Board
Edward Nealon, Non-Executive Chairman
Mr Nealon is a geologist with 40 years’ experience in the mining and exploration industry. After graduating in 1974, he commenced his career in South Africa with Anglo American Corporation, before moving to Australia in 1980 where he spent two years in exploration with Rio Tinto. He founded his own consulting company in 1983 and has practiced in most of the world’s major mining centres. Mr Nealon was responsible for Aquarius’ introduction into the platinum industry and served on its board for a number of years. He holds a Masters degree in Geology and is a member of the Australian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy.
Ami Mpungwe, Non-Executive Deputy Chairman
Mr Mpungwe has been Chairman of the Group’s Tanzanian subsidiary since March 2000 and has been integral to its establishment and development. He assumed Chairmanship of the Group on 24 October 2008 after serving as Deputy Chairman at its inception in August 2004. Mr Mpungwe has an Honours degree in International Relations and Political Science, a diploma in International Law and has spent 25 years in the diplomatic service, including six years as Tanzanian Ambassador to South Africa. He holds directorships in ILLOVO Sugar Ltd, National Bank of Commerce Ltd, Tanzania Breweries Ltd, Kilombero Sugar Co Ltd, MultiChoice Tanzania Ltd, Niko Insurance Co (Tanzania) Ltd and has also been the Chairman of the Tanzania Chamber of Minerals and Energy since 2007.
Dr Bernard Olivier, Chief Executive Officer
Bernard was appointed Chief Executive Officer of Richland Resources Limited on 5 March 2010. Bernard is a geologist and has a PhD in Economic Geology. He is also a Member of the Australian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy. His PhD dissertation covered all aspects of the Merelani Tanzanite deposit and formed the foundations of the development of the current TanzaniteOne Mining operations. He has been closely associated with gemstone mining since 1998 and prior to joining the board he acted as a consultant to Richland Resources. He is also Executive Director of Bezant Resources Plc (AIM: BZT) and Emerging Market Minerals Plc (AIM: EMM).
Nicholas Sibley, Non-Executive Director
Mr Sibley is a Chartered Accountant. He was formerly Chairman of Wheelock Capital from 1994 to 1997 and Executive Chairman of Barclays de Zoete Wedd (Asia Pacific) Limited from 1989 to 1993. He is a former managing director of Jardine Fleming Holdings and director of Robert Fleming Holdings and Barclays de Zoete Wedd Holdings. He recently stepped down as chairman of Aquarius Platinum Limited and is a director of Asia Pacific Fund Inc.
Mike Allardice, Group Company Secretary
Mike is a UK and Hong Kong qualified accountant and started his career in the mid 80’s with a London based firm of accountants before moving to Hong Kong in 1993 where he, joined the corporate services industry , and in 2000 established his own corporate advisory business. Mike has a wide range of industry experience which includes the mining, financial services and commodities industries and has been actively involved in the commercial aspects of the identifying, structuring, managing and exiting of private and public transaction in relation to projects and investments in Asia, Africa , Europe and South America.
Senior Management
Louis Swart (CFO)
Louis Swart joined Richland Resources Ltd as Group Chief Financial Officer in April 2013. He holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of Pretoria, a Honours degree in Commerce (Accounting) from the University of South Africa and is a chartered accountant and a member of the South African Institute of Chartered Accountants and Institute of Chartered Accountants Australia. Louis qualified as a chartered accountant in South Africa, completing his articles in 2001 at Kotze and Abbott. He has over 15 years of accounting, finance and senior management experience including over 10 years of working in diverse financial roles in the mining industry. Louis previously worked for the Richland group as Financial Manager in 2003, working at its operations in Tanzania until 2008. Since then he has served as Financial Manager at Simmer & Jack Mines Limited and from 2011, until joining Richland Resources, as Senior Staff Accountant at Tronox Western Australia Pty Ltd.
Gavin Pearce (Head of Sales and Market Development)
Gavin has degrees in Commerce and Japanese Language, and studied post-graduate Japanese Distribution Economics in Japan. He spent 15 years in the diamond industry working with coloured diamonds and distribution strategies for mine to market channels.Gavin joined Richland in 2009 and has developed sales strategies and market management for the coloured stone mine to market supply chain.
Linda Kennedy(Head of Online Sales & Marketing)
Linda is responsible for developing and managing the group’s online sales channels. Linda holds a degree in Marketing Communications and has completed post graduate studies in Advertising. Passionate about gemstones, she is also a Graduate Gemmologist - studying at the Gemmological Institute of America, and a registered NCJV Jewellery Valuer & Appraiser (Australia). Linda has spent much of her career located in Bangkok - working in international gemstone and high end jewellery manufacturing roles.
Laurence Read (Corporate Development & Communications)
Laurence has over 15 years experience working in strategic development and communications. During his career he founded two leading financial communications agencies based in the UK and has worked with a wide range of precious gemstone and resource companies across the world.
