BOARD & MANAGEMENT
John Patrick Horan FCPA, FCIS
Chairman
Mr John Horan is a Fellow of the Australian Society of Certified Practising Accountants, a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Secretaries in Australia, a Member of the Finance and Treasury Association Limited and a Member of the Australian Mining and Petroleum Law Association. He has many years experience in the financial, corporate, technical and management areas of the mining industry.
Mr Horan has established a large network of leading stockbrokers, corporate bankers, financial analysts, institutional investors and fund managers in Australian and overseas financial markets. In July 1993 he established Adelaide Resource Management Pty Ltd to provide corporate advisory services to the mining industry. He has been a director of a number of Australian Stock Exchange listed companies (including Lynas Corporation Limited) and is currently a Director of Adelaide Resources Limited, and TSX/ASX listed Golden China Resources Corporation.
Mr Horan was the finance director of Homestake Gold of Australia Limited, one of Australia's largest gold producers, from 1987 until June 1993. He first joined Homestake in 1978 and was responsible for financial, commercial and corporate management functions prior to 1987 when he played a substantial role in the float of the Australian subsidiary. He also fulfilled key responsibilities in subsequent very large debt and equity capital raisings.
From the early 1960s until the second half of the 1970s he held various financial accounting, corporate administrative and management positions in Poseidon Limited and CRA Limited, following initial technical experience in CRA's mining operations at Broken Hill.
Leslie Sidney George Emery
Managing Director
Mr Les Emery has been involved in the Western Australian mining industry for more than 35 years and has experience in exploration, mining and corporate administration. Until June 2001 he was Managing Director of Lynas Corporation Limited (formerly Lynas Gold NL) for 15 years and was instrumental in the transition of that Company from explorer to gold producer with the development of the Lynas Find Gold Mine and the subsequent relocation of the Lynas Find treatment plant to the Paraburdoo region to form and operate the Paraburdoo Gold Project in joint venture with Sipa Exploration NL. In 1999 Mr Emery negotiated the entry of Lynas Corporation into that company's now core business, the Mt Weld rare earths and tantalum/niobium project.
In addition to Lynas Corporation Limited, Mr Emery has previously been a director of a number of listed Australian resource companies, including Herald Resources Limited (as Managing Director), Sundowner Minerals NL, Roebuck Resources NL and Acclaim Exploration NL. From 1975 - 1981 he was employed by the Western Australian Department of Mines (now the Department of Mineral and Petroleum Resources). Prior to this he was employed by Western Mining Corporation Limited.
Mr Emery is a past Vice President and Executive Councillor of the Association of Exploration and Mining Companies Inc (AMEC) and has served as a commissioned officer in the Australian Citizen Military Forces (now Army Reserve).
Douglas Dunnet B.Sc.(Hons), PhD F.AusIMM
Non-Executive Director
Dr Doug Dunnet is a geologist with over 30 years experience. He has a strong background in management of mining project initiation and development in Australia and North America, including 14 years with the Anaconda (USA) group of companies, culminating as Exploration Manager for the Australian subsidiary during the period 1980-1983. He has extensive experience in the Archaean and Proterozic rocks of Australia and North America.
In 1984 Dr Dunnet became a principal of Aurex Pty Ltd , a contracting and consulting company. In 1987 he initiated the listing of and became Managing Director of Orion Resources NL and a director of Ranger Minerals Ltd . He was subsequently instrumental in acquiring a 45% interest in the Yilgarn Star Gold Mine near Southern Cross and guiding Orion to a market capitalisation of over $130 million, prior to the takeover by Sons of Gwalia NL. This included the successful transition from significant open pit mining to major underground mining operations producing in excess of 100,000 ounces of gold per annum.
Dr Dunnet also served as Chairman of Paladin Resources Limited, a listed Australian mineral exploration company, from 1994 until December 2002.
