Ryan E. Hart, CEO & Chairman
Mr. Hart, a dual citizen of Switzerland and the USA, holds a Bachelor Degree in Business Administration and is fluent in German and English. After working several years at Credit Suisse and UBS in the fields of Equity Trading and Portfolio Management, Mr. Hart worked as an alternative investment advisor – with a strong focus on hedge funds and venture capital – to independent asset managers and high net worth individuals. Mr. Hart and his clients have been early investors in numerous public and private businesses, offering start-up and small companies the financial resources and network to execute their business plans and create sustainable share holder value. Past and current portfolio holdings include investments in the information technology, oil and gas, precious metals mining and energy/resource recovery, tobacco as well as timber sectors.
Adriano Espeschit, COO & Director
A mining engineer with degrees from Minas Gerais Federal University as well as an MBA in Strategic Business Management from Sao Paulo University, Mr. Espeschit has twenty-five years of experience in the fields of mining, metallurgy and oil & gas. In these industries he held executive and operational management positions with responsibilities ranging from mine planning and production to the beneficiation and haulage of nickel, iron ore, copper, bauxite, oil sands and potassium.
During his successful career in the mining industry, Mr. Espeschit held positions as: General Manager of Mount Keith Nickel Operation at BHP Billiton Ltd. in Australia, Head of Project Development at Oil Sands Growth Department of Shell Canada Ltd. based in Calgary – Alberta, General Manager of Sossego Project at Vale SA in Brazil, Operations Director at Steel do Brasil Participacoes SA., Director of Operations of the Santa Rita project in Brazil at Mirabela Nickel Ltd..
Mr. Espeschit is a member of SME – Society for Mining Metallurgy and Exploration -, a member of CIM – Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum -, and a member of the Technical Committee for the Brazilian Congresses of Open-pit and Underground Mining.
Fernando Crocco, Exploration Director
With degrees in Geology from the Minas Gerais Federal University (1985), a master degree in Geology from the University of Brasilia (Structural Geology; 1991), and a post graduation degree in Economic Engineering, Mr. Crocco is a well experienced geologist who has conducted extensive work in Brazil, and who provided consultant services in the US, Chile, Australia, Uruguay, Guinea, Peru and India. Mr. Crocco is also the author of twelve scientific papers about Brazilian geology and mineral deposits in Brazil.
From 1993 to 2007 Mr. Crocco worked for Vale-Docegeo where he acquired broad knowledge and deep understanding of the Brazilian geology and its mineral deposits, managing the projects from greenfield to feasibility stage, including project development, cost control and management, contract and licensing management and field logistics. Mr. Crocco was not only part of the team that discovered, explored and evaluated the Salobro deposit, but also participated in Vale’s titanium project at Tapira as well as two of Docegeo’s iron ore projects in Brazil.
After his tenure at Vale, Mr. Crocco held the position of director at Insitu Consultoria Ltda. and as an associated consultant at JMendo Consultoria Ltda., where he advises numerous companies in the fields of mineral prospection and project evaluation & development for mineral deposits containing zinc, iron, copper, titanium and limestone.
Mustafa Aksoy, Director
Having studied Public Administration at Dokuz Eylul University, Mustafa Aksoy worked at Garanti Bank as auditor and completed his MBA in Belgium’s Antwerp University. Mr. Aksoy joined Calik Group in 2004 and since then served in various positions in the fields of marketing, corporate finance, M&A and business development. Mr. Aksoy is the General Manager of Lidya Madencilik and a member of the top management of Calik Holding.
Edward Dowling, Director
Mr. Dowling retired as President & CEO of Alacer Gold Corp. in July 2012, which he joined in 2008 after a successful tenure as CEO and President of Meridian Gold Inc. Mr. Dowling has 30 years of mining experience and held leadership roles with: De Beers, Johannesburg, South Africa, as Executive Director for Mining and Exploration; Cleveland-Cliffs as Executive Vice-President of Operations; and Cyprus Amax Minerals Company in various leadership capacities.
