MANAGEMENT

Dick van der Walt

CEO - Director - BLC, LLB, LLM

Dick was appointed Group CEO on 16 November 2005. He was born and educated in South Africa and holds BLC and LLB Degrees in Law from University of Pretoria and LLM - Masters Degree in Law from the University of South Africa.

Dick's background in law and investment banking has provided him with requisite skill and experience to confidently oversee and implement Mintails strategic goals. Dick has personally ensured that the company has been successfully able to negotiate and satisfy its obligations under South African Mining Law and the prevailing Black Economic Empowerment Code of Practice.


Lloyd Birrell

Special Projects Director

Lloyd holds a B.Com (Acc) from UTC and B.Proc from UNISA. . He practiced as a forensic and litigation accountant for ten years, appearing as an expert witness in the High Court on more than forty occasions. In 2000 he was appointed as the Southern African commercial and legal representative to Sonatrach, Algeria's Hydrocarbon and Petrochemical Co. After five years of intensive involvement in the energy industry he commenced work for SGM, dealing with commercial and legal issues.

Lloyd has been appointed Head of Special Projects which currently comprise:

  • sale of non-core assets, such as rock and sand for aggregate usage;
  • CMD, the division responsible for the demolition, refurbishment and relocation of the specific parts of Brakpan and East Dagga plants;
  • conversion of land into commercially viable and subsequently saleable assets;
  • general commercial and strategic issues;


Robert Croll

Group Executive, Corporate Affairs

Rob Croll initially joined the Mintails board as a Non-Executive Director on 1 August 2007, but on 21 January 2008 he moved to become a permanent full-time member of the Mintails executive team, in the capacity of Group Executive, Corporate Affairs. In this position, Mr Croll will contribute significantly to management capabilities of the Company. Mr Croll will focus on the development and management of Mintails corporate capabilities and provide leadership at the corporate level.

Previously Mr Croll was Manager Business Development of AngloGold Ashanti Limited and has co-ordinated and overseen numerous acquisition and disposal transactions including: the acquisition of Minorco’s gold assets in North and South America; acquisitions of Acacia Resources Limited; AngloGold’s listing on the NYSE; and the disposal of the Elandsrand, Deelkraal, and Free State operations. He also led teams in the technical valuations and due diligence exercises of a number of international investment opportunities.

Mr Croll is an Associate member of the Mine Managers Association of South Africa and a Fellow of the South African Institute of Mining and Metallurgy (SAIMM).


Bernard Swanepoel

Non-Executive Director

Bernard Swanepoel joined the board as a non-executive director on 21 January 2008. Mr Swanepoel will focus on strategic growth initiatives, options available to increase group value and the optimization of the Company’s current asset portfolio.

Mr. Swanepoel has tremendous experience and an unparalleled track record within the mining industry in South Africa. Under his management, the Beatrix Mine became the lowest cost producer in South African gold mining. For 12 years, he was Chief Executive of Harmony Gold Mining Company Limited, where under his leadership, Harmony grew from a 680,000 oz per year producer in 1995 to a 2.3m oz per year producer in 2007. Mr. Swanepoel is currently the founder and director of To the Point Growth Specialists – a consulting firm providing companies in the mining industry with advice on growth strategies.

Mr Swanepoel sits on the advisory boards of both the Wits Business School as well as the Pretoria University’s mining engineering department. He is also a non-executive director of ARM Limited and Sanlam Limited.


Basie Maree

Group Chief Operating Officer - BTec Degree (Environmental Management), NDT

Mr Basie Maree joined Mintails Executive Team on 21 January 2008, in the capacity of Group Chief Operating Officer, and joined the board in April 2008. Mr Maree began consulting as a metallurgist to Anglo American’s Gold and Uranium Division. This Division was later restructured into AngloGold Ashanti where he was appointed Head of Metallurgy and General Manager in 1999 for South African Metallurgical Operations. Mr Maree held this executive position until 2005 when he was promoted to Head of Metallurgy – Africa for AngloGold Ashanti. Under this position Mr Maree was responsible for managing AngloGold Ashanti’s project management and technical advisory divisions for their African Operations.

In his position as Group Executive Operations, Mr Maree will be able to contribute his technical and operational expertise to optimize the potential of Mintails large resource base and ensure that production milestones are achieved as the company moves into its next phase of development, mine commissioning and production.

Mr Maree holds a National Diploma in Extraction Metallurgy and also a B.Tech.Degree in Environmental Management. He also serves as a non-executive director for Nuclear Fuels Corp of SA, the International Cyanide Management Institute and Morila Gold Mine in Mali. In addition, he is a trustee of the AngloGold Ashanti (SAR) Environmental Trust Fund and is registered with ECSA as a Professional Engineering Technologist.


Jaco Schoeman

Technical Director - BTec Degree (Analytical Chemistry)

Jaco holds a BTec Degree in Analytical Chemistry and has been responsible for refurbishment and upgrade of the Mogale Gold Plant.

Jaco will be primarily responsible for the exploitation by Mintails of valuable water resources for the production process and will interface with SGM executives in respect to technical aspects, recoveries, etc. from the new WERGO operations. Jaco is also responsible for the granting, construction and utilisation of new and existing deposition sites including the new proposed Super Dump planned for the West Rand.


Gordon McCrae

Project Manager

Gordon holds a National Engineering Diploma (Mech.) - Wits Technicon and has 30 years experience in building and managing major capital works projects with extensive experience in design, procurement, construction, commissioning, and project management.


Peter Skeat

Head of Operations

Peter holds a BSc Civil Engineering and a BSc Mining Engineering and is one of South Africa's most experienced open cast miners. He founded Skeat Mining in 1986 which is well known for innovative, cost effective, open pit mining of various minerals, specializing in the selective mining of grade-sensitive, tabular ore bodies. Peter pioneered open pit mining of precious metals in South Africa notably gold and platinum.

Peter has overall responsibility for the construction of WERGO (which recently commenced), management and utilization of the fleet and production of gold from the HVH leach operation on the East Rand.


Peter Walters

Geologist - HVH

Peter is a qualified geologist and has had 23 years experience in the African mining industry. Peter is in charge of the geological operations of the HVH heap leach.


Mike Phillips

Plant Manager - Mogale

On 12 July 2006, Mike was appointed as Mine Manager of the West Rand Gold Initiative, and Plant Manager at the Mogale Gold Plant in South Africa.

Mike has a long and distinguished career in designing and operating successful gold processing plants, and brings notable experience in tailings reclamation. Mike has extensive experience in production and operation of gold plants throughout Africa. Mike is responsible for operation of the Mogale Gold Plant and will take an active role in WERGO.