The Board
Brian is a Chartered Accountant and former Senior Partner of Grant Thornton UK LLP, London; he formed Grant Thornton’s Capital Markets Team which floated over 100 companies on AIM under his chairmanship. In December 2004, he retired from Grant Thornton UK LLP to concentrate on bringing new companies to the market. He specialises in natural resources companies, primarily in Africa, and was formerly chairman of Metal Bulletin plc, African Platinum plc and Chromex Mining plc as well as currently being chairman of several junior mining companies.
Andrew has been involved with Vast since 2013 and has spearheaded the development of the Company’s Romanian and Tajik portfolio. Beginning his career in the early 1990s as a bulk iron ore and steel trader in Romania, he then went on to develop his career in the property and earthmoving sector in Australia before returning to Romania in 2003, initially to focus on the development of properties for the Romanian Ministry of Defence and latterly, private sector developments. Throughout his 26-year career, Andrew has developed extensive investor and public relations experience and has advised the Romanian government on wide ranging high-level topics including social housing and economic policy. He has built a strong network of contacts across the mining and metals industries and Europe and southern Africa, in addition to policy makers and governmental authorities.
Roy is a Chartered Accountant with significant years of high level and broad spectrum professional and business experience. He has been the founder of a London banking group, served on bank boards and had a position as a major shareholder of a substantial London commodity house. He is also the founder of Legend Golf and Safari Resort in South Africa. He has substantial investment in the Romanian property sector.
Nick has over 35 years’ experience in mining investment banking, primarily as a mining analyst and in managing mining & metals research and equities teams. He was most recently Director of Mining Equity Research at Canaccord Genuity in London. Nick’s experience includes researching and advising on mining companies and projects across the globe and across the commodity spectrum and includes companies of all sizes. Nick left investment banking in 2017, and set up his own company, Nick Hatch Mining Advisory Ltd, to provide mining research, business development and financing advice. He holds a degree in Mining Geology and is a Chartered Engineer.
Paul has over 25 years’ experience working in the commodity and financial services industries. He has held a variety of senior international finance and operational roles in trading, processing, and financial businesses in the US, Europe, and Asia, most recently with Bunge, the US agribusiness and food company, as Global CFO & Controller of Bunge Financial Services, a Bunge group business unit providing financing and risk management solutions, and as Treasury and Trading Product Line Controller. Prior to joining Bunge, Paul held various senior roles within Cargill’s energy business and internal audit, PepsiCo Snacks and KPMG.
Nigel is a chartered engineer and a graduate of the Camborne School of Mines. He has held senior positions in several mining and engineering companies primarily in Southern Africa including CEO of Chromex Mining Plc, group marketing director of a De Beers subsidiary group and commercial director of Dunlop Industrial Products (Pty) Ltd, South Africa. He has wide ranging experience in ore and diamond recovery technologies and the manufacture of electronic sorting equipment with a specific focus on the design and erection of ore sorting and treatment plants.
Romania
Nicolae works alongside the Romanian mine management teams and in conjunction with Andrew Prelea, CEO, in the advancement of Vast’s wider strategic objectives in the country.
Nicolae has over 40 years’ experience in the Romanian mining industry. He was most recently President of the National Agency for Mineral Resources. Prior to this, Nicolae was the Chief Executive of Cupru Min SA, the Romanian state-owned copper producer. Nicolae has worked closely with the Ministry of Economy and Commerce, the Minister of Economy and Finance, and the World Bank, as well as serving on the Board of Administration for a number of companies.
Nicolae holds both a Bachelor of Mining Science and a MSc. in the Management of Mining Activities from the Technical University of Petrosani in Romania.
Zimbabwe
Will has acted as a consultant to the Vast on community and mining related issues in Zimbabwe since 2012. Specifically, Mr Maberly has acted as Vast’s nominated representative overseeing development and operations at the Company’s 25% owned gold mine, Pickstone-Peerless, which commenced gold production in September 2015. Will’s remit includes the evaluation of new opportunities in Zimbabwe, liaising with the Government and local investors, in addition to providing practical management assistance over Vast’s current interests.
Rudorwenyu earned his degree in Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering from the National University of Science & Technology, Zimbabwe and also has a Mine Engineer’s Diploma from Ministry of Mines in Harare. Prior to joining Vast, Rudorwenyu was the Engineering Manager at Marange Resources (PVT) LTD (Diamond) and was responsible for planning, organising, leading and controlling the day-to-day maintenance and production team activities on Marange Resources, together with carrying out all mine expansion projects. His career has encompassed work within a number of different mineral sectors including diamonds, gold, tantalite and platinum in Zimbabwe and the wider southern African region.
Takawira has been awarded degrees in Exploration Geophysics, Exploration Geology and Surveying & Geomatics from highly respected universities in both Zimbabwe and South Africa. His recent experience has centred on the diamond industry, most recently during his role as Director of Operations at Sociedade Mineira do Tchegi in Angola, and prior to that, as Mine Geologist & Geology Manager at Marange Resources (Pvt) Ltd and Mineral Resource Executive at Zimbabwe Consolidated Diamond Company. In his previous positions, Takawira has been responsible for managing all technical functions of the diamond operation value chain from exploration and evaluation to mining, processing, and product security.
