Board

Executive directors

Francesco "Frank" Scolaro

Executive Chairman

Frank is an active investor in publicly quoted companies in the resource, leisure and property sectors. Frank was Non-Executive Chairman of Regal Petroleum plc from October 2006 to November 2007, in which time he was instrumental in the successful resolution of local litigation issues in the Ukraine. Until March 2008 Frank was a non-executive director of Regal Petroleum plc.

Simon Rollason

Managing Director

Simon (BSc (Hons) Geology, MIMMM, FGS) has over 20 years international experience in mining and geological exploration having worked in Africa, Middle East, Central Asia and the Far East with both multi-nationals and junior resources companies. He has worked on nickel, gold, copper, base metals and gemstone projects, ranging from grassroots to producing assets. He has been involved with and managed operations which have varied from exploration, evaluation projects to successfully feasibility studies.

Michael Bretherton

Finance Director

Michael graduated in economics from the University of Leeds in 1978. He worked as an accountant and manager with Price Waterhouse for seven years in both London and the Middle East before joining The Plessey Company Plc in 1985 as a corporate financial manager. Michael subsequently held the position of Finance Director at a number of listed companies over a fourteen year period. More recently he worked at Lionhead Studios Limited, the entertainment software games developer, where he helped to complete a venture capital syndicate funding and a trade sale of the business to Microsoft in 2006. Michael is currently also a director of a number of other AIM quoted companies including Ora Capital Partners Plc, Oxeco Plc and Oxford Advanced Surfaces Plc.

Grahame Vetch

Agriculture Operations Director

Grahame is an agricultural economist with over 30 years of large-scale farm management experience. He was previously the Country Director for Dominion Farms Ltd; a 17,000-acre start-up irrigated rice and fish farm in Kenya. Grahame graduated from the Royal Agricultural College, UK in Farm Management and is a fluent Swahili speaker.

Non-executives

Lord St John of Bletso

Lord St John lived in South Africa for 28 years where he qualified and practised as an attorney before graduating with a Masters in Maritime Law from London University. He has been an active Crossbench Member of the House of Lords since 1978. Amongst his appointments, he is currently the Vice Chairman of the All Party Parliamentary South Africa Group, Chairman of the UK Sierra Leone Business Forum and trustee of several charities focused on Africa. He was appointed an Extra Lord in Waiting to HM The Queen in 1998.

James Ede-Golightly

James Ede-Golightly graduated in economics from St John's College, Cambridge University. He subsequently worked at Merrill Lynch Investment Managers and Commerzbank as an investment analyst and professional investor. In 2006 James helped found ORA Capital Partners Ltd, serving as an executive director until October 2009, and remains as a non-executive director of the company. James is also non-executive chairman of East Balkan Properties Plc. James is a CFA Charterholder and resident in Guernsey.