Sir Rabbie Namaliu, GCL, CSM, KCMG, BA, MA, HonLLD
Non-Executive Director
Sir Rabbie Namaliu served as Foreign Affairs & Immigration Minister in the Government of Papua New Guinea from August 2002 to July 2006 and Minister for Treasury from July 2006 to August 2007. He served as Prime Minister between 1988-1992 and Speaker of the National Parliament between 1994-1997. He earlier served as Foreign Minister, 1982-84 and has held several other senior Ministries including Primary Industry, and Petroleum & Energy since his first election to Parliament as MP for Kokopo (East New Britain) in 1982.
As Foreign Minister, Sir Rabbie was President of the ACP Council of Ministers and Co-President of the ACP-EU Council of Ministers with the Foreign Minister for Ireland. He also chaired the Pacific Islands Forum Ministerial Committee on the proposed amalgamation of the Forum and Pacific Community in 1984, the other members being the Foreign Ministers of New Zealand and Tonga.
Sir Rabbie had a distinguished public service before entering Parliament. He was Chairman of the Public Services Commission from 1976-1979 and earlier served as Principal Private Secretary to the Chief Minister and then first Prime Minister, Sir Michael Somare from 1974 - 1975 and in 1976 he served as East New Britain Provincial Commissioner.
He was a Senior Tutor and later Lecturer in History at the University of Papua New Guinea, and was the first Papua New Guinean graduate to be appointed to the University's academic staff.
Sir Rabbie holds a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree from UPNG, and a Master of Arts (MA) degree from the University of Victoria, British Columbia, Canada and an Honorary Doctorate of Laws (Hon.LLD) from the same University.
Sir Rabbie is currently Chancellor of the University of Vudal from August 2007.
Susanne Sesselmann
Non-Executive Director
Ms Sesselmann has 20 years experience in banking, including 10 years in investment banking and project finance throughout the world. She holds both a Bachelor of Arts and Masters Degree in Languages from the University of Innsbruck in Austria and is currently a Director of the leading international private equity resource fund, The Sentient Group, and also the Meridiam Infrastructure Fund.
The Sentient Group, a major shareholder in Marengo, manages over US$900 million in the development of quality metal, mineral and energy assets across the globe through its Caymans-based, 10 year closed-end private equity fund Sentient Global Resources Funds. Sentient Global Resources Fund II is a 23.78% shareholder in Marengo.
Based in Munich, Germany, Ms Sesselmann headed up the Private Equity Funds Group for asset-based private equity funds at HypoVereinsbank until 2006, having first joined in 1987. As a project manager she was involved in a wide range of projects in Europe, the USA and Australia, where she focused particularly on transactions in the transportation and private-public partnership ("PPP") sectors.
Since 1998 Ms Sesselmann has concentrated on the lead arranging of finance for projects including the new Athens Airport, various bridge and tunnel projects in France and major highway projects in Portugal.
John Hick, BA, LLB
Non-Executive Director
Mr Hick has over 25 years of experience in the mining industry in both senior management positions and as an independent director, during which he has spent the majority of his time based in Toronto, Canada.
He is currently the Non-Executive Chairman of Silver Eagle Mines Inc - a TSX listed mining company - which is currently developing a silver-base metal property in Mexico. He is also an independent director of a number of TSX (or TSXV) listed mining companies including First Uranium Corporation, Carpathian Gold Inc, Revett Minerals Inc. and Hudson Resources Inc, as well as ASX-listed mining company, Tamaya Resources Limited.
Previously Mr Hick has held board and senior management positions with a number of successful Canadian mining companies, including Placer Dome Inc, TVX Gold Inc, Defiance Mining Corp, Rio Narcea Gold Mines Ltd, Geomaque Explorations Ltd and Rayrock Resources Inc.
Elizabeth Martin, CMA
Non-Executive Director
Ms Martin is a Toronto based, professional accountant with a strong background in international exploration and mining companies. She has held senior management roles in base metal and precious metal companies such as Northgate Mines Inc., Western Mining Corporation Limited, IAMGOLD Corporation and High River Gold Mines Ltd.
Ms Martin is currently on the Board of Aura Minerals Inc. and Manicouagan Minerals Inc. and also holds the position of Chair of the Board of St. John's Rehabilitation Hospital in Toronto.
Samuel Akoitai
Director - Marengo Mining (PNG) Limited
Mr Sam Akoitai was born on the PNG island of Bougainville and gained experience in the minerals industry through his employment with Bougainville Copper Limited.
