Directors & Officers
MR CRAIG BURTON - BJuris, LLB, MAICD
Executive Chairman
Mr Burton is an experienced and active investor in emerging projects and businesses, both public listed and private, with a focus on the base metals, oil and gas, mining services and agribusiness sectors. He is a co-founder of two ASX 200 companies – Mirabela Nickel Limited and Panoramic Resources Limited.
Mr Burton is currently Executive Chairman of Mirabela Nickel Limited, Non-Executive Chairman of Everyday Mining Services Limited and Non-Executive Director of Capital Drilling Limited.
MR IAN PURDY - BComm, CA, FAICD
Chief Executive Officer
Mr Purdy joined Mirabela Nickel as Chief Executive Officer and Director on 2 November 2009. Prior to joining the Company, Mr Purdy had held a number of senior positions in the Australian mining industry, including Managing Director of Norilsk Nickel Australia and Director Finance and Strategy of LionOre Australia, where he led the management of five operating nickel projects.
He has a strong track record in operations management, sales and logistics, and financial control, which are all critical skills for Mirabela as it enters production and grows into a sustainable, long-term nickel business.
MR BILL CLOUGH - BSc (Geol), BComm (Hons)
Non Executive Director
Mr Clough has many years experience in mining, engineering and logistics businesses, with a more recent focus upon resource opportunities in developing countries. Since 1999, Mr Clough has pursued mining projects in Brazil, and was the founding investor and current Director of AIM listed Serabi Mining plc.
Also in Brazil, Mr Clough founded Comomi Iron Mineracao, which is currently exploring for iron ore in a private partnership with Vale. He is also the founder of Twiniza Oil Ltd, which has oil and gas interests in Thailand, Myanmar, Papua New Guinea, New Zealand and Australia.
Mr Clough identified and negotiated the acquisition of the Mirabela Project and intends to identify further base metal projects suitable for acquisition by the Company.
MR NICHOLAS SHEARD - MAIG, RP.Geo
Non Executive Director
Mr Sheard has a long history of involvement in nickel sulphide exploration and development. Up until 2007 Mr Sheard was the Vice President, Exploration of Inco based in Toronto. Mr Sheard managed an exploration team of 250 people with nine offices and 11 mines worldwide. Under Mr Sheard's leadership, the Inco team discovered the Reid Brook nickel sulphide deposit in Labrador, Canada.
Prior to joining Inco, Mr Sheard held various senior management positions with MIM Exploration Pty Ltd in Australia from 1990 to 2003, including General Manager of Worldwide Exploration and Chief Geophysicist. Mr Sheard is also Executive Chairman of Carpentaria Exploration Limited.
MR JOSEPH HAMILTON - BSc (Hons), MSc (App), P.Geo, CFA
Non Executive Director
Mr Hamilton has more than 20 years experience in the international mining industry. He was employed as a precious metals research analyst with Dundee Securities Corporation from 1997 to 2003, and then held a similar position with RBC Capital Markets, Global Mining Division in 2003 and 2004. He became the Chief Operating Officer of African Copper PLC in January 2005 and was promoted to the CEO role in 2007.
Mr Hamilton is currently a member of the Association of Professional Geoscientists of Ontario, the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Saskatchewan, Canada and the CFA Institute.
MR COLIN STEYN - B.Comm, MBA
Non Executive Director
Mr Steyn has over 30 years experience in the resources sector with particular expertise in the development of mining operations in Southern Africa. He was previously President and CEO of LionOre Mining International from 1999 to 2007, when it was acquired by Norilsk Nickel. Mr Steyn was one of the original founders of LionOre and was instrumental in the growth and development of the company into a major international nickel producer.
From 1996 to 2000, Mr Steyn was a director of Centachrome, a worldwide metals marketing organisation, and for five years prior to this was Executive Director in charge of Metallurgical Operations in Zimbabwe for Rio Tinto, where he started his career in 1979.
MR CHRIS ELS - CA, CPA, CIMA
Chief Financial Officer & Company Secretary
Mr Els is a finance executive with over 20 years experience in mining, manufacturing, agribusiness, business services and fast moving consumer goods sectors in Australia and in South Africa. Previously, he was Chief Financial Officer of Norilsk Nickel Australia where he managed finance, accounting and IT services.
Most importantly, Mr Els brings a wealth of operating experience in nickel sulphide projects and reporting requirements to the Toronto and Australian stock exchanges.
