Board
Michael Spriggs, BA (Hons) MA MSc
Chairman, aged 67
Michael has 38 years' mining sector experience having graduated from Oxford University with a BA (Hons) in 1964 and an MA in 1968. He obtained an MSc in Geology and Mineral Sciences from the University of Leicester in 1969. He worked for a number of major mining groups, including Anglo American, Falconbridge and Rio Tinto. Michael spent 11 years with the mining team of the UK investment bank SG Warburg (now UBS) from 1986-97. He was appointed Head of the South African Mining Equities Research Team and was subsequently appointed Director of Corporate Finance. Between 1997 and 2004 he was a partner at College Hill, the UK public relations consultancy, as head of the Mining Team.
He is a Committee Member of the Association of UK Mining Analysts, a Member of The Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining and is a Chartered Engineer.
Michael serves on the Company's Audit Committee and is chairman of the Company's Remuneration Committee.
Kerim Sener, BSc (Hons) MSc DIC PhD
Managing Director, aged 34
Kerim graduated from the University of Southampton with a first-class BSc (Hons) degree in Geology in 1997 and from the Royal School of Mines, Imperial College, with an MSc in Mineral Exploration in 1998. After working for Independence Gold Mining Pvt. Ltd. (Lonmin Zimbabwe) he completed a PhD at the University of Western Australia. During his PhD, in 2000-2003, he worked with ASX-listed Northern Gold NL in the Northern Territory and on a variety of exploration consultancy projects in Western Australia. In 2009, he completed his military service in Turkey.
He is a Fellow of The Geological Society of London, Member of The Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining, Member of the Chamber of Geological Engineers in Turkey and a member of the Society of Economic Geologists.
Michael de Villiers, B. Comm. MIOD Professional Accountant
Non-Executive Director and Company Secretary, aged 48
Michael qualified as a Professional Accountant with Ernst & Young in Cape Town. Michael gained his experience as financial manager at mining and chemicals operations in Namibia, Botswana, Ghana, Bulgaria and the United Kingdom.
He is currently CFO of Eurasia Mining plc, and was previously the Finance Director of Mercator Gold (now ECR Minerals plc), Oxus Gold plc and Navan Mining plc.
Michael serves on the Company's Remuneration Committee and is chairman of the Audit Committee.
William Payne, BA (Hons) ACA
Non-Executive Director and Chief Financial Officer, aged 46
William studied Accountancy at Exeter University before training and qualifying as a Chartered Accountant with KPMG in London. He left after five years there to become a partner in W H Payne and Co. in 1991.
In 2003 he became a partner in top thirty accountancy practice Wilkins Kennedy at their London office. He has a wide diversity of clients, and roles range from audit and assurance to planning, reporting and compliance. William is also a director of a number of companies, including AIM-listed Kibo Mining plc and Sprue Aegis plc, a company quoted on the London PLUS Market.
