Oriole Resources PLC comprises a highly experienced management team, supported by top-level financial, technical and commercial colleagues at Board level.
Board
Martin Rosser
Chief Executive Officer
Martin Rosser is a chartered mining engineer with over 40 years’ practical mining industry and financial markets experience, having graduating with a degree in mining engineering from the Camborne School of Mines in 1981.
Initially, he spent five years working as a mining engineer in Australia, both on underground and surface gold mines, including time with Western Mining Corporation as Shaft Superintendent at Central Norseman. In 1987, he returned to the UK and worked as a mining analyst with two City stockbrokers until 1989, when he joined the regulated natural resources industry specialist firm of David Williamson Associates Limited as a founder employee and then executive director. During this time he developed extensive worldwide mining industry contacts in the course of providing corporate finance, mining analysis and Europe wide investor relations services to the firm’s clients.
In mid-2005 Martin joined AIM listed Alexander Mining plc and became CEO in 2007, leading the company through the finalisation of a feasibility study for an open pit copper mine in Argentina; the diversification into innovative mineral processing technology and other energy metals, including lithium; and the completion of a reverse takeover transaction in January 2020. Prior to joining Oriole, Martin worked as a mining consultant.
Eileen Carr
Independent Non-Executive Chair
Eileen is a Chartered Certified Accountant with over 30 years of experience within the resources sector, having worked worldwide on a host of large-scale mining operations. She was appointed Finance Director of Cluff Resources Limited in 1993 and has, since that time, held several executive directorships in the resources sector, including CFO for Monterrico Metals plc, the AIM-quoted copper exploration company developing the Rio Blanco project in Peru. Her first Non-Executive role was for Banro Corporation in 1998 and, more recently, Eileen held a Non-Executive Director position for AIM-quoted Bacanora Lithium plc.
Eileen is Non-Executive Chair to AIM-quoted Sylvania Platinum Limited.
Claire Bay
Executive Director, Exploration & Business Development
A Chartered geologist with over 15 years’ experience in the resources sector. Claire graduated from the University of Southampton with a First Class Masters in 2007 and joined AIM-listed Stratex International shortly thereafter, where she spent the next 11 years. During her career, Claire has operated at both the technical and commercial level, with a particular focus on gold exploration in Africa and Turkey.
Claire was promoted to VP in July 2018 as part of the restructuring of the Company to Oriole Resources PLC and then to Executive Director in July 2021. Claire oversees the Group’s exploration programmes and is heavily involved in the review and interpretation of technical data, as well as co-managing the Company’s corporate development activities.
Bob Smeeton
Chief Financial Officer
Bob is a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales. He trained as a chartered accountant with Price Waterhouse, qualifying in 1992, and has a BSc in geography from Durham University. Bob has extensive experience of working for AIM-quoted companies, where he has been heavily involved in turnaround situations, fund raisings and acquisitions.
In partnership with three different CEO’s, Bob was instrumental in the turnaround and subsequent growth of AIM-listed Universe Group Plc as Group Finance Director, seeing its market capitalisation increase from £1.5m to £25m during his tenure.
Prior to the Universe Group, Bob was European Finance Director for OpSec Security Limited, where was heavily involved in formulating and implementing a very successful reconstruction plan. The restructuring plan stemmed the annual operating losses of £2.5million and moved the Company to a profit situation in the first year of its implementation.
David Pelham
Independent Non-Executive Director
David Pelham is a mineral geologist with over 35 years global exploration experience. He has overseen the discovery and early evaluation of multiple deposits, most notably including the +6 Moz Chirano Gold Mine in Ghana, as well as Hummingbird’s 4.2 Moz Dugbe gold deposit in Liberia. David has been a non-executive director to AIM-quoted Cora Gold Ltd since May 2017.
Management & Advisers
Martin Rosser
Chief Executive Officer
Martin Rosser is a chartered mining engineer with over 40 years’ practical mining industry and financial markets experience, having graduating with a degree in mining engineering from the Camborne School of Mines in 1981.
