Directors & Management

Directors

 Jan Joubert – Director & Chief Executive Officer MBA from Henley Business School, UK. Jan has 22 years' experience in various business enterprises on the African continent, having founded, restructured and facilitated commodity trading and mining companies in various African countries. He found his true passion in the diamond industry; being the architect and Chief Executive Officer of Koidu Holdings (owner and operator of the Koidu Kimberlite Project) he has spearheaded the growth of the Company from 2002 to date. With his exceptional knowledge of the West African environment, commercial sense and leadership qualities, he has developed Koidu Holdings from concept stage into a solid mid-tier mining company. Creating the strategic vision for the Company, while also conceptualising and driving key operational aspects, he has executed projects under extremely difficult conditions with his “hands on” leadership of the dynamic and professional management team which he has assembled. Patrick Saada – Director B.Sc. Degree, Industrial Engineering and Management from Technion - Israel Institute of Technology. Patrick has extensive knowledge and experience in the diamond industry, having been part of the Steinmetz Diamond Group (SDG) (an affiliate of BSGR) prior to joining Koidu Holdings. During the 10 years as an executive director of SDG he also gained significant experience with large transactions and operating in Africa.
Dag Cramer – Director From 1989 to 2003 Dag was part of Anglo American's Finance Division, where he shaped his career in the resource and capital market sectors. Since then he has been CEO/CIO of BSG Capital Markets and BSG Management Services. Sandra Merloni-Horemans - Director Sandra has been part of Steinmetz group since 1989, initially with the Steinmetz Diamond Group, for 7 years, where she gained experience in the management and administration at group level. With 19 years of experience in natural resources, real estate, capital markets and investment management companies, she now serves as in-house corporate counsel and holds various directorships in several BSG group companies. Paramount Chief Paul Ngaba Saquee V – Government of Sierra Leone Representative Paramount Chief, Tankoro Chiefdom, Kono District, Sierra Leone As the principal host of the Company's Koidu Kimberlite Project, PC Saquee was appointed to represent the Government of Sierra Leone on the Board of Directors in September 2006. He was elected as the tribal head of Tankoro Chiefdom in March 2006, and acts as the primary link between the central government, local government and chiefdom people, with legislative, judicial and executive authority.

Executive & Management Committee

 Dino Coutinho – Chief Operating Officer Dino has worked in Sierra Leone since 1995, having served with PAE and the UN World Food Programme before joining the Company in 2003. Over the past eight years he held various senior management roles and successfully executed the Tongo bulk-sampling program in 2007. In 2009 he acted as Chief Executive Officer while Jan Joubert was on study leave and was appointed as Chief Operating Officer in 2010. Kobus Ronge – Chief Financial Officer Bachelor of Commerce (Hons) degree in Management Accounting with diplomas in Mining Taxation and Management Development Program (MDP). Kobus joined the company in 2004 bringing with him over 20 years experience with Gold Fields, Anglo American Gold and Konkola Copper Mines, across all operational and management levels within the field of finance. Dr Lauren Freeman – Chief Technical Officer PhD in Economic Geology and Graduate Diploma in Mining Engineering from the University of the Witwatersrand, Member of the South African Institute of Mining and Metallurgy, and member of the Geological Society of South Africa. Registered with the South African Council for Natural Scientific Professions. Dr Freeman joined Koidu Holdings in 2004 on secondment from the diamond consulting arm of BSGR in Johannesburg and was subsequently transferred to Koidu Holdings full time. She heads up the Geology Department, being responsible for mineral resource management, but also plays an important role in strategic planning, communications and growth of our resource portfolio. Ibrahim Kamara – Chief Communications Officer Masters degree in International Relations from Webster University, Diploma and B.A Honours degree in Mass Communication from Fourah Bay College, University of Sierra Leone, currently reading for an MBA at Henley Business School, UK. Ibrahim's mass communication background and experience in both print and electronic journalism has enabled him to rise through the ranks since joining the Company in 2007, first as an Administrator at the Koidu Kimberlite Project to his current position as CCO. He has worked for Regent's Business School in the UK, and a number of media and non-governmental organizations in Sierra Leone. He was Students' Union President at Fourah Bay College and Vice President of the National Union of Sierra Leone Students (NUSS).

