Robert Schafer, Non-Executive Chairman
Robert W. Schafer is a Registered Professional Geologist with +30 years international experience exploring for mineral deposits and identifying, evaluating and structuring business transactions globally having worked in more than 80 countries on all continents. Mr. Schafer was a member of teams evaluating early business opportunities in Russia (diamond and copper) and China (gold and copper) for BHP in 1992-1996. While Vice President, Exploration for Kinross Gold he was responsible for near mine and regional exploration planning at the Kubaka and Aginskoe projects in Far East Russia, including mine site reserve expansions and a + million ounce greenfield gold discovery at Birkachan. As Executive Vice President of the Hunter Dickinson Group, he led due diligence teams globally, including evaluations in Russia, Kazakhstan, Afghanistan, India, Mongolia, Uzbekistan and many countries in Africa and South America. He is a Founding Director and Chairman of Amur Minerals Corp, who have been active in Far East Russia since 2004, focused on developing its world-class grassroots Ni-Cu discovery at Kun-Manie. In summary, as a field geologist, manager and executive, Mr. Schafer led teams to the grassroots discovery of mines in the western USA, Australia, Canada and Russia, as well as developing strategies that lead to brownfields discoveries in western Canada and southern Africa.
Mr. Schafer is an active member of several professional mining associations, including the Society for Mining, Metallurgy & Exploration (SME – President 2020-2021), the Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada (PDAC – President 2015-2016), the Canadian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy (CIM – President 2013-2014) and the Mining and Metallurgical Society of America (MMSA – President 2005-20066). He was a member of the Board of Governors for the US National Mining Hall of Fame and the Board of Directors of the Canadian Mining Hall of Fame. He is the first person to hold such leadership roles in both the USA and Canada.
Mr. Schafer is the recipient of the William Lawrence Saunders Gold Medal from AIME, as well as the Daniel C. Jackling Award and Robert A. Dreyer Award from SME for technical achievements and leadership in the mining industry during his career. He is a Fellow of SME, CIM and SEG. He earned his BSc and MSc degrees in Geology and in Mineral Economics and completed studies toward a PhD in Economic Geology. In addition, he completed the Executive Management program at Stanford University. Mr. Schafer is a Certified Corporate Director (ICD.D) and a Registered Professional Geologist in the States of Wyoming and Utah. He is founder and CEO of Eagle Mines Management and is a member of the Board of Directors of select mining companies.
Robin Young, Chief Executive Officer
Mr. Young is a Registered Professional Geologist (NI43-101) and holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Geological Engineering and has worked extensively in the CIS since 1991. This includes multiple projects in the Russian Federation, former eastern block countries, the “Stans” and China. Having 45 years of experience in the mineral resources industry. Globally, he has worked on large scale projects in remote areas and conducted independent study and operational reviews for resource companies and supporting work on behalf of internationally recognised institutions (the United Nations, IFC and EBRD). He was worked on more than 117 projects located in 27 countries.
During his career, he has held positions of increasing responsibility within the exploration, engineering design, start-up construction, development, production, remediation and toxic cleanup prgrammes, annual independent operational audits, M&A activities and compiled admission documentation for three London Stock Exchange listed companies. World class deposits include Porgera, Olympic Dam, Bulyanhulu, Telfer, Bingham Canyon and Kun-Manie.
As CEO of the Company, he built a Russian team responsible for implementation of the discovery of one of the world’s largest nickel – copper sulphide projects. Meeting all Russian requirements, they have been awarded the Certificate of Discovery, obtained 100% extraction rights on a Russian Strategic Project, completion of the mandatory TEO Project (feasibility study), registration of reserves and obtaining a Detailed Exploration and Mine Production licence. Administratively, he has developed employee management and financial control systems establishing budget variance controls meeting both western and Russian requirements.
Thomas Bowens, Non-Executive Director
Thomas Bowens is a certified professional geologist with thirty years of international experience in the mineral exploration industry and has spent the last twenty-five years based in Mongolia (1998-2006), Russia (since 2005) and Kazakhstan (since 2021).
Prior to founding IG Copper in 2009, Mr Bowens was the Vice President of Exploration and Chief of Operations for Fortress Minerals Corporation. He is currently based in Khabarovsk in the Russian Far East. Mr Bowens founded the private companies IG Copper Company and Tintic Consolidated Metals, both of which were subsequently sold for a combined $380 million dollars in 2018 and 2022. Tom is currently the General Director Pacific Mining in Russia (License holder of the Durmin Deposit) and President of IG Global Group, a private international Mineral Resources and Services holding company with assets and services companies in the USA, Russia, and Kazakhstan.
Mr Bowens has been directly responsible for two major mineral deposit discoveries in Russia in the past 12 years, Svetloye and Malmyzh, the Reopening of the Trixie Mine in Utah and has a track record of success in the management and operation of exploration companies. He has worked for Cyprus Amax Exploration, Harrods Minerals, Ivanhoe Mines, and two Lundin Group Companies, International Uranium and Fortress Minerals. Mr Bowens has degrees in economics, geological engineering (Magna Cum Laude) and a master’s degree in Geology, the latter two from the Colorado School of Mines.
Paul Gazzard, Non-Executive Director
Mr. Gazzard acted as an external adviser to Amur for the four years before joining the Company as a Non-Executive Director in 2016 and has more than 10 years of experience as a Fund Manager for large institutions in the City of London.
His City experience included working with the Panmure Gordon Asset Management team until August 2002, he then transitioned into the commercial financing sector. Between August 2002 and May 2010, Paul participated in the listing of three Australian technology companies on the AIM market of the London Stock Exchange (“AIM”), operating at the senior Executive level within each of the companies. Paul subsequently worked as Chief Operating Officer of Litebulb Group, which was admitted to AIM in May 2010, overseeing multiple funding rounds and acquisitions for the company over a period of two years. Since then, Paul has worked as a consultant across various AIM listed companies, advising on corporate and financing related matters.
Outside of his Non-Executive activities Paul has been working in the UK Flexible Energy space for the last 5 years, building one of the largest developers in the battery storage space in the UK with his co-founders, as well as being involved in the construction and operation of both flexible storage sites and generation sites. Arlington Energy has constructed over 150MW of Battery storage sites in the UK as well as other Gas peaking sites and has a development portfolio running into the Multiple GW’s in the UK market alone. Paul’s day to day activities with Arlington provides him in knowledgeable perspective on the rapidly growing flexible energy space both in the UK and globally, which is beginning to have significant impacts across all the constituent parts of the burgeoning battery industry, including Nickel.