Board of Directors
Christopher Palmer-Tomkinson
(Non-Executive Chairman)
Christopher graduated from Oxford University and joined Cazenove in 1963. He served as a partner from 1972 until 2001 and as managing director of international corporate finance until May 2002. He was responsible at various times for Cazenove’s African and Australian business focussing on the resource sector. Christopher is also a former director of Highland Gold Mining Limited. He is a member of both the Remuneration Committee and the Audit Committee.
Dekel Golan
(Chief Executive Officer)
Dekel Golan is a graduate of Tel Aviv University. Formerly president of Apex Asia LDC, a subsidiary of Apex Silver Mines Limited, he has extensive experience in developing businesses, in emerging economies as well as the developed world. Dekel was the founder and Executive Chairman of APC Limited, a coffee and tea producer in Africa. In addition, he has advised a number of international and Israeli companies on business development. Prior to those activities Dekel was Vice President of Business Development of Supersol, the largest retail operator in Israel and worked at Dead Sea Bromine Group, the world’s largest bromine producer.
Alexander Novak
(Executive Director)
Alex Novak is a graduate of the Kazakh Polytechnic Institute (M.Sc). He has assisted companies investing in Kyrgyzstan in various aspects of finance, administration and representation with the authorities since 2000. He has more than 25 years experience in all aspects of business management in Central Asia including negotiations with governmental institutions, contractors, preparation of development plans, monitoring of operations and public relations.
From 1992 to 1995, he was a founding partner and a director of Maya Elev Diamond Limited, a diamond processing plant in Russia. From 1978 though to 1990, Mr Novak held several positions at numerous construction companies in Kazakhstan, including Director of KazStroiMontajAvtomatika. Alex is the sole director of Chaarat Zaav.
Linda Naylor
(Finance Director)
Linda is a graduate of the London School of Economics and a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England & Wales. A former partner in Grant Thornton UK LLP, her experience gained over more than twenty years included working as a nominated adviser in the Capital Markets team from 1996 and as an audit partner specialising in the natural resource sector.
(Non-Executive Director)
Rob Weinberg gained his doctorate in geology from Oxford University and has more than 35 years of international mining industry experience. He is an independent mining research analyst and consultant. He is a Fellow of the Geological Society of London and also a Fellow of the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining.
Rob brings a wealth of marketing and investment banking experience to the Company having held executive positions that include being Managing Director, Institutional Investment at the World Gold Council. Previously he was a Director of the Investment Banking Division of Deutsche Bank in London, head of the global mining research team at SG Warburg Securities and head of the mining team at James Capel & Co. He was formerly Marketing Manager of the Gold and Uranium Division of Anglo American Corporation of South Africa Ltd.
Dr Weinberg has been an independent non-executive Director of Kasbah Resources Ltd, listed on the ASX, since 15th November 2006, also of Medusa Mining Ltd since July 1st 2006 (listed on the ASX , LSE and TSX), and of AIM listed Solomon Gold plc since 22nd November 2005. He is also an independent non-executive Director of Metallon Corporation Plc, a private company.
John Scott
(Acting Project Manager)
John Scott is a mechanical engineer by profession and is a Fellow of the Institute of Materials Handling and a member of the Project Management Institute.
He has over 35 years experience in project engineering and project management. He has extensive expertise in the management of medium and large minerals and metals processing plant projects including the Venetia Diamond Mine, Hartley Platinum, Tubatse Ferrochrome and the Moma Mineral Sands projects.
Dushen Kasenov
(Deputy Project Manager)
Dushen completed his PhD at the Institute of Civil Engineering in Moscow in 1986, he is also a gradute in Civil Engineering of Frunze Institute, Bishkek. He holds various vocational qualifications in management, health and safety and Engineering. In 1997 he was awarded an Honorary Diploma from the Kyrgyz Republic for his commissioning and construction of the Kumtor Gold Mine.
Dushen has worked extensively in Kygyzstan and has far reaching knowledge of development and engineering processes and strategies within the country. -
During his time at Kumtor he worked as a manager in many areas including environment, projects and safety. Dushen has also worked as Deputy General Director of construction for Kazakhmys Gold Kyrgyzstan LLC as well as a supervisor for UrAsia in Kyrgyzstan and as a consultant for Kazakhmys Projects LLC, Karaganda & Almaty, Republic of Kazakhstan.
(Vice President - Geology)
Sunit Patel holds a B.Sc. (Honours) degree in Geology from Sambalpur University, India and a M.Sc. (Geology) from Berhampur University, India. He is a Fellow of the Geological Society of India, the Geological Society of London and a Member of the Geological Society of South Africa and has more than 20 research publications to his credit. Sunit was a Senior Exploration Geologist with the Geological Survey of India.
He has more than 20 years in Greenfield and Brownfield exploration including gold exploration in Noa Dihing valley - India. Before joining Chaarat, he established and led a large exploration department for CHEMAF s.p.r.l. in DRC. Prior to his move to the commercial sector Sunit served the Geological Survey of India as Senior Exploration Geologist.
Suresh Kalathil
(Mine Manager)
Suresh graduated from Bangalore University as a mining engineer in 1992. During his 17 years of operating experience he has held open pit and underground Mine and Operations Manager roles for Vedanta Resources plc and Mawarid Mining in India, Armenia, Zambia and Oman. His expertise is in all aspects of mine operations, development and management.