Management Committee

 Junior Keyser – Principal Mining Engineer Bachelor of Engineering (Mining Engineering) degree from the University of Pretoria, 1995. Blasting, Mine Overseers and Mine Managers Certificates of Competency. Junior started his career with De Beers as Leaner Miner, but quickly moved to become a Production Manager. During his time with De Beers he managed both underground (Finch) as well as open pit (Venitia) mining departments on some of the largest diamond operations in the world. Apart from his time with De Beers, he also brought significant experience as Operations Manager at Anglo Gold Ashanti's Sadiola and Yatela Open Pit Gold Operations in West Africa, where he was responsible for business planning, ore reserves, mining operations and process plant related functions. Julien Rajan – Principal Process Engineer BSc degree in Metallurgical Engineering from the University of the Witwatersrand, MAP and registered Professional Engineer with the Engineering Council of South Africa (ECSA) and a member of the South African Institute of Mining and Metallurgy (SAIMM). He joined the Company from De Beers where he held various roles over 10 years in both project and production environments in South Africa, Canada and Tanzania. His most recent role was as a Metallurgical Manager at a new diamond mine in South Africa where he was responsible for the processing plant, from commissioning through to production. Luyanda Xulu – Principal Engineer Electrical Engineering degree from the University of Witwatersrand Luyanda's working career has spanned South Africa, Ghana and Mali. Prior to joining the Company he worked for De Beers as a shaft and ground handling Engineer at Cullinan diamond mine and at Venetia diamond mine where he assumed the Treatment Plant Engineer's role. He joined AngloGold Ashanti as a Divisional Engineering Manager for West African plants in Ghana. Niqui Irle - Principal Environmentalist Niqui has worked as an environmental and social consultant since 2002 and joined Koidu Holdings in 2011. Niqui's career spans South Africa, Mali, Botswana and Sierra Leone where she has been involved with numerous environmental and social impact assessments, public participation processes, environmental auditing and monitoring and community development programmes. She has also served in several honorary and elected positions, including the Secretary for the Wildlife and Environment Society of South Africa (Lowveld Region), Mbombela Waste Management Cooperation Initiative and Pappas Quarry Hazardous Landfill Site. Niqui oversees the implementation of the Company's environmental and social management programmes. Hans Hannweg – Principal Mineral Resource Manager B.Sc. Geology Honours, Member of the Geological Society of South Africa, a registered natural scientist with the South African Council for Natural Scientists and member of the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum. Hans is a diamond geologist with over 30 years experience in the mining industry, firstly with De Beers and then BHP Billiton. His experience extends to the full spectrum of mineral exploration, resource testing, estimation and feasibility studies on world class projects at a senior management, technical and operational level.

Project Managers

 Gert van der Westhuizen – Project Manager, Tonguma Project Gert "Wessie" is the Project Manager at the Tonguma Project. He joined the Company in 2008 and has over 20 years of experience in various Managerial roles in Sierra Leone, the Middle East and Kazakhstan. With over ten years of working experience in Sierra Leone and given his in depth country knowledge and management skills, Wessie was selected to lead the Tonguma Project Team. Keith Wills – Project Manager, Quarries & Aggregates MBA, Henley Business School (UK), BSC (HONS), Minerals Engineering, University of Birmingham, United Kingdom. Keith is a seasoned professional with 25 years' experience in the global building materials and mining sector. With a proven ability of successfully managing organisational change in the building materials sector and an ability to transform underperforming units, Keith is going to be instrumental in leading several infrastructure development projects for Koidu Holdings in Sierra Leone. John Murphy – Operations Managers, Freetown John joined the Company in 2003 and has over thirty years' experience in Logistic Operations. He played a key logistic role in the establishment of operations at the Koidu Kimberlite Project and the Tonguma Project (then called the Tongo Diamond Field Project). He oversees all Company operations in the capital, Freetown, and is currently co-ordinating the mobilization for the Expansion at the Koidu Kimberlite Project.

