Directors & Senior Management

Cédric Simonet holds a PhD in Geology and has 25 years’ experience exploring, developing and mining mineral deposits in Africa and in France. He was Head Geologist and Open Pit Manager at SOGEREM fluorspar mine (Alcan, France) and Africa Region Manager with IGE Resources AB (gold, vanadium, nickel and tantalite projects). He is a co-founder of Akili Minerals Services, a Nairobi based exploration services company, and has been involved in exploration projects on Critical Raw Materials including Niobium and REE-carbonatites in Kenya (Ruri, Homa Mountain, Buru and Mrima projects). He is also a former Chairman of the Kenya Chamber of Mines, and well experienced in operating in this and many other African countries.

Cédric is a member of the European Geologists Federation (Eur Geol no 739). He qualifies to act as a Competent Person (JORC) and as a Qualified Person (NI43-101) on a variety of Critical Raw Materials projects.

Simon is a solicitor and is a senior partner at City solicitors Marriott Harrison LLP, having joined the firm in 2004. He specialises in company law, with a particular emphasis on acquisitions and disposals, directors’ duties, equity and debt fundraises and shareholders’ rights, in each case in relation to private and public companies. He has previously worked at Dechert LLP and a US law firm in the City. Immediately prior to joining Marriott Harrison LLP he spent a number of years in the corporate finance department of Numis Securities Limited where he advised private and public companies on debt and equity fundraises, acquisitions and restructurings.

Louise Adrian, has worked as Altona’s accountant for 2 years helping to strengthen both the accounting and corporate governance reporting. She graduated from Oxford University with an MA in Theology and is a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales. She started her career at Arthur Andersen in London where she gained experience with global energy companies, auditing accounts, reviewing financial and budgetary controls, and critiquing operational strategies. Since 2020 Louise has been a consultant for Orana Corporate LLP (“Orana”), a corporate advisory and services practice, where she has worked with established and newly listed companies, creating corporate governance protocols, producing annual report and accounts, group consolidations and cash flow analysis. Louise also holds a PGCE in secondary education and is a Finance Trustee for a Multi Academy Trust where she has helped to establish a framework for good governance and risk management.

Mr Andersson is an economist with extensive experience in the renewable energies, mining, commodity trading and natural resources sectors, as well as investment banking in emerging markets in Latin America and Africa. He has served on the Board of Directors for both private and public companies across various industries, and co-founded Ashmont Resources Corp, a Canadian private company focusing on high-value mineral assets in Colombia.

Mr Andersson is currently the CEO of Ironveld Plc, a mining company and speciality metals producer based in South Africa, listed on the AIM Market of the London Stock Exchange.

Gavin Beer is a metallurgist with more than 30 years’ experience in technical and operational roles and has spent the past 13 years exclusively working within the Critical Raw Materials and energy materials sector. He has been employed by or has consulted to over 12 Rare Earth companies including Arafura Resources, Peak Resources, Hastings Technology Metals and Pensana Metals. He is presently engaged by Neometals in the role of General Manager Metallurgy and has been retained by RareX and Hexagon Resources as a Technical Advisor.

Gavin is a Member and Chartered professional of the Australian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy. He is recognised as a Competent Person for JORC and as a Qualified Person for NI 43-101 with respect to his metallurgical expertise and is globally recognised as a leading metallurgical expert in the lithium and rare earth industries.