Management & Directors
Position: Director, Executive Chairman
Mr. Byrne joined the Company as a Director and Executive Chairman on July 26, 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, South Africa and elsewhere. His prime experience has been a financier of new and established projects. Mr. Byrne served as the Chairman of the Board of Western Coal Corp. 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, 2007and serves as Executive Chairman of Wasabi Energy Ltd. He serves as the Non-Executive Chairman of Xtract International Ltd (formerly, Cambrian Oil & Gas plc and Zhibek Resources Plc) and has been the Non Executive Chairman and Director of Coal International Limited since March 17, 2005. Mr. Byrne also holds directorships with a number of companies including Minpro Australia NL.
Position: Director
Mr. Conlon has been active in the mining industry since 1972, initially as owner of Webcon Equipment Inc., a company that supplies mining and tunnel equipment worldwide. In 1980, he became associated with Graham Mining, a contracting company involved in mine development in northern Canada. In 1995, he formed Driftech Inc., which is engaged in the business of repairs and manufacturing mining equipment. Mr. Conlon is a director of several companies, including Western Canadian Coal Corp., Cambrian Mining PLC, Coal International PLC and Xtract Energy PLC.
Position: Director
Mr. Jonker was the Chief Financial Officer of Western Coal Corp. (WTN: TSX) until its recent acquisition by Walter Energy Inc. He is also a member of the Board of Directors of Firestone Diamonds plc (FDI: AIM) and Mandalay Resources Corporation (MND: TSX), where is also the Interim Chairman of the Board. Mr. Jonker has over 17 years of accounting and corporate finance experience primarily in the mining industry. Mr. Jonker is a Chartered Accountant (South Africa and England & Wales) and holds a Masters Degree in South African and International Tax From Rand Afrikaans University.
Position: Director and Technical Director
Mr. Stocks has over 35 years of management experience with British Coal, attaining the position of Colliery Manager. Upon leaving British Coal he became a consultant mining engineer working for several consultancy companies on projects in the UK, Spain, India, China, USA, Egypt and Ukraine. These included a long term assignment as the team leader of a EU funded project to assist the Ukrainian Government in their coal industry re-structuring programme. Thereafter, Mr. Stocks was associate consultant mining engineer with IMC Group Consulting, then senior mining engineer with Cambrian Mining PLC (CM) and Coal International PLC (CI) (now Western Coal Corporation). He assisted these companies expand their mining business in both the EU and Eastern Europe and also worked with Xtract Energy PLC, an associate of CM/CI. During the same period he also undertook the duties of Senior Mining Engineer for Ukraine Coal (a UK company). He worked with East Coal Company (a Ukrainian company) on pre-feasibility studies and the preparation of documentation for the acquisition of the lease/license for Verticalnaya Mine, Ukraine. Mr. Stocks has been employed as an independent consultant mining engineer to the Company since October 2008, becoming Technical Director and a member of the Board of Directors in 2009.
Position: Director
Gregory M. Cameron brings 14 years of deal experience focused on small and mid capitalization companies in North America and abroad. Mr. Cameron has a strong financial discipline, a keen understanding of global finance and good business acumen. 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). Over a successful 12 year career in banking, Mr. Cameron has worked on hundreds of equity, debt, merger and acquisitions and restructurings. Currently, Mr, Cameron is the Chairman of 3P International Energy Canadian listed Oil and Gas Company focused on developing significant oil and gas reserves in Ukraine. 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.
Position: CFO & Corporate Secretary
Kim Evans, C.G.A. - CFO & Corporate Secretary - Certified General Accountant (British Columbia) with 9 years of experience in exploration company management. Currently serves as CFO and Corporate Secretary of EastCoal Inc.