Initially, he spent five years working as a mining engineer in Australia, both on underground and surface gold mines, including time with Western Mining Corporation as Shaft Superintendent at Central Norseman. In 1987, he returned to the UK and worked as a mining analyst with two City stockbrokers until 1989, when he joined the regulated natural resources industry specialist firm of David Williamson Associates Limited as a founder employee and then executive director. During this time he developed extensive worldwide mining industry contacts in the course of providing corporate finance, mining analysis and Europe wide investor relations services to the firm’s clients.
In mid-2005 Martin joined AIM listed Alexander Mining plc and became CEO in 2007, leading the company through the finalisation of a feasibility study for an open pit copper mine in Argentina; the diversification into innovative mineral processing technology and other energy metals, including lithium; and the completion of a reverse takeover transaction in January 2020. Prior to joining Oriole, Martin worked as a mining consultant.
Claire Bay
Executive Director, Exploration & Business Development
A Chartered geologist with over 15 years’ experience in the resources sector. Claire graduated from the University of Southampton with a First Class Masters in 2007 and joined AIM-listed Stratex International shortly thereafter, where she spent the next 11 years. During her career, Claire has operated at both the technical and commercial level, with a particular focus on gold exploration in Africa and Turkey.
Claire was promoted to VP in July 2018 as part of the restructuring of the Company to Oriole Resources PLC and then to Executive Director in July 2021. Claire oversees the Group’s exploration programmes and is heavily involved in the review and interpretation of technical data, as well as co-managing the Company’s corporate development activities.
Bob Smeeton
Chief Financial Officer
Bob is a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales. He trained as a chartered accountant with Price Waterhouse, qualifying in 1992, and has a BSc in geography from Durham University. Bob has extensive experience of working for AIM-quoted companies, where he has been heavily involved in turnaround situations, fund raisings and acquisitions.
In partnership with three different CEO’s, Bob was instrumental in the turnaround and subsequent growth of AIM-listed Universe Group Plc as Group Finance Director, seeing its market capitalisation increase from £1.5m to £25m during his tenure.
Prior to the Universe Group, Bob was European Finance Director for OpSec Security Limited, where was heavily involved in formulating and implementing a very successful reconstruction plan. The restructuring plan stemmed the annual operating losses of £2.5million and moved the Company to a profit situation in the first year of its implementation.
Abdoul Mbodji
Exploration Manager - Cameroon
A Senegalese national, Abdoul has thirteen years’ experience in mining and exploration geology. After completing a degree in Geosciences and a Master’s in Natural Sciences, both from the University of Dakar, Abdoul started his career as a junior geologist at Terranga Gold’s Sabodala gold mine. Abdoul subsequently joined Silvrex Limited, which was acquired by the Company’s subsidiary, Stratex West Africa, in 2012. As Project Geologist and then Senior Geologist for Stratex West Africa, Abdoul has worked on gold and base metal projects in Mauritania and the Senala (formerly Dalafin) gold project in Senegal, now under JV with IAMGOLD. Abdoul is experienced in all aspects of exploration, including planning, executing and supervising field work, management of the technical database and QAQC protocols, and liasing with the local administration. In 2019, Abdoul joined Oriole at top-company level and was promoted to Exploration Manager of Cameroon where he is currently responsible for generating and supervising exploration activities in country.
Bahri Yildiz
Consultant, Turkey
Bahri Yildiz is a Turkish national with an industrial career spanning more than 30 years dedicated to mineral exploration and mining geology throughout Turkey. A geology graduate of the Middle East Technical University, Bahri commenced his career in 1980 with the government’s General Directorate of Mineral Research and Exploration (MTA) where he spent ten years managing a wide range of projects relating to exploration for precious and base metals. This was followed by three years as Exploration Manager with Turkish company Yurttaslar Madencilik before he joined Dardanel Madencilik, the Turkish subsidiary of major Canadian mining company Inco Ltd in 1992 as Senior Geologist. During his final four years with Dardanel he was Exploration Manager and responsible for generating and supervising a wide range of exploration programmes throughout Turkey. Following closure of the Turkish office in 2003 he became an independent consultant before joining Stratex in April 2005.