Management & Directors
Position: Executive Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
Mr. Byrne joined the Company as a Director and Executive Chairman on July 27, 2010. He has more than 35 years' experience in the resource industry as an investor and resource business developer. Mr. Byrne has had extensive involvement in the resources industry in Australia, Canada and South Africa with a particular focus on financing new and established resource projects.
Mr. Byrne served as the Chairman of the Board of Western Coal Corp. (WTN: TSX) until May 31, 2010 and as a Director of that company from June 2001 to May 31, 2010. He has been an Executive Chairman of Deepgreen Minerals Corporation Limited since March 30, 2007 and serves as Executive Chairman of Wasabi energy Ltd (WAS: AIM).
Mr. Byrne is a member of the Company's Remuneration Committee.
Position: Director, President and Acting CFO
Mr. Jonker was the Chief Financial Officer of Western Coal Corp. (WTN: TSX) for just under two years until its acquisition by Walter Energy Inc. (WLT: TSX) in 2011. He is a member of the Board of Directors of Firestone Diamonds plc (FDI: AIM), Canada Coal Inc., where he is also CEO and President, (CCI: TSXV) and Mandalay Resources Corporation (MND: TSX), where Mr. Jonker is also the Non-executive Chairman of the Board. Mr. Jonker has almost 20 years of accounting and corporate finance experience primarily in the mining industry. Mr. Jonker is a Chartered Accountant registered in South Africa (South African Institute of Chartered Accountants -- SAICA) and England and Wales (Institute of Chartered Accountants of England and Wales - ICAEW). Mr. Jonker holds a Masters Degree in South African and International tax from the Rand Afrikaans University. Mr. Jonker became the President of EastCoal Inc. on March 1, 2012.
In addition to his role as President of the Company, Mr. Jonker has been appointed as interim CFO of EastCoal with effect from April 22, 2013 whilst an appointment of a permanent successor is advanced. Mr. Jonker has extensive experience as CFO of publicly listed companies and has acted as CFO for Cambrian Mining Plc and Western Coal Corp.
Mr. Jonker is a member of the Company's Audit Committee.
Position: Non-Executive Director
Mr. Conlon has been involved in the mining industry since 1972, as an owner of a mining equipment supply company. Since 1980, he has been part owner of a mining contracting company focusing on mine development and in 1995 he formed a company engaged in the business of repair and manufacturing of mining equipment.
He serves or has served as a director of several companies including Cambrian Mining plc (CBM: AIM) (now Western Coal Corp.), Mandalay Resources Corp. (MND: TSX), Coal International plc, Xtract Energy plc (XTR: LSE), and Western Coal Corp. (WTN: TSX), including being part of that company's audit committee from 2002 to 2009.
Mr. Conlon is a member of the Company's Remuneration Committee.
Position: Non-Executive Director
Gregory M. Cameron brings 14 years of deal experience focused on small and mid-capitalisation companies in North America and abroad. Mr. Cameron has held senior positions in investment banking at Canaccord Capital (SVP Investment Banking), MGI Securities (founder) and Macquarie Capital markets Canada formerly Orion Securities (SVP Investment Banking). During his 12 year career in banking, Mr. Cameron has worked on a significant number of equity, debt, merger and acquisitions and restructurings. Currently, Mr. Cameron is the President of Colby Capital limited, a private merchant Bank in Toronto, Canada. Mr. Cameron is the former Chairman and a current director of Cub Energy Inc. an oil and gas company focused on developing significant oil and gas reserves in Ukraine, and a board member of Voyageur Oil and Gas Corporation, an oil and gas exploration company with significant assets in Tunisia. Mr. Cameron is a graduate of Saint Mary's University in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada with a Bachelor of Commerce in Finance and Accounting and holds numerous financial industry designations.
Mr. Cameron is the Chairman of the Company's Audit Committee and a member of the Company's Remuneration Committee.
Position: Non-Executive Director
Frank Moxon is an experienced corporate financier specialising in natural resources. Now practising through his own firm, Hoyt Moxon, he was previously head of corporate finance and head of natural resources at Williams de Broë at the time it was acquired by Evolution Securities. He was, until August 2012, senior independent non-executive Director of Cove Energy plc (COV: AIM) and is currently Chairman of Silvermere Energy plc (SlME: AIM) and Imperial Minerals plc (IMMP: ISDX), and a non-executive director of the Chartered Institute for Securities & Investment. He is a fellow of the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining.
Mr. Moxon is a member of the Company's Audit Committee.
Position: Chief Operating Officer (COO)
Mr. King is a qualified mining engineer and brings 33 years of experience in the mining industry. He has held several senior positions in the industry, including President of the Kentucky Division of Alpha Natural Resources. He holds a Mining Engineering Degree from Bryson University in the United States. He has actively been involved with the development and adaptation of modern mining methods and techniques. He is recognized as one of the mining industries top safety implementers and achievers by his peers and regulatory agencies. Mr. King became Chief Operating Officer on March 26, 2013.
Position: General Counsel and Company Secretary
Mr. Dietrichsen is a lawyer with more than 30 years' experience as a legal practitioner and advising at senior management and board level within private and public listed companies, both local and international. He has also held various positions at board level.
In addition to his role as General Counsel, Mr Dietrichsen has been appointed as Company Secretary with effect from April 22, 2013.
He has been a consultant with the Company since June 2012.