Head of Department

 Paul Lindsay – Head of Department: Mining, Koidu Kimberlite Project National Higher Diploma in Metalliferous Mining. Blasting, Mine Overseers and Mine Managers Certificates of Competency. Fellow of the Institute of Quarrying (UK), member of the South African Institute of Mining and Metallurgy. Programme for Management Development (PMD) from the University of Cape Town. Paul comes with a wealth of experience both in the diamond and gold mining sectors, where he managed various large open pits, with the distinction of having taken a large diamond operation through the transition from open pit into the underground mining phase. He also operated on some of the most technologically advanced mines in the world. Frederik Van Urk – Head of Department: Metallurgy, Koidu Kimberlite Project Frederik has 20 years of diamond mining experience in South Africa, Angola and Guinea. He started his career with Koidu Holdings in the Koidu Kimberlite Project Plant recovery section, before progressing to Shift Boss and finally Plant Manager in 2008. Brown Abedu – Head of Department: Geology, Koidu Kimberlite Project B.Sc. Geology (Hons) and Master of Philosophy in Geology (Mineral Exploration), University of Ghana, Legon. Currently studying Mineral Law and Policy (LL.M) at University of Dundee, Scotland. Brown joined the Company in 2008 after 8 years with Resource Service Group (RSG)-Global (now Coffey Mining). He also served as Teaching and Research Assistance at the Department of Geology, University of Ghana. With a strong background in exploration, he has played a significant role in the Company's scoping and feasibility studies and also manages production reporting, tracking and grade control systems. With a certificate in structural geology, he advises the Mining Department on structural issues.
Anuj Shah – Head of Department: Support Functions, Koidu Kimberlite Project MBA, Henley Business School (UK), General Management Program, S.P. Jain Institute of Management & Research, India, 2004. With a professional journey spanning over 12 years in companies such as IBM, 3 Global Services and Serco UK, he specialises in managing complex processes and possesses a strong record in implementing turnkey projects from source, solution, design to implementation phase. With a strong focus on service excellence and scalability, he is responsible for improving delivery standards and implementing process improvement initiatives across all our support functions. Henry Vagg – Head of Department: Community Development, Koidu Kimberlite Project HNC Land Surveying, ONC Building Quantities, Administration, Estimating, Construction and Drawing. Member of Association of Building Engineers (ABE), Associate member of Institute of Building (AIOB) and member of Registered Engineers for Disaster Relief (REDR-UK). Henry joined the management team in August 2011 after 5 years with DFID in Sierra Leone. He has over 28 years experience in community based projects funded by various international organisations. Has worked in resettlement, reintegration, peace building, reconstruction of civil infrastructure and food and agriculture security in Iraq, Sri-Lanka, Kosovo/Albania and Sierra Leone. Rocco Vermeulen – Head of Department: Security, Koidu Kimberlite Project Security Management Certification from the Private Security Regulatory Authority (PSIRA) and Health and Safety Qualification from Lexis Nexis (BOHSS) SAQA. Rocco served as a security consultant and risk manager with various private sector, governmental, UN and non-governmental organisations in Sierra Leone, and other African as well as several Middle Eastern countries.

