Madini brings together a group of high profile, experienced, African focused mining entrepreneurs and operators with a proven track record of delivery. The core of the team has worked together for many years and has historically been responsible for the development of a number of small and large scale mining projects both on the African continent and beyond. The team's high degree of ownership ensures effective alignment with the interests of all shareholders and stakeholders.
Iain Macpherson is a seasoned mining executive with over 30 years’ experience in senior management and executive roles in both the junior and major mining sectors. He has a track record of operating, developing and financing mining projects, including having led a number of significant stock market listings, specifically on the London, UK and North American markets and has developed a network of private and institutional investors In the junior sector he operated in senior operational and executive roles in Western and Eastern Europe and Russia including the development of three new mining projects before moving to South Africa as UraMin’s Chief Operating Officer and subsequently CEO. From late 2009 to July 2014 he was Chief Executive Officer of Elemental, building the team that has taken the project through exploration into project development and raising the finance to support the successful fast-track project strategy, delivering an on-time and on-budget advanced pre-feasibility study in September 2012. In late 2014 Iain co-founded Madini with a group of similarly experienced mining professionals focussing on African near cash high margin mining projects. Iain has always retained a strong focus on building and developing capability within the teams that he has put together, a feature that he maintains is one of the key pillars to success.
Ilja has spent the past 20 years working in the mining industry, with a commercial focus on both the equity and debt markets and assessing those in line with his corporate development responsibilities and evaluating the strategic opportunities afforded to the companies he has worked for. He entered the mining industry after completing his business school studies while still active as a journalist with Business Day as Companies and Markets Editor, where, prior to this position, he covered the resources and commodity industries as well as capital markets. Ilja co-founded Madini in late 2014 with Iain with whom he worked previously at Elemental Minerals developing the IR and communication position while also assisting with corporate development and financing. His past board positions included non-executive directorships at Emperor Mines, Goldmoney.com and Rand Refinery Limited. Ilja has worked primarily in emerging markets with a strong focus on Africa, while he has capital markets experience in various jurisdictions including ASX, SEHK, JSE, LSE, NYSE, NASDAQ and the TSX. Ilja has spoken at numerous emerging market and investor conferences and has dealt with both buy-side and sell-side investors in all major capital market destinations around the world and has played an active and front-line role in being the spokesperson for his employers.
Lawrence is currently (2019 – Current) the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of the Madini Minerals Group. Lawrence is responsible for all the group financial activities and reporting processes, as well as contributing to the strategic direction of the group along with the senior management team. Prior to this role, Lawrence was the Chief Financial Officer and Joint Company Secretary (2010 to 2018) of Kore Potash Ltd (previously Elemental Minerals Ltd (ELM)), a London Stock Exchange (LSE) and Australian Stock Exchange (ASX) dual listed mineral exploration Company. Earlier in his career, (2004-2009) Lawrence formed and took the role of Managing Director of DF2 Consulting (Pty) Ltd, a South African specialist financial outsourcing entity. It was during this period that he was seconded under a long term contract by Barclays Bank plc, to assist with the strategy, analysis and implementation of their consolidation strategy on the African continent. Prior to forming DF2 Consulting in 2004, in 1998, he joined Gensec Bank Ltd, as financial manager responsible for the group underwriting division. In 1999 he was transferred to Dublin, Ireland, where he was tasked with setting up the entire Irish operation, from regulatory licenses to complete operational functioning. During his tenure in Ireland, he was involved in the set-up, operations and investment management of the companies offshore underwriting funds.
