Board of directors

David G Netherway BE(Mining), CDipAF, FAusIMM(CP), FIMMM(CEng)
Chief Executive Officer

Mr Netherway is a mining engineer with over 30 years of experience in the mining industry. From April 2002 until the completion of its takeover by Eldorado Gold Corporation in 2005, Mr Netherway served as the president and chief executive officer of Toronto-listed Afcan Mining Corporation, a China-focused gold mining company which was constructing a gold mine in western China. Prior to joining Afcan, Mr Netherway held senior management positions in a number of mining companies, including Golden Shamrock Mines, Ashanti Goldfields and Semafo Inc.   Mr Netherway is a mine developer and operator who was involved in the construction and development of the Iduapriem, Siguiri, Samira Hill and Kiniero gold mines in West Africa and also has mining experience in Australia, India, Nepal, Oman and Malaysia.   Mr Netherway is a Non-Executive Director of Altus Resource Capital Limited(ARCL-AIM) and the Chairman of GMA Resources plc(GMA-AIM) and African-Aura Mining Inc.(AUR-TSE & AAAR-AIM)

Alexander Burns MBA
Non-Executive Chairman

Mr. Burns has over 20 years of experience in the management of private and publicly listed companies internationally. Mr. Burns has been Managing Director of Sphere since November 1998. Sphere has secured three large scale iron ore projects in Mauritania, West Africa with an inventory of over 3 billion tonnes of Mineral Resources and access to existing iron ore rail and port infrastructure.

Mr. Burns also played a key role in expanding Sphere’s portfolio of other resource projects in West Africa, including gold and base metals exploration projects in Mauritania through (ASX) listed Shield Mining Limited.

Robert Cornelius B.Met E, M Eng Sc, F AusIMM
Non-Executive Director

Mr Robert (Bob) Cornelius spent 35 years with the CRA Group (now Rio Tinto) prior to his retirement in 1994.  During his time with CRA, Mr Cornelius spent 16 years with CRA’s iron ore division in various operating roles at the Hamersley Iron operations in the Pilbara region of Western Australia. In 1982, Mr Cornelius moved to Bougainville Copper Limited as Executive Manager of the Concentrator, before becoming Managing Director of Bougainville Copper Limited from 1987-90. Following the closure of the Bougainville operations, Mr Cornelius became President of CRA Japan and was based in Tokyo from 1991-93, before returning to CRA’s head office in Melbourne in 1994. Mr Cornelius is also a Non-Executive Director of Sphere Investments Limited.

Dr Schalk van der Merwe PhD
Non-Executive Director

Dr Van der Merwe is a geologist with 30 years of experience in African geology and exploration in Africa. Prior to joining Sphere Investment Limited as Exploration Manager in 2005, Dr Van der Merwe was working as a geological consultant for various companies in Africa and South America. From 1986 to 1999 Dr Van der Merwe taught Exploration Geology at the University of the Free State in South Africa and is a member of the South African Council for Natural Scientific Professionals (SACNASP).

Lexton Graefe B.Ec, CPA
Non-Executive Director

Mr Graefe has extensive management and commercial experience in the mining industry acquired over the last 25 years. He has spent the last eight years in overseas postings in developing countries and he is the current CFO and Company Secretary of Sphere Investments Limited. Prior to joining Sphere, Mr Graefe was Managing Director of Resolute Mining’s Tanzania gold operations. He was also President Director of Rio Tinto, Indonesia and General Manager Finance for Rio Tinto in India. Before working offshore with Rio Tinto, Mr Graefe held management, financial and commercial roles within Hamersley Iron (Pty) Ltd.