Managers

 Gerhard Jacobsz – Open Pit Mining Engineer, Koidu Kimberlite Project Blasting Certificate of Competency. Numerous training qualifications including being an assessor and moderator with the Mining Qualification Authority (MQA) of South Africa. Gerhard has a wealth of large open pit mining experience gained in the diamond and platinum industries. He is an experienced practical miner, a vital skill required to successfully implement the open pit mining expansion plans. Arthur Plaskitt – Mine Planner, Koidu Kimberlite Project Arthur is a qualified mine surveyor and joined the Company as Mine Planning Officer and Chief Surveyor in 2005. He has extensive experience in mine surveying and planning, in the diamond, gold and coal mining industries. The ability to produce effective mine plans for execution is one of his main duties to ensure that the company reach its objectives and production targets.
Beverly Dinglasan – Financial Manager, Koidu Kimberlite Project BS Degree in Accountancy from Polytechnic University of the Philippines, Manila. Since starting her career in Financial Accounting over a decade ago, Beverly has held several pivotal roles in the financial accounting stream. She started her career with Caterpillar, Philippines, where she participated in the prestigious CAT Dealer Process Improvement programme in addition to representing the company in several seminars across the Asian continent. She joined the Koidu Kimberlite Project in 2006 and is currently responsible for building efficiencies and leading all our financial and audit processes. Mumbi Mulele – Human Resources and Admin Manager, Koidu Kimberlite Project Business and Administration Diploma from Cambridge College. Studying to complete her Bachelor of Commerce Degree in Management, University of South Africa. Mumbi leads the Human Resources and Administration Delivery function at the Koidu Kimberlite Project. Prior to joining Koidu Holdings, Mumbi worked with companies such as Fleet Africa and Cecil Nurse in South Africa. Tom Van Der Merwe – Logistics Manager, Koidu Kimberlite Project Trained professional in metallurgy, engineering and Flow-sort X-ray machines related to diamond processing and extraction. Tom currently leads the procurement and logistics function at Koidu Kimberlite Project. Prior to joining the Company he held several key positions with companies like Trans Hex Group, Etruscan Resources, Milestone Trading and Africa Gold & Diamonds.
Dr. Cecilio Meceda – Physician, Koidu Kimberlite Project MD, Our Lady of Fatima University, Philippines. Associate Training, Tondo Medical Center, Department of Internal Medicine, Manila. Having spent over 9 years in the African continent providing end to end medical services to various mining companies such as ITM Angola, AMB Mining Congo and also to the Armed Forces Medical Centers, Dr Meceda is a key member of the Koidu Kimberlite Project support functions unit. In addition to looking after the healthcare needs of all our employees and their families, he is also responsible for driving medical awareness and policy adherence at Koidu Holdings. Rochelle Rivera – IT Manager, Koidu Kimberlite Project BSc degree in Computer Engineering. Rochelle has significant experience in the IT domain having worked, delivered and managed diverse technology projects. With her strong IT management background she is responsible for the technology development function at the Koidu Kimberlite Project, which includes maintaining IT policies, system applications, inventory control and support services for end users. Abu Nallah – Financial Manager, Freetown Diploma in Accounting in Business and Management from the College of Professionals Management in Jersey, UK. Abu previously worked for the National Diamond Mining Company (NDMC) as an accountant and this experience has proved a valuable asset to the Company. His meticulous financial practice has helped make Koidu Holdings one of the most successful companies in Sierra Leone. Fatoma Kallon – Logistics Manager, Freetown Diploma in Stores Management and Stock Control from the Institute of Commercial Management Bournemouth, UK. Fatoma Kallon's excellent communications skills and attention to detail enabled him to work his way up the Company ladder, to assume an important position in the Logistics Department. In his current role, Fatoma is responsible for the movements of all Company imports by air, sea and road into Sierra Leone. Ndakolo Namueja – Operations Security Manager, Koidu Kimberlite Project Grade A certification in Security Management from the South African Private Security Industry Regulatory Authority (PSIRA). A natural leader with 24 years of security experience, serving for 6 years in the South African Police Service, followed by 10 years of operational experience in the field gained while working in Africa for various companies as a security consultant, before joining the Company in 2003. With 15 years' experience in Sierra Leone, he has established strong relationships within the local national and district security divisions and developed a comprehensive understanding of local customs and traditions. Abdul Mansaray – Stores Manager, Koidu Kimberlite Project Technician Diploma in Accounting and Graduate from the University of Sierra Leone, Institute of Public Administration and Management. With his pragmatic approach and strong negotiating skills, he has moved across several key positions within the Company's procurement and stores division. In his current role, Abdul is responsible for the reordering of all consumables and other spare parts to support steady state of production on the mine, as well as managing and controlling receipts and issues of all Company assets. Abdul Rahman Shaw – Chief Instructor: Earth Moving Fleet, Koidu Kimberlite Project Abdul has been involved with Koidu Holdings since 2005, initially as a mining supervisor, before undergoing training at the Volvo Factory in Sweden as a training instructor. He is also a proficient operator and trainer on numerous other equipment types and classes. With this experience, he has been at the forefront of the entire on-site vehicle operator training project, specifically responsible for the assessments, testing, examination and evaluation of the equipment operators. Phillip Sorboeh – Community Liaison and Agricultural Development Facilitator , Koidu Kimberlite Project B. Sc. Degree in Development Studies from St. Clements University (Distance Learning in Degree Programme UK). He joined Koidu Holdings in 2003 as the Public Relations Facilitator, acting as the conduit between the Company and the Community. Phillip was sent to South Africa in 2007 to undergo training in vegetable gardening and management at the University of Free State in Bloemfontein. As an indigene of Kono, Philip is passionate about the development of his community.