Mr Ben Vallerine
Mr Vallerine has more than 20 years’ experience in the mining industry. He has been involved in a senior management capacity with exploration and development resource projects, across a range of commodities, predominantly in Australia and North America. Mr Vallerine holds a Bachelor of Science degree with Honours in economic geology from the University of Tasmania and is a member of the Australian Institute of Geoscientists.
Mr Vallerine was most recently the Exploration Manager for ASX-listed explorer Caspin Resources Limited and prior to that role he was the CEO & Exploration Manager for ASX listed Renegade Exploration Limited. Mr Vallerine’s North American experience includes roles as Exploration Manager for PolarX Limited (Alaska) and as Country Manager for Black Range Minerals Limited (Colorado) where he gained considerable experience in the identification, acquisition and exploration of mineral assets in North America.
Mr Vallerine is currently the Non-Executive Technical Director of Okapi Resources Limited (ASX: OKR).
Mr Mike Haynes
Non-Executive Chairman
Mr Haynes has almost 30 years’ experience in the mining industry. He has been intimately involved in the exploration and development of resource projects, targeting a wide variety of commodities, throughout Australia and extensively in Southeast and Central Asia, Africa, North and South America, and Europe. Mr Haynes holds a Bachelor of Science degree with Honours in geology and geophysics from the University of Western Australia.
Mr Haynes has held technical positions with both BHP Minerals Limited and Billiton plc. He ran his own successful consulting business for a number of years providing professional geophysical and exploration services to both junior and major resource companies. He has worked extensively on project generation and acquisition throughout his career. Over the past sixteen years he has been intimately involved in the incorporation, ongoing financing and management of numerous resources companies.
Mr Haynes is currently the Managing Director of New World Resources Limited.
Mr Scott Funston
Non-Executive Director
Mr Funston is a qualified Chartered Accountant and Company Secretary with nearly twenty years’ experience in the mining industry and accounting profession.
Mr Funston’s expertise is financial management, regulatory compliance and corporate advice. Mr Funston possesses a strong knowledge of the Australian Securities Exchange requirements and has previously assisted a number of ASX listed resources companies as CFO and Company Secretary operating in Australia, South America, Asia, Africa, USA. Most recently he was CFO and Company Secretary of Avanco Resources, a Brazilian focussed copper and gold producer, that was acquired by Oz Minerals Limited.
Mr Funston is currently the CFO and Finance Director of Challenger Exploration Limited.
Mr Ian Cunningham
Company Secretary
Mr Cunningham is a Chartered Accountant and Chartered Secretary and holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree and a Bachelor of Laws degree from the University of Western Australia. He also holds a Graduate Diploma in Applied Corporate Governance from the Governance Institute of Australia.
Mr Cunningham has more than 17 years’ experience in the resources industry in executive and senior management roles, including with New World Resources, PolarX Limited and Adamus Resources Limited. During his tenure at Adamus, it developed the Nzema Gold Mine (Ghana) and subsequently merged with Endeavour Mining Corporation.
Mr Cunningham has also worked in the Financial Advisory division of Deloitte in both Australia and the UK.