Julien has 13 years of experience in mining, corporate development, legal and management roles. Prior to joining Madini Minerals as partner in 2020, Julien held a number of senior roles in both the major and junior mining sector including Head of Legal of Areva Southern Africa (following the acquisition of the Uramin Group) and General Manager of Areva in Mongolia (renamed Orano) and of Elemental Minerals in the Republic of the Congo (renamed Kore Potash) before overseeing ESG Business development matters. Prior to joining the mining industry, he spent 7 years mainly in the infrastructure and energy industries as In-house lawyer where he gained strong business acumen through multiple commercial negotiations involving mainly cross border transactions with multi-year engagements. Julien has always had a strong focus on ESG as a business principle when structuring and implementing country operational strategies in various countries, mainly in Africa, which helps him navigate the complex matter of government relations and external positioning, strengthening the company to secure its social license to operate.
Rob has over 20 years of finance experience specifically focused within the mining industry and general investment in Africa. As a Chartered Accountant he has been involved in many aspects of corporate and finance activity and has held executive and senior positions with a number of companies, as well as served on a number of public and private company boards. He received his B.Com and CTA degrees from the University of Cape Town and completed his articles with Deloitte and Touché in 1993. Following this he became financial director and a shareholder in a cosmetics company called Justine Beautilabs. During his tenure they sold the business to Avon – the largest direct selling company in the world. He then became the financial director of Privest Group Limited and was instrumental in the company’s listing on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange in 1998. In 2000 he became the managing director of the group’s major subsidiary and served in this position until 2002. After leaving Privest he became a shareholder and financial advisor to an exploration mine in Zimbabwe. In 2003 he joined African Mining Investments Limited, a mining company in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. He then later joined Uramin as General Manager for South Africa and then CFO – Africa. Rob left Uramin in the position of General Council to the Managing Director. He then joined Lonrho in March 2008 as country manager South and Southern Africa and was responsible for the businesses in the region. These included diverse industries such as hotels, construction, IT, water purification and agriculture. Rob spent some time at Sekoko, a coal mining junior, in 2011 as CEO and left to pursue his own interests which is a diversified investment company focusing on Africa called ISO Africa Limited. He is currently a non-executive director and shareholder of an agro-processing business called Dynamic Intertrade (Pty) Ltd and he is also Chairman of a business supplying products to the mining and hydrocarbon industries in Africa. He was also a non-executive director of William Tell Holdings Limited a wood based company listed on the Johannesburg Stock exchange. Rob is a member of the South African Institute of Chartered Accountants
Roger started his career as a geologist working for both British Petroleum and Anglovaal Mining in Botswana and South Africa, focused on coal and gold. Following the completion of his Master’s Degree in Hydrogeology, Roger transitioned into the financial world, working initially as a trader, then researcher for the World Gold Council and then as both a mining analyst and mining sales specialist. Roger moved into senior investment banking management advising companies on capital markets across a number of jurisdictions and stock exchanges, capital raises and general corporate strategy, always maintaining a strong focus on Africa and the natural resource opportunities the continent presents. Roger was most recently CEO of the London office of Dundee Capital Markets and MD of Investment Banking. Over his 22 year career focusing on mining equity capital markets, Roger has worked with close to 50 companies to raise many billion dollars in equity capital. Notable deals range from $1.5bn for Xstrata’s 2002 IPO, $500m in 2007 for Aricom, the Russian iron ore developer, $120m for Petra Diamonds in a transformational deal in 2009; $98m for African Iron in 2012 (which was taken over by Exxaro within a year at a 90% premium to listing price). Many deals have been repeat financings, including four financings for Trevali, the TSX zinc developer. These raises have allowed Trevali to transition from a developer to a two mine zinc producer. Roger has a record of adding quality long term investors to companies’ share register, who provide long term repeat financial support for growing companies.
Nicolas Grech-Cumbo is a field and exploration geologist with more than 10 years of experience, he has setup and run a number of green and brownfield operations in Africa. Nic enjoys a hands-on approach and has worked in some of the most challenging places on the continent including South Sudan, Burundi and the Democratic Republic of Congo, exploring for a diversity of commodities. In parallel to exploration work Nic also runs a company which specialises in remote sensing and GIS for the mining, exploration and environmental sectors.