Directors
Ian Neville Aston Simpson, Non - Executive Director.
Mr Simpson was appointed a Director of the Company in March 2001. Ian recently retired as the Managing Director of Pacific Crown Aviation (Fiji) Ltd, which operates a helicopter service based out of Nadi Airport in Fiji. Ian received his training as a helicopter pilot and engineer in the Royal Navy, and as such has been involved with the exploration industry in Fiji since 1970. He has been associated with GPL since 1981 and a Director since 1994; he is also a Director of Beta Ltd. Mr Simpson is a citizen of Fiji.
Charles Bennett Bass, Non-executive Director,
(Appointed 18 February 2010)
Charles Bass has well over 35 years of experience in mineral exploration, development and production in Australia, Canada and the United States. He has been actively involved as executive and director or several publicly listed companies since the early 1990's.
In March 2001, Mr Bass co-founded Australian-listed Aquila Resources Limited (AQA:ASX), remains a director and is now the third largest shareholder in the +$A3.5 billion dollar market capitalisation coal and iron ore company, after Bao Steel recently bought 15% for $285 million. Mr. Bass helped steer Aquila into coking coal in Queensland's Bowen Basin and into iron ore in Western Australia's Pilbara in 2002-3. As a result of its own exploration efforts, Aquila has an operating coal mine in a 50:50 joint venture with Vale and has two advancing world-class coking coal projects in feasibility with Vale, as well as two 100% owned feasibility-level coal projects, all in the Bowen Basin. In 2004, Aquila commenced exploring the Pilbara in a 50:50 joint venture and is now into feasibility on the $A4 billion capital cost project. Additionally, a major manganese discovery in South Africa has also been made directly by Aquila's exploration prowess. All this has been achieved with a total capital raising since inception of just $A63 million.
Between 1993 and 1997, Mr. Bass was co-founder, substantial shareholder and a Managing Director of Eagle Mining Corporation Pty Ltd. Under Mr Bass, Eagle discovered, developed and built the Nimary gold mine and plant in Western Australia. The mine and plant were built in a record four months from ground breaking to first pour, and produced at over 100,000 oz/yr. Nimary was one of Australia's highest grade and lowest cost producers of its time. Through a series of takeovers, Nimary remains an asset for its current owner, Newmont Mining Corporation.
Mr Bass is also a non-executive director of a non-listed (about to be listed) exploration company that specialized in airborne geophysical prospecting. The Exploration Syndicate Inc has a major VMS Cu/Zn/Pb/Au discovery in the Flin Flon district of Manitoba, Canada, and is currently raising funds to delineate this project. Additionally, major airborne EM surveys were flown in Arizona for porphyry copper and VMS, and in the Selwyn Basin of the Yukon.
Mr Bass has a B.Sc. Geology from Michigan Technological University and a M.Sc. Mining Engineering from Queen's University, Canada. He is a Fellow of the Institute of Geoscientists. He is also a member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
Stephen Timothy Biggs - Non-executive Director,
(Appointed 18 February 2010)
Tim Biggs has been involved in the financing of listed companies in Australia since 1993.
Tim commenced his career with Pembroke Josephson Wright stockbrokers in Brisbane, Australia - the firm specialised in raising equity capital for natural resource companies. In 1997 Tim moved to Sydney to work for Robert Fleming and Company and subsequently for Credit Suisse First Boston gaining valuable experience in equity derivatives, convertible and Equity capital markets functions.
Since departing CSFB in 2003, Tim has worked privately investing in junior and mid-cap listed companies.
Roger Harvie Probert, Alternate Director to Mr Simpson.
Mr Probert was elected chairman of GPL in 1997. In 1970-71 he served for one year as a field manager for Barringer Research in a mineral exploration programme in Fiji. In 1972 he joined The Fiji Gas Co. Ltd., and was appointed general manager and chief executive in 1983. He is also general manager and a Director of the associated companies, Fiji Chemicals Ltd and Tonga Gas Ltd. He served as a Board member of the Civil Aviation Authority of Fiji, Capital Markets Development Authority, Fiji Islands Revenue and Customs Authority and chairman of Airports Fiji Ltd. He is also chairman of the Mining Council of Fiji and was president of the Fiji Institute of Management (1989-91) and the Fiji Employees Federation (1993-95). Mr Probert is a citizen of Fiji.
