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, including uranium, 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 the Exploration Manager and Director of the former ASX-listed, uranium-focused explorer Black Range Minerals. Whilst living in the USA Mr Vallerine was responsible for in-country management and he built a portfolio of over 90mlbs of U3O8 through successful exploration and acquisitions with Black Range Minerals. Most recently Mr Vallerine was 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 is currently the Non-Executive Technical Director of Global Uranium and Enrichment (ASX: GUE).
Mr Mark Couzens
Exploration Manager – Uranium
Mr Couzens has more than 10 years’ experience in exploration specifically for uranium deposits. During his career he has held positions with Cameco Australia Pty Ltd, Heathgate Resources Pty Ltd, Cauldron Energy Limited and Mega Hindmarsh Pty Ltd exploring for uranium in Australia and Argentina. Mr Couzens holds a Bachelor of Science degree with Honours in geology from the University of Adelaide and is a member of the Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy.
Mr Couzens a member of the exploration team that discovered the world-class Four Mile deposits which comprise part of the Beverley Operation that is located 120km northwest of Koba’s Yarramba Uranium Project.
Mr Couzens was also the Exploration Manager at Cauldron Energy where he managed the exploration programs that resulted in the increase of the resource base at the Bennett Well Deposit from 4.8mlbs to 30.9mlbs of U3O8.
Mr Couzens is based in Adelaide and has strong operational experience in South Australia, including a comprehensive understanding of permitting requirements. He has an extensive network of experienced contractors and consultants to draw upon to help implement the Company’s upcoming work programs
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 Mr Haynes has been intimately involved in the incorporation, ongoing financing and management of numerous resources companies including as Managing Director of Uranium-focused explorer Black Range Minerals for over 10 years.
Mr Haynes is currently a Non-Executive Director of New World Resources Limited (ASX: NWC).
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 focused copper and gold producer, that was acquired by Oz Minerals Limited.
Mr Funston also previously held the role of CFO and Finance Director of Challenger Exploration Limited (ASX:CEL).
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.