He entered the National Parliament of Papua New Guinea in 1997, serving firstly as Minister for Bougainville Affairs (1997-2000) and subsequently as Minister for Mining from 2002 until the national elections in mid 2007.
During his term as Minister for Mining he implemented the establishment of the Mineral Resources Authority, the statutory authority which now regulates and administers the mining industry in that country.
Mr Akoitai is a director of Marengo's 100% owned subsidiary, Marengo Mining (PNG) Limited, the holding company for Marengo's Yandera Copper-Molybdenum Project.
Andrew Meloncelli B.Com, CA, FCIS, F.Fin
Company Secretary / Chief Financial Officer
Andrew Meloncelli has been appointed to the role of Company Secretary / Chief Financial Officer. Mr Meloncelli has extensive experience working for public companies listed on both the ASX and AIM in the areas of corporate compliance, finance, prospectus fundraisings, taxation and as Assistant Company Secretary for an ASX 200 company.
He holds a Commerce Degree from the University of Western Australia and is an Associate Member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Australia, and a Fellow of Chartered Secretaries Australia and the Financial Services Institute of Australasia.
Peter Kenneth Dendle B.Sc, M.Sc, M.AusIMM
Project Manager - Yandera
Mr Peter Dendle is a geologist with more than 30 years experience in Africa, North America, Europe, South East Asia and Australia.
From 1981 until 2000 he held senior project management positions with BHP, including an extended period in Mozambique. He has also held positions with the Northgate Exploration Group of Canada and the African arm of Falconbridge Nickel.
During his career Peter has been involved in all facets of mineral exploration through to feasibility studies, in at times, logistically difficult areas.
Peter is responsible for all site activities at Marengo’s Yandera Project.
Grant Calderwood B.E.
Operations Manager
Mr Calderwood has extensive experience in feasibility study, mining development and operations within Australia, Africa, Asia, Central America and Papua New Guinea ("PNG").
He also has significant experience in project analysis, business and technical improvement practice.
Until recently Mr Calderwood was Project Manager for the expansion study at the Porgera Joint Venture operation in PNG. He holds a degree in Engineering from Curtin University of Technology in Western Australia.
Malcolm Roberts BSc. (Hons), PhD., FMinSoc., FGSSA.
Principal Geologist
Dr Roberts gained a PhD at Manchester University in the UK, specialising in the petrogenesis of granitoid magmas, after completing his first degree in Geology at the University of Wales in Cardiff. He completed three years of post-doctorate studies at Salzburg University, Austria and subsequently lectured at Rhodes University in South Africa.
In 2003, Dr Roberts joined the Council for Geoscience to take up a role as senior geologist based in the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa where he was heavily involved in regional mapping in Mozambique. In early 2006, Dr Roberts joined the Mining Sector Support Program's Geomap Project in Papua New Guinea, as the representative of the Council for Geoscience, to provide expert support to a European Union-funded capacity development scheme for Papua New Guinea. His work on this project has involved geological mapping and mineral reconnaissance studies as well as petrological, geochemical support and training of young Papua New Guinean geologists.
Johan Albert Smit M.AusIMM
Principal Consulting Geologist
Mr Johan Smit is a senior exploration and mining executive with over 40 years international experience in both exploration and mining, as Principal Consulting Geologist to the Company.
Mr Smit worked on the Yandera Project with BHP in the 1970s and has an intimate knowledge of the Project. Mr Smit was first seconded to PNG in 1963 after commencing his career with the Bureau of Mineral Resources in Canberra, and was based in Wau and Port Moresby - subsequently holding senior positions with Triako Mines, BHP and Niugini Mining.
Mr Smit has worked on numerous porphyry copper deposits including, for the last three years, as the principal consultant for Monterrico Metals Plc, working on the Rio Blanco porphyry copper-molybdenum project in northern Peru. He has worked on most of the major PNG porphyry systems including Yandera, Porgera, Ok Tedi and Plesyumi. His appointment represents an important addition to the Marengo team, adding further significant technical depth and experience to the Company.