Our Team

Directors

Stephen Everett

Non-Executive Chairman

A graduate of chemical engineering from UNSW, Stephen has more than 40 years board and management experience in the resources and construction industries both in Australia and overseas.  Stephen's vast management experience includes production and project management, marketing, corporate restructuring, debt/equity financing and government relations.  His senior executive positions have included Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of private and publicly listed companies.  Stephen was formerly Chairman of BeMaX Resources NL, Australian Solomons Gold Limited and JMS Civil and Mining Pty Ltd and is currently Chairman of Global Resources Corporation Limited and IronRidge Resources Limited in addition to being Independent Company Chairman of MetroCoal.

Andrew L Gillies

Non-Executive Director

A highly-regarded mineral resources manager and strategic planner, Andrew Gillies has been Executive Director and Managing Director of ASX-listed Metallica Minerals Limited and its subsidiaries since 1997. Andrew has been instrumental in the selection and acquisition of all the mineral assets now held by the Metallica Group, Cape Alumina Limited (ASX-CBX) and MetroCoal Limited. He is a founding Director of MetroCoal and founder of Metallica – a company in which he is a major shareholder through his geological consultancy firm Golden Breed Pty.Ltd. Specialising in project generation, selection and acquisitions within the mineral resources sector, Andrew has considerable knowledge of Queensland's mineral deposits. Since 1985 he has worked continuously as a geologist in the mining and exploration industry, accruing over 24 years experience across a range of commodities. Andrew has been a company geologist with BHP Gold Mines Ltd, Perseverance Corporation Ltd and Cracow Mining Venture and worked as a consulting geologist for various exploration companies until his full time role with Metallica in 1997. He has valuable experience in the fields of exploration, feasibility, development, open pit and underground mining of mineral deposits. Andrew is also a Director of Cape Alumina Limited, Orion Metals Limited, Planet Metals Limited and the Queensland Resources Council. He graduated from the University of Queensland in 1985 with a BSc (Geology) and is a Member of the Aus.I.M.M.

John K Haley

Non-Executive Director

John Haley brings more than 30 years of senior corporate experience in Canada and Australia to the board of MetroCoal. He is Company Secretary, Chief financial Officer and Executive Director of Metallica Minerals Limited and has been employed by Metallica since late 2003. John is now an Alternate Director, and was previously also Company Secretary and Chief Financial Officer of Cape Alumina Limited. In a diverse career, he has participated as a seed capitalist in a number of mineral exploration companies, gained extensive experience in the preparation of prospectuses and had significant involvement in the listing of companies in Australia and Canada. John is a Chartered Accountant (Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants), an Associate of the Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators and a Fellow of the Taxation Institute of Australia. He has previously worked with Coopers & Lybrand and Arthur Andersen & Co and in Australia in general management, financial reporting and company secretarial positions. John's formal academic qualifications include a Master of Business Administration and Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Queensland.

Michael Hansel

Non-Executive Director

As a partner with large Queensland law firm HopgoodGanim Lawyers which he joined in 1998, Michael Hansel practices almost exclusively in the corporate sector, with an emphasis on capital raising, mergers, acquisitions, joint ventures, due diligence, takeovers and restructuring. Michael acts for many publicly-listed resource and industrial companies in Australia and regularly advises Boards of Directors on corporate governance and related issues. He has acted on numerous mergers and acquisitions and capital raisings in both the industrial and resources sectors. Michael holds qualifications in Business, Commerce (Honours) and Law (Honours). He is a member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and is admitted to practice as a solicitor of the Supreme Court of Queensland.

Lindsay Ward

Non-Executive Director

Lindsay Ward has 25 years broad experience holding executive positions in resources, ports, rail and logistics, all of which are relevant to MetroCoal's Surat Basin and future coal projects.

Mr. Ward's previous experience includes General Manager Mining of the Yallourn Energy open cut coal mine in Victoria and senior mining engineering roles including with BHP Australia Coal. Mr. Ward is currently Managing Director of Dart Mining NL (ASX-DTM), a Victorian based molybedeum-copper-silver explorer. His previous role was as General Manager, Patrick Ports and Pacific National Bulk Rail – a business unit within Asciano Limited.

Wang Dongping

Non-Executive Director

Mr Wang Dongping graduated from the China Mining University in 1981, with a Major in Coal Processing Technology. Mr. Wang was Process Plant Manager, and later Director of Operations at Pingshuo Antaibao coal mine for many years; a World Bank funder USA – China joint venture project. Mr. Wang then worked for a time in the China Coal Ministry. He later became General Manager of Long-Airdox (Tianjin), where from 1997 he was instrumental in introducing modern coal process technology from Australia to China. Mr. Wang became General Manager of Schenck (Tianjin) and worked there until 2007. He then helped establish the Dadi Engineering Group, now China's largest coal industry engineering group. Mr. Wang is now Chairman of Dadi Engineering Development Group. Mr. Wang Dongping has worked at the highest level within the Chinese coal industry for 30 years and is a highly renown coal processing expert, and a prominent figure in the Chinese coal industry. Wang Dongping brings extensive Management experience and an intimate knowledge of modern coal process technology to MetroCoal.

Robert Finch

Non-Executive Director

Mr. Robert Finch brings more than 23 years of Management experience to MetroCoal, including over 17 years in the Australian and Chinese coal industries. He has worked in Australia and throughout Asia for over 22 years. Robert has a strong association and sound knowledge of Chinese business culture, and both the Australian and Chinese Coal industries. Robert was instrumental in pioneering modern coal process technology into China and he worked in China for 4 years up to mid 2006 as Managing Director of Schenck Tianjin, a major process equipment manufacturing company. In 2008 he established and is Managing Director of Aury Australia, a coal process equipment manufacturing company based in Queensland, which supplies process equipment to the Australian and overseas coal and minerals industries. Robert offers both Australian and Chinese coal industry experience, and Management skills to MetroCoal.

Management Team

Mike O'Brien

Chief Executive Officer

Mike O'Brien brings a 35-year mining and minerals background to MetroCoal including over 25 years extensive management experience with multinational companies Shell Coal and Anglo coal (subsidiary of Anglo American). He has worked in operational roles as General Manager of a large underground longwall mine, General Manager of a very large opencast mine that included a coal seam gas (CSG) operation and held senior corporate positions such as General Manager of Shell Coal's technical group that included responsibility for the mining, geological and engineering development. Mike has also held the role of CEO of a small listed company operating in the coal and gas industries in Australia and New Zealand. Offering broad coal-industry knowledge and an expertise in strategic planning underpinned by strong skills in operations management and technical evaluation, he holds a B.Sc. (Min)(Eng) from the University of Witwatersrand.

Theo Psaros

Chief Operating Officer

A Chartered Accountant with considerable experience in financial management and administration, Theo Psaros holds a Bachelor of Financial Administration from the University of New England. His management career includes work with some of Australia's most recognisable financial and sporting names while as a Chartered Accountant he has held roles with Coopers & Lybrand and PricewaterhouseCoopers. Theo has specialist skills and expertise in business advisory services, valuations and corporate finance transactions. He has worked in London for three years in a variety of roles gaining international experience in the financial sector. He was CEO of Queensland Rugby Union and more recently CEO of the Porsche Carrera Cup Australia.

Neil Mackenzie-Forbes

Columboola Joint Venture General Manager

Neil Mackenzie-Forbes is a geologist with 17 years varied experience in coal, oil shale, gold and base metals. Working for companies such as Metallica Minerals, Suncor Energy, Southern Pacific Petroleum, Australian Resources, Gympie Eldorado Mining and Queensland Metals Corporation, he has accrued extensive exploration and mining experience including the fields of resource and mine development. Neil has worked for MetroCoal for the last five years initiating the company's tenements and generating projects and establishing large coal resources for future development. Neil graduated from the Queensland University of Technology with a Bachelor of Applied Science in 1993.

Nicholas Villa

Project Manager

Nicholas Villa holds a B.Sc Geology (Hons) from the University of Newcastle and has experience in coal and coal seam gas exploration as well as coal and metalliferous mining. He has worked on a range of projects throughout New South Wales, Queensland and Western Australia, including a number within the Sydney Basin, Clarence-Moreton Basin, Gunnedah Basin, Surat Basin and Bowen Basin. He is experienced in contractor management for multiple rig exploration programmes and has operated as Onsite Client Representative and Site Safety Manager in addition to his role as Geologist.

Nicholas' wide ranging experience in exploration and mining operations across multiple commodities and locations ensures MetroCoal can achieve its objectives for current and future projects in an efficient and cost effective manner.

Ed Radley

Manager Geology

Ed is a professional geologist with over seventeen years of experience in the mining industry. He has carried out numerous resource estimations and technical assessments of mining and exploration properties in Australia, Africa, China, Indonesia and New Zealand. His experience includes all aspects of mine, resource and exploration geology, including geological mapping, core logging, resource reporting, through to project management of resource definition and exploration programs. Ed has been involved with various stages of mine development ranging from exploration through to managing aspects of feasibility studies.

Commodities that Ed has worked with include coal, gold, alumina, copper, and iron. With reference to the JORC guidelines he has sufficient experience and ability to Competent Person in both coal and gold. Ed graduated from the University of Canterbury in New Zealand, with a Bachelor of Science (Geology) in 1993.

Alistair Robertson

Community Relationship Manager

Alistair is an experienced Relationship Management professional developing his skills across various sectors over the last 12 years. Alistair has held Relationship Management positions in Banking & Finance, Real Estate & Media. Alistair has proven abilities of developing relationships with key stakeholders to achieve business growth and continuity. Alistair graduated from Queensland University of Technology in 1998 with a Bachelor of Business Communications.

Ryan Wagner

Environmental & Safety Manager

Ryan is an environmental/engineering geologist with over 11 years of varied experience in environmental and project management. He has worked for the US Coast Guard, Coffey Environments and the Department of Environment and Resource Management (DERM). He has a wide and varied background in managing and leading teams in environmental compliance and audits both on a federal and state level, investigations and contaminated site clean-up and remediation. Ryan has the proven ability in developing relationships with key stakeholders and community groups to achieve viable and positive environmental outcomes. Ryan graduated from Western Washington University with a Bachelor of Science in 1995.