Non-executive Directors

• Russell Scrimshaw
  Non-executive Chairman

  Age: 68

  Date of appointment: November 2011

  Committees: member of Remuneration Committee and Nominations Committee.

  Skills and experience: Russell was formerly an executive director and deputy CEO of Fortescue Metals Group Ltd and was a founding member of the board. He was also formerly chairman of Cleveland Mining Co Ltd, and a non-executive board member of Commonwealth Properties Ltd, EDS Australia, Mobilesoft Ltd, Telecom New Zealand Australia Pty Ltd, The Garvan Institute Foundation, Genome.One Pty Ltd and Athletics Australia.

  Russell has also held senior executive positions within the Commonwealth Bank of Australia, Optus Communications Pty Ltd, Alcatel, IBM and Amdahl USA and an Adjunct Professorship of Mining Economics at China Central South University in Changsha, China. He is an associate member of the Australian Society of Certified Practicing Accountants.

  Current external appointments: Non-Executive Chairman of Tech Project Pty Ltd; Chairman of the Garvan Institute of Medical Research Foundation; Non-Executive Director of the Garvan Institute for Medical Research; Non-Executive Director of Waterford Retirement Village Pty Ltd; Executive Chairman of Torrus Capital Pty Limited; Chairman of Scrimshaw Nominees Pty Ltd; and Chairman of an Australian Philanthropic Fund, The Scrimshaw Foundation.

• Chris Fraser
  Managing Director and CEO

  Age: 43

  Date of appointment: January 2011

  Committees: none

  Skills and experience: Chris Fraser has almost 20 years’ experience in the mining industry with a particular focus on financing and strategic developments. He is the founder of the Project, has led its development since 2010 and has been managing director and CEO of the Company since January 2011.

  During his finance career he worked for KPMG, Rothschild and Citigroup, the latter culminated in him being appointed head of metals and mining investment banking for Australia in 2006 and managing director in 2008. Upon leaving Citigroup in 2009, he founded Sigiriya Capital, a boutique advisory and investment firm. Chris founded York Potash in 2010 and subsequently joined Sirius Minerals Plc in 2011.

  He is a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Australia, senior associate of the Financial Services Institute of Australia (FINSIA) and a member of the Institute of Company Directors in Australia.

  Current external appointments: Director of Sigiriya Capital Pty Ltd and C&J Fraser Investments Pty Ltd; member of the UK-China CEO Council; Director of the Northern Powerhouse Partnership and member of the Coventry University Advisory Board.

• Thomas Staley
  Finance Director and CFO

  Age: 37

  Date of appointment: February 2017

  Committees: none

  Skills and experience: Thomas has over 10 years’ experience in the energy, infrastructure and resources industries with a focus on financing and financial governance for development projects. Thomas has spent a significant part of his career (January 2009 - June 2012) working for the Mubadala Development Company (Mubadala) in Abu Dhabi where he was involved in several financings including a US$600 million project finance facility for a power station development project, a A$300 million government agency financing of a European development project, and a US$2,200 million leveraged buy-out financing of a US company. Prior to working at Mubadala, Thomas was working in Australia with Babcock & Brown from 2006 to 2008 where he was involved in numerous energy and infrastructure transactions. Most recently, Thomas was the head of commercial and risk in the international development team of Origin Energy from September 2012 to September 2014. He was the interim chief executive officer of a geothermal exploration project where he was appointed by the main shareholders, Origin Energy and Tata Power, to implement a turnaround plan and put the development project back on track. Thomas has a Bachelor of Engineering (Electrical) and Arts and is a charter holder of the CFA Institute. Thomas joined the Company in October 2014.

  Current external appointments: Alternate Director of the Northern Powerhouse Partnership.

• Noel Harwerth
  Senior Independent Director

  Age: 70

  Date of appointment: July 2015

  Committees: member of Audit and Nominations Committee

  Skills and experience: Noel, whose executive background was in international banking, was formerly chief operating officer and chief tax officer of Citibank International. Noel is a highly experienced non-executive director who has sat on a number of boards in a variety of different sectors, including mining and finance industry companies.  She brings with her a wealth of background and understanding in mining, finance and governance issues.

  Current external appointments: Chair of the UK Export Finance Agency; Non-Executive Director of Charter Court Financial Services; and Non-Executive Director of the British Horseracing Authority Limited.

• John Hutton, Baron Hutton of Furness
  Non-executive Director

  Age: 62

  Date of appointment: January 2012

  Committees: Chair of Remuneration Committee

  Skills and experience: John was a member of the Government for 13 years, including 11 years as a minister and four years serving in the cabinet.   He also served as a Parliamentary Private Secretary in the Department of Trade and Industry before moving to the Department of Health where he became Minister of State for Health in 1999.  He was a chairman of the Independent Public Service Pensions Commission.  Lord Hutton was a legal adviser to the Confederation of Business Industry and a senior law lecturer at Newcastle Polytechnic.  He was Member of Parliament for Barrow and Furness for 18 years from April 1992 to May 2010.  In 2005 Lord Hutton was made Secretary of State for Work and Pensions.  In 2007 he was appointed Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform.  In 2008 he became Secretary of State for Defence until he stepped down from the Cabinet in 2009.  In 2010 he was created a life peer as Baron Hutton of Furness and now sits in the House of Lords. 

  Current external appointments: Non-Executive Director of ARIX Bioscience Limited; Circle Holdings (UK) plc; Simple Space Limited; Byhiras Group Limited; Chairman and director of Apartments for London Ltd; Chairman of Energy UK; Director of Arthurian Life Sciences Limited; Chairman of the Nuclear Industries Association; and a partner of Cartesius Advisory Network.

• Jane Lodge
  Non-executive Director

  Age: 62

  Date of appointment: July 2015

  Committees: Chair of Audit Committee; member of Remuneration Committee

  Skills and experience: Following an academic background in geology, Jane’s executive career was primarily in accountancy, where she became a partner at Deloitte.  Her roles included Deloitte’s Midlands Practice senior partner and lead partner for the National Manufacturing Industry.  As Manufacturing Industry Leader, she represented the UK on the Deloitte Global Manufacturing Industry Executive and was a member of the CBI Manufacturing Council.  During her 35-year career with the firm, she advised multinational businesses in the construction, financial services, manufacturing and property sectors.

  Current external appointments: Non-Executive Director and Chair of the Audit Committee, Devro PLC; Non-Executive Director and Chair of the Audit Committee of DCC PLC; Non-Executive Director and Chair of the Audit Committee of Costain Group Plc; Non-Executive Director of the Bromsgrove School Foundation; Non-Executive Director of Ives Ventures Limited; Non-Executive Director of Ives Estates Limited and Non-Executive Director of Bakkavor Plc. 

• Keith Clarke CBE
  Non-executive Director

  Age: 65

  Date of appointment: December 2013

  Committees: Chair of Nominations Committee; member of Audit Committee

  Skills and experience: Keith was chief executive officer of WS Atkins plc, the UK’s largest design and engineering consultancy, for eight years to July 2011 and previously held chief executive officer roles with Skanska UK and Kvaerner Construction Group. He also acted as director of sustainability and chairman of Atkins’ Middle East business until April 2012. From September 2014 to October 2018 he was Non-Executive Chairman of Tidal Lagoon (Swansea Bay) Plc and from September 2015 to July 2018 he was Non-Executive Chairman of Tidal Lagoon Power Plc. From September 2011 to December 2015, he was non-executive director of The Engineering and Technology Board (its trading name being Engineering UK), and from August 2011 to March 2014 he was non- executive director of The British Standards Institution. He is a fellow of the Institute of Civil Engineering, Hon Fellow RA Eng & MRIBA.

  Current external appointments: Chair of the Trustees for Forum for the Future; Chair of Future Cities Catapult; Non-Executive Director of Constructionarium and Women in Property, Director of Keith Clarke Consulting Limited and member of the PEAK Urban Advisory Panel.

• Louise Hardy
  Non-executive Director

  Age: 51

  Date of appointment: May 2016

  Committees: member of Remuneration Committee

  Skills and experience: Louise has over 25 years’ experience in the engineering sector.  Previously, she was European project excellence director at Aecom and had a part-time executive role at Skanska UK from September 2015 to June 2016, as well as being a director at Laing O’Rourke, working as infrastructure director within CLM, which was the consortium delivery partner for the Olympic Delivery Authority for the London 2012 Olympics and a non-executive director at the Defence Infrastructure Organisation, Ministry of Defence from May 2015 to June 2017.  Louise is a fellow of the Institution of Civil Engineers and a fellow of the Chartered Management Institute. 

  Current external appointments: Non-Executive Director of Polypipe Group plc; Non-Executive director of Ebbsfleet Development Corporation; Non-executive director of the Department for Communities and Local Government; Non-executive director of North West Cambridge Developments; Non-Executive Director and member of the Nomination, Remuneration and Technical Committees of Crest Nicholson plc.