Board and Management
Mark Connelly
Non-Executive Chairman
Mark is a seasoned financial and commercial executive with extensive resource industry experience with several successful resource development and mining companies across multiple jurisdictions. 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. More recently Mark was the Chairman of ASX listed West African Resources through the development, construction and commissioning of the Sanbrado mine in Burkina Faso, West Africa’s newest gold producer.
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.
Andrew Grove
Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer
Mr Grove has over 30 years technical, commercial and financial experience in global resources including 14 years with Macquarie Bank’s Mining Finance and Risk Management Groups. Andrew has gained significant operational experience across all phases of resources projects such as the Sunrise Gold Dam project in Western Australia and has substantial African gold mining experience including his most recent role as Group General Manager Business Development and Investor Relations at Perseus Mining Limited.
Mr Grove has a Bachelor of Engineering (Mineral Exploration and Mining Geology) and a Masters Degree in Mineral and Energy Economics.
Simon Taylor
Non-Executive Director
Mr Taylor is a geologist with 25 years’ experience throughout Australia and overseas having held senior geologist and exploration manager positions for numerous ASX listed resource companies. He has gained considerable experience in exploration, project assessment and joint venture negotiations. His experience includes providing consulting services to resource companies and financial corporations as a resource analyst. Mr Taylor’s corporate experience includes project appraisal, advice on placements and fundraising.
He is a member of the Australian Institute of Geoscientists and is the Managing Director of Oklo Resources Limited.
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 Non-Executive director of Bod Australia Limited and Petratherm Limited.
Rob Greenslade
Non-Executive Director
Rob is an experienced investment banker with over 30 years’ experience in mergers and acquisitions, capital raisings and strategic advisory predominately in the resources industry. Rob is currently a director and co-founder of GP Securities, and until 2016 was a Managing Director at Standard Chartered Bank and Head of Australia, Mining and Metals Division. Rob previously held various senior roles with Normandy Mining Limited, including Head of Corporate Development, and Newmont Mining following Newmont’s takeover of Normandy.
Stephen Kelly
Company Secretary and Chief Financial Officer
Mr Kelly was appointed as the Company Secretary and Chief Financial Officer of the Company on 15 November 2012. A qualified Australian Chartered Accountant, Mr Kelly was previously Chief Financial Officer at Allied Gold Mining PLC. He has more than 25 years’ international experience in the areas of external and internal audit, risk management and compliance, treasury and corporate finance across a range of industry sectors including mining, infrastructure, property development and banking and finance.
Mr. Kelly holds a Bachelor of Business (Accountancy) from Queensland University of Technology.
Gareth O’Donovan
Exploration Manager
Mr O’Donovan is a qualified geologist and has a wealth of experience in West Africa including direct experience in Senegal and regionally on the West African Birimian terranes and is a French speaker.
He joined SRK Consulting in 1997 and subsequently founded SRK’s exploration consulting business in 2003. Mr O’Donovan was Managing Director of SRK Exploration until 2018 when he was appointed as Chairman. Prior to that he led exploration efforts for a number of junior explorers in West Africa following more than 10 years working in various regions in Africa (including Senegal) with Anglo American Gold.
Boubacar Thera
Director – West Africa Business Development
Mr Thera is qualified lawyer with over 25 years commercial experience in mining and resource sector. Former co-founder and Director at Toro Gold, and oversaw the permitting and CSR from exploration to operation on the 1.5Moz Mako mine, Senegal’s second largest mine.