Directors & management

The company is currently run by Lester Kemp (Managing Director), Rupert Baring (Director) and Mike Brennan (who recently joined the company as Technical & Operations Director on the 1st August). Up until the end of July, Mike worked as a consultant to the Metorex Group of South Africa, where he was responsible for managing a feasibility study on the company's Ruashi copper-cobalt project in the DRC.

Executive directors

Lester Kemp (BSc (Hons) MSc DIC MBA)

Lester Kemp, Managing Director. A geologist by training, Lester has been actively involved in both diamond, gold and base metals exploration throughout Africa, South America and Western Europe for a number of junior mining companies (e.g. Canarc Guyana Resources and Serabi Mining) and mining entrepreneurs.

Rupert Baring (ex-De Beers)

Rupert Baring, Director, is a highly experienced diamond broker with in-depth knowledge of the international diamond trade / site holders business, having been trained by and worked for De Beers and I. Hennig & Co (broker to the Diamond Trading Corporation) sorting and valuing rough diamonds as well as running diamond stations for De Beers in Africa.

Mike Brennan (MSc Economic Geology (Rhodes, SA)

Mike Brennan, Technical & Operations Director, has worked for a variety of companies including Anglo American Corporation of South Africa (Diamond Division), Auridiam Zimbabwe (Pty) Ltd, Reunion Mining (Zimbabwe) Pty Ltd, Delta Gold (Zimbabwe) Limited, African Mining Consultants, Mopani Copper Mines plc and more recently Metorex Limited. Mike is particularly skilled in the evaluation and operation of mining projects and also in mineral exploration.

Non-executive directors

James Macdonald (Ph.D. and M.Sc., Economic Geology, University of Toronto; B.A. (Hons.). Geology, Oxford University, UK)

James Macdonald was until recently Global Geoscience Leader for BHP Billiton in Brisbane (Australia). James has extensive relevant management experience in mineral deposits geology and exploration on six continents and has held the following positions:

• Global Geoscience Leader - BHP Billiton, Australia
• Chief Geoscientist - Billiton International Metals B.V., The Hague
• Exploration Manager - Homestake Mining Company, Chile
• Research Associate - Mineral Deposit Research Unit, Vancouver

James will play an increasing important technical advisory / knowledge management role within the company.

Management

Nathan Adamson (Group Financial Controller)

A Certified Practising Accountant by profession, Nathan was Group Financial Controller for Oxus Gold Plc prior to joining Mantle. Previous employers include Diageo, HSBC (Investment Banking & Markets), GlaxoSmithKline and BHP Billiton (Boodarie Iron, South Headland).

Carlos Fernandes (Office Manager)

Carlos joined the company over a year ago as our Office Manager and is the first point of contact at our office in London.