Board of Directors

Michael Arthur Ferard Reeve MA, FCA - Chairman

Michael Reeve has spent his career in the banking world of the City of London. He read law at Oxford University and qualified as a chartered accountant with Arthur Andersen & Co. He is currently chairman of Octupus AIM Capital VCT Plc and recently retired as chairman of Finsbury Growth & Income Trust plc. He has also been an executive director in over five other major financial institutions during his career.

General Jackson’s career as a soldier has made him one of the most respected British soldiers in modern times. He retired from the army in 2006 having serving his last post as Commander in Chief of the British Army (2000-2006). During his military career he commanded Kosovo Force (1999), the British Army 3rd Division (1994-1996) and the 1st Battalion, The Parachute Regiment (1984-1986). On retirement from the army General Mike became a director of the Risk Advisory Group (Holdings) plc and Benchmark Search Group Ltd. 

Alastair Ralston-Saul comes from a civil engineering background and has an established track record in mining and civil engineering projects. For many years he has worked with junior mining and oil companies organizing their funding and developing their project management plans. From 1998 to 2004 he was CEO of a junior gold mining company listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange. Prior to that he was a Director of Ming Financial Ltd, a small Canadian copper mining company. He was an executive director of Nichols Associates Ltd, a civil engineering project management company, until 1993. From 1976 to 1984 he founded and developed an international gold and silver product manufacturing company, St James’s House. 

William Ralston-Saul graduated from Eton College in 2000 where he focused on Maths, Physics and Industrial Design. He studied at Imperial College (Royal School of Mines) for a short time. He became a director of the highly successful Joint Venture “Aprelevka” in Tajikistan in 2001, overseeing the construction, refurbishment and operation of the Kansai Processing Plant and managing over 700 employees. William speaks fluent Russian and this coupled with his knowledge and understanding of the local Tajik people, and their business methods, has been of great assistance to his working in Tajikistan.

Stephen Pearce is a Canadian lawyer specializing in corporate and securities law working mainly with junior mining companies. He graduated from York University (Ontario) with a degree in Economics and obtained his law degree from the University of British Columbia. He currently serves as a director of several Canadian Listed Companies. Currently Mr Pearce is Mine Manager at a gold / silver underground mining operation in Northern B.C. Canada. Mr Pearce has an understanding of the Tajik legal system and procedures in Tajikistan related to mining and will assist the management of the Group with all negotiations in Tajikistan. Stephen Pearce also has a good working knowledge of on-site mine management.

Edmund Limerick is a partner of Altima Partners LLP and has a long experience of investing in the former Soviet Union. From 1996-1998 he was Chief Representative of Morgan Grenville in Russia. He has been Senior Vice President of Dubai International Capital, a director of Deutsche Bank Moscow, a lawyer at Milbank Tweed London and Moscow, a lawyer at Freshfields and a lawyer at Clifford Chance. From 1987-1992 he served in the Foreign & Commonwealth as a diplomat. He also has an MA in Russian & French from Oxford.

Kevin Foo has over a 30 year career in all aspects of mining, including technical, operational, project management and running public companies. He has worked on five continents including 19 years in Kazakhstan and Russia and is a specialist in the development of mines in the FSU. He was the former managing director of Celtic Resources Plc and non-executive chairman of Bramlin Limited, AIM quoted resource companies. He is currently Chairman of Victoria Oil & Gas, an independent oil and gas exploration and production company.

Siman Povarenkin has a degree in Chemistry and Petroleum Chemicals from Omsk State University. He has over 15 years of corporate management experience in banking and industrial sectors. He is currently Chairman of the Management Committee of Industrial Investors Group, Chairman of Russian Industrial Bank and First Vice President leading investment management business at Incombank.