Grant Dyker

BBus, ACA
Chief Financial Officer

Chief Financial Officer for Avoca since July 2007, Mr Dyker is a Chartered Accountant with more than 18 years experience. Having started within the accounting profession at KPMG he has since held senior finance roles in ASX listed manufacturing and mining companies. His last role was Chief Financial Officer for Aztec Resources Limited (Koolan Island project) in which he was instrumental in establishing the project finance facilities for the development of the project as well as implementing the group’s cost control systems.

Tony James

BEng(Mining), AWASM, AusIMM
Operations Manager

Tony James is responsible for bringing the Trident underground project into production and will oversee the operations from the approval stage through to full operations. He is a Mining Engineer with extensive operational and project experience in the mining industry and was previously General Manager, Mining for LionOre Australian Operations. Prior to this he was the Resident Manager of the Black Swan Nickel Mine near Kalgoorlie for MPI Mines. Other positions include Manager-Mining Kanowna Belle Gold Operations for Aurion Gold and Delta Gold, Mining Manager, Pillara and Cadjebut Zinc mines for Western Metals and Underground superintendent at the Telfer gold mine for Newcrest Mining Ltd.

Louw Smith

BSc (Hons), BCom, MSc Mining (Mineral Economics), TEP, AusIMM
General Manager Commercial

With a career spanning 20 years in mining, with diverse roles in both exploration and mine management, Louw will oversee business improvement initiatives on the existing operations as well as assisting in the longer term business development of Avoca. Prior to joining Avoca, Louw was General Manager for St Ives Gold Mine. Other roles include General Manager of Damang Gold Mine in Ghana, Mineral Resources Manager for Agnew Gold Mine, Project Manager Geology for the Arctic Platinum Project in Finland, Technical Services Manager for the Chelopech Mine in Bulgaria and Chief Geologist for Tarkwa Mine in Ghana.

Chris Newman

BSc (Hons), AusIMM
Geology Manager - Higginsville Project

Chris is a geologist with over 17 years experience both in open pit and underground operations with both WMC Ltd and BHP Billiton. Chris is credited with Avoca's Trident Gold Discovery in Western Australia; he was also instrumental in unlocking the mineral potential of the World Class Meliadine Gold Project in Northern Canada and the West Musgrave Nickel Project in Western Australia. Mr. Newman is a Member of the Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy and an Accredited Black Belt in the Six Sigma Business Improvement Methodology.

Dan Baldwin

BSc (Hons), Grad. Dip. Bus, AusIMM
Exploration Manager

Dan Baldwin is a geologist with over 14 years experience in Australia and Canada and was previously Chief Geologist and Mineral Resource Manager of Gold Fields Ltd's Agnew Gold operation. Dan has extensive experience in exploration, project development and mineral resource management, in particular at St Ives, Agnew and Olympic Dam. Mr Baldwin’s exploration successes include the Temeraire gold deposit at St Ives and the Kim South fault offset at Agnew. Recently, Dan spent 18 months in uranium exploration at the Horseshoe and Raven deposits in the Athabasca Basin, Canada.

Geoff Collis

MSc, AusIMM, ASEG
Senior Project Geologist

Geoff Collis is a geologist with over 19 years experience in Australia and Africa. He held senior exploration and management positions with Delta Gold and the Gutnick group of companies, before joining Avoca Resources Ltd in 2001. He is credited with the discovery of the 400koz Makaha gold deposit in Zimbabwe, the 200koz Saxon Extended gold deposit and the Youanmi vanadium deposit, both in WA. Geoff was directly involved in the Pre-feasibility Study for the Hartley Platinum Project that culminated in a major joint venture with BHP.

Martin Haugg

General Manager

Martin has over 15 years experience in the mining industry after completing his studies in Mechanical Engineering in 1991. His career history aligns itself to management appointments in both maintenance and projects roles prior to progressing to treatment plant manager and general manager appointments. Martin's previous appointment was that of Resident Manager for Norilsk Nickel's Black Swan Nickel near Kalgoorlie. Prior appointments included Engineering Manager for Lion Ore Australia at Black Swan Nickel after nearly twenty years of service with his previous employer, a large mining house in South Africa where he commenced his career and studies.

Ian Mitchell

BEng (Metallurgy) - WASM, AusIMM
Processing Manager

Ian is a metallurgist with 23 years experience in the Western Australian mining industry. He joined Avoca in January 2009. He has held the processing manager's position in copper, gold and nickel operations.

After a brief stint on the Golden Mile in Kalgoorlie as a graduate from the WA School of Mines, Ian gathered extensive gold and copper experience over a 13 years period with Newcrest Mining at their New Celebration, Telfer and Head Office operations. In 2002 he commenced with Lionore ( later to become Norilsk ) to commission and operate their Thunderbox processing facility before becoming involved with the nickel side of their business at the Lake Johnston and Black Swan operations.

Through his career Ian has been involved in operational, project and management roles and has undertaken a myriad of testwork development studies, optimisation programs and plant expansions.

James Howard

B.Eng. Hons. (Mining Engineering)
Mining Manager - Higginsville

James joined Avoca Resources in October 2007 as the Mining Manager.

After graduating in 1997 from the University of South Australia, James spent 6 years with WMC at their Kambalda Nickel Operations, Olympic Dam Operations and St Ives Gold Operations (WMC / Gold Fields). Initially employed as a graduate, James progressed to Senior Mining Engineer level. James has subsequently spent 3 years at MPI Mines / LionOre at their Black Swan Nickel Operations working as a Senior Mining Engineer and Underground Manager. James's experience also includes time working in a tunnelling project in central London

Scott Franklin

Occupational Health Safety Environment Security Manager

Scott joined Avoca Resources in February 2007 as the OH&S Manager.

He has 20 years experience in the mining industry and has been employed as a safety specialist since 1999. Scott entered the safety field first as an Emergency Response Coordinator and held that position for three years. Scott recently played an active role in the Beaconsfield Mine Rescue in Tasmania. Scott has worked in a number of open pit and underground operations throughout Australia.

Richard Buerger

BSc (Hons), AusIMM
Chief Mine Geologist - Trident Gold Project

Richard is a geologist with eleven years experience in gold, nickel and base metal mining and exploration.

Most recently he was Geology Manager for Bendigo Mining Limited where he oversaw the implementation of a more geologically focused exploration methodology and grade estimation technique which resulted in the re-commencement of production (on a trial mining basis) at the Kangaroo Flat Operation. Prior to Bendigo, he worked in nickel mining at the Emily Anne and Maggie Hays mines for LionOre Australia (now Norilsk), in base metal mining and exploration at Golden Grove and gold exploration at the Pajingo JV with Normandy Mining (now Newmont).

Kate Robertson

Administration Manager

Kate has extensive experience in office management/