North America, South America, Africa and Europe.
Mark’s impressive track record for deal making in Africa includes the US$570 million merger of Papillon Resources with B2 Gold Corp in October 2014 and the USD$600 million merger of Adamus Resources with Endeavour Mining in September 2011. He was recipient of Mining Journal’s “Outstanding Achievement – CEO of the Year 2014 Award” for his outstanding contribution to Papillon Resources.
Mark is a Member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (MAICD), a Member of the Australian Institute of Management (AIMM) and a Member of the Society of Mining, Metallurgy and Exploration (SME) and currently holds a number of other directorships in resource and engineering service companies.
Simon Taylor
Managing Director And Chief Executive Officer
Mr Taylor is a geologist with over 25 years’ experience in exploration, project assessment and development in the resources sector. He has had a diversified career as a resources professional providing services to resource companies and financial corporations. His experience spans a range of commodities including gold, fertilisers (phosphate and potash), base metals, nickel, uranium, coal and coal seam methane. Whilst his experience includes Australia a majority of his projects have been in countries including Brazil, Turkey, Uganda, Tanzania, Mali, China, UK and North America.
His experience includes providing consulting services to resource companies and financial corporations as a resource analyst. His analytical and technical expertise, combined with his corporate experience have given him an ability to advise companies at a corporate and Board level including fund raising, acquisitions, promotion and recognising value opportunities to add shareholder value.
Dr Madani Diallo
Executive Director, Country Manager
Dr Diallo has an outstanding track record for over 30 years of successful exploration in Africa. During his lengthy career Dr Diallo on several occasions has directly led the teams that discovered several large gold deposits including the multi million ounce deposits of Syama, Morila, Sadiola and Essakane. Dr Diallo is a director of several companies focused on precious and industrial minerals in the region. He also advises private and government agencies involved with the financing of resource related projects.
Dr Diallo is a Director of the Sadiola Gold Mine (IamGold/AngloGold Ashanti JV). Dr Diallo holds the position of Vice-President of the Mali Chamber of Mines, President of the Association of Geoscientists in Mali and Director of UBA bank in Burkina Faso. He has also been honoured with the second highest distinction in Mali, “Knight of National Order” for his contribution to the development of the Mali mining industry.
Simon O’Loughlin
Non-Executive Director
Mr O’Loughlin is the founding member of O’Loughlins Lawyers, an Adelaide based medium- sized, specialist commercial law firm. He also holds accounting qualifications and has had an extensive involvement with companies in the resources sector.He has also been involved in the listing and back-door listing of numerous companies on the ASX and National Stock Exchange.
Mr O’Loughlin is currently the Chairman of Petratherm Ltd and Chesser Resources and a Nonexecutive Director of Bod Australia.
Andrew Boyd
General Manager – Exploration
Mr Boyd is a geophysicist with over 20 years exploration and mining experience. More recently Mr Boyd was General Manager – Geoscience for ASX listed Papillion Resources before its merger with TSX listed B2 Gold, valuing Papillion Resources at around AUD600 million. Prior to working with Papillion Resources, Mr Boyd was General Manager – Geoscience with Mantra Resources before its takeover by ARMZ/Uranium One for AUD1.02 billion.
Lara Iacusso
Chief Financial Officer
Ms Iacusso has over 25 years’ experience in providing financial advisory services in Australia and overseas across a wide range of industries including natural resources. She specialises in providing advice to emerging companies relating to corporate transactions and strategies, including due diligence, financial structuring, feasibility studies, capital raisings, financial governance and commercial matters. She is an experienced board member, chief financial officer and corporate adviser. Ms Iacusso is an independent consultant and previously worked in an executive role at Transocean Securities. Prior to joining Transocean, she was Corporate Finance Partner at Deloitte.
Ms Iacusso currently acts for a number of listed and unlisted clients. She has specific experience in working with mining and exploration companies in Mali and is responsible for day to day financial management, implementing appropriate systems and governance, treasury and risk management and commercial matters.