Mr. Dowling holds a Bachelor of Science in Mining Engineering, a Master of Science and a Ph.D. in Mineral Processing, all granted from the Pennsylvania State University, and is recognized in the industry for his ability to assemble and motivate teams of people to tackle and deliver challenging projects for creation of long-term value.
Juvenil Felix, Director
Juvenil Tiburcio Felix was a Board Member and one of the founders of Jaguar Mining Inc. as well as its COO from 2002 to Oct/2008, during which Jaguar’s market capitalization rose to over $1B. Prior to co-founding Jaguar Mining, Mr. Felix worked for Minas Gerais State Secretary of Mining and Energy as the Sub-Secretary for Mining Industry of the State of Minas Gerais in the years 1997 to 2002.
From 1979 to 1997 Mr. Felix held the position of Chief Executive Officer of Anglo American’s gold division, during which he also was the President of Anglo American owned companies Mineracao Morro Velho, Mineracao Serra Grande and Jacobina Mineracao e Comercio, with a combined production of 450,000 Oz of gold per year. In addition Mr. Felix was Anglo American’s Technical Director and Vice President of the Executive Board of Salobo Mineracao Ltda, a JV with CVRD (now Vale), where he was responsible for Anglo American’s long-term exploration program as the President of UGM, Anglo’s exploration division.
In the years prior to his tenure with Anglo American, Mr. Felix worked for the Brazilian Government as a General Manager on Brazil’s “Plan for Non-Iron Metals”, which was published in 1974. From 1962 to 1973 he worked at Mineracao Morro Velho, holding positions from Mine Manager to Mine Superintended, and where he was responsible for a production of 165,000 Oz/year of gold. As the Superintendent Director of Mineracao Morro Agudo, he and his team were responsible for the feasibility study and the startup of the second zinc/lead mine in Brazil, which still is in operation today.
Mr. Felix graduated in Mining, Metallurgy and Civil Engineering from Ouro Preto School of Mines, Brazil, in 1961. He holds an MBA from UNA Business School 1974 and a Masters in International Mineral Economics from CETEC. Mr. Felix was a professor of Underground Mining at Belo Horizonte and Ouro Preto Schools of Mines, as well as the founder of IBRAM (Brazilian Institute of Mining) and Gorceix Foundation, a research Center from Ouro Preto School of Mines. His dedication to mining in Brazil was recognized by various public and private organizations in Brazil.
Cleber Macedo, Director
Cleber Macedo has 28 years of experience in finance, accounting & controlling, advising and assisting companies in fund raising, internal control implementation, accounting and tax planning as well as strategic planning and board support. Mr. Macedo served Jaguar Mining Inc. from its inception in 2004 to May 2012, initially as finance director, and then as vice president of corporate management.
Prior to his tenure with Jaguar Mining, Mr. Macedo held management positions at AngloGold Ashanti and Maxion-Nacam, and worked as an independent auditor at PricewaterhouseCoopers. Currently Mr. Macedo serves as director of finance of Prometalica Mineracao Centro Oeste, a joint venture between IMS and Votorantim Group. Mr. Macedo received a B.S. in Accounting from Universidad Catholic de Minas Gerais.
Jose Mendo Mizael de Souza, Director
Mr. Mendo is a mining professional with 51 years of experience in the Brazilian mining industry, during which he held numerous executive and director positions in mining related government agencies and organizations, as well as private companies. Mr. Mendo is the founder of IBRAM – Brazilian Mining Institute – for which he has served as an executive for more than 26 years.
Mr. Mendo was an executive director at BDMG, the Minas Gerais State Development Bank, where he was in charge of the mining and metallurgical department. In 2003 he was invited by former Brazilian President Lula da Silva to become a member of CDES – Social and Economic Development Council – to share his insight and expertise of the Brazilian mining sector.
In 2006 Mr. Mendo left IBRAM and founded J. Mendo Consultoria, a mining focused consulting firm offering services in strategy, technical projects, studies and to identify, acquire and develop mining assets in Brazil. Mr. Mendo has tremendous experience and knowledge of the Brazilian mining industry, and decrees over a vast network on the government and private side of the industry. Mr. Mendo has been elected the Brazilian Mining Personality.