Directors

Andrew Kenneth Bruce Mortimer, BA LLB (Sydney) MAUSIMM
Chairman and Managing Director

Andrew Mortimer became Chairman of Superstructure International Pty Ltd (“Super Structure Services”) in 2003, founding a mineral resource and industry corporate consultancy. Previous to this Mr Mortimer worked in the law, being admitted to the Supreme Court of NSW. Through his advisory work, Mr Mortimer has forged relationships with many of Australia’s resource companies. He has also assisted with the ASX listing of several exploration companies of Proto Resources size. His work has concentrated on focussing corporate and technical management to follow the swiftest path to share holder returns.

Mr Mortimer was instrumental in founding Proto and in sourcing its projects and management. He is responsible for company strategy, project acquisition and shareholder relations.

Lia Melissa Darby, BA (Hons) LLB (Hons) (Sydney)
Joint Managing Director

Lia Darby is admitted to practice law in the Supreme Court of NSW. She has worked in international commercial litigation in shipping, international commodities trading and more recently in the independent assessment of projects and companies in the mining sector. In the past four years Ms Darby has worked with Mr Mortimer in a corporate advisory role listing mining securities on both the ASX and London’s Alternative Investment Market. With Mr Mortimer she has specialised in corporate activities relating to junior mining companies looking to increase their market valuation, as they move forward from exploration to pre-production.

Simon David Gilbert, BEng (Hons) (Metallurgical Engineering, Adelaide)
Non-Executive Director

Simon Gilbert is an experienced metallurgical engineer with many years experience in a broad range of mining operations having specialised in the last twelve years in mine-to-ship mineral economics. He has worked in base metals, gold, mineral sands and diamonds both in Australia and Africa.

Mr Gilbert has been involved in many varied corporate, operational and developmental roles including identifying process issues, determining root causes, detailed engineering design, construction supervision, commissioning, production, personnel training and handover, liaison with relevant official departments, project management, day-to-day plant metallurgical operations, mine planning, plant audits, equipment evaluations, and pilot plant investigations.

Mr Gilbert is a non-executive director who is responsible for advising the board on technical and especially metallurgical issues. Mr Gilbert is specifically responsible for sourcing a plant for Proto Resources to own and operate.

Patricia Kay Philip, ONM
BSc; Grad Dip App Geophys; Grad Dip App Finance, FFin
Non-Executive Director

Kay Philip is an experienced Geophysicist whose background embraces project acquisition, financial analysis of resource projects and companies, and logistics. She has experience with rights issues and capital raisings, as well as with preparing and managing prospectuses. Ms Philip holds a part-time position on the Academic Staff at the University of Sydney, and has been a Director of a number of listed and unlisted companies in the oil and gas sector.

Ms Philip is currently a Director of Alexanders Securities Ltd and Longreach Oil Ltd, both ASX listed companies. Ms Philip was decorated by the French Government in 2005 with the award of Chevalier de l’Ordre National du Mérite, for facilitating collaborations between French and Australian scientists.

Ms Philip is a Member of the Australian Institute of Physics, Secretary of the Australian-French Association for Science and Technology, and Fellow of the Financial Services Institute of Australia.

Company Secretary (CONSULTANT)

Neil Roland MacKenzie, BA (Hons), FCA

Neil MacKenzie is a qualified Chartered Accountant with over ten years’ experience in running an ASX200 listed public company, having been Managing Director of Simeon Wines Ltd before successfully implementing its merger with Brian McGuigan Wines Ltd. Mr MacKenzie is now a business consultant based in Adelaide, carrying out strategic financial reviews for a range of businesses as well as providing company secretarial services.

Mr MacKenzie is the Chairman of Blaxland Vineyards Limited as well as the Managing Director of Cockatoo Ridge Limited. Mr MacKenzie holds a number of non-executive directorships in private companies.

Exploration Manager

Andrew Johnstone, B.Sc (Hons) (Geophysics/Geology); Grad Dip Applied Finance and Investment. AIG, FFin

Andrew Johnstone is an experienced geoscientist with over 15 years experience in Exploration working both in Australia and internationally. His career started with BHP as a graduate and quickly developed during the 90’s. In 2004 Mr Johnstone joined Discovery Nickel Ltd initially as project manager and then Exploration Manager, having key roles in both the discovery of the Dikoloti Nickel Sulphide deposit and the acquisition of the Maun Copper Resource in Botswana. Mr Johnstone was integral in the acquisition of the Barnes Hill Nickel Laterite resource in Tasmania, now a Proto Resources asset. Mr Johnstone has specialist abilities in Geophysics along with a full compliment of exploration management skills; he has also completed a graduate diploma of Applied Finance and Investment with the Securities institute of Australia. Memberships include: Australian Institute of Geoscientists (AIG); both the Australian and American Societies of Exploration Geophysicists (ASEG and SEG) and Fellow of the Financial Services Institute of Australia (FFIN).

As Exploration Manager, Mr Johnstone will head exploration activities including program development, and implementation, project generation and involvement in recognition and assessment of external opportunities. Mr Johnstone reports directly to the Chairman and Board.

Chief Operating Officer

Ashley Hood

Ashley Hood has worked for many years in hands-on roles as a senior operations officer in the resource industry. Mr Hood, who heads up the operations team at Proto, most recently worked for AngloGold Ashanti Limited (“AngloGold”). From 2005 to 2006 Mr Hood was AngloGold’s Exploration Team Senior Field Supervisor at the new Tropicana mine site 200 kms south-east of Laverton, Western Australia. Down hole surveys, water bores, RAB, RC, Diamond Drilling and Air Core, Digital Global Positioning Systems, IP surveying and heavy machinery operation were all part of his daily work program.

Previous to this Mr Hood worked in a Western Mining Corporation Ltd nickel operation as a Plant Supervisor. Mr Hood has also acted as Head of Exploration and is currently a Director of Mallee Gold Corporation Ltd.

Mr Hood, as Chief Operations Officer, spends most of his time on site. Supported by a team of experienced engineers and geologists, Mr Hood’s primary role is to fast-track exploration activity in the most prospective areas.

Business Development

Glen Darby, Grad Dip. UEM

Glen Darby is Head of Business Development at Proto Resources. He is completing a Masters of Property Economics specialising in mining projects and valuation. Mr Darby adds much needed executive support to the Proto Resources team being experienced in dealing with brokers and media. Mr Darby also assists with project development.

Corporate Finance

Martin Rogers, B.Eng (Chem) B.Sc (Comp)

Martin Rogers is on board especially to assist with the financing of the Barnes Hill nickel project. Mr Rogers has a retail commercial background having successfully run several of his own businesses. He has recently made the transition into the corporate arena, leveraging his political and commercial contacts to do so. Mr Rogers is noted for his entrepreneurship having been nominated inter alia as Young Australian of the Year.

Administration

Coleen Harrison, Diploma in Bus. Adm.& Diploma in Workplace Assessment & Training Systems

Coleen Harrison is contracted part time to manage the business account operations and assist with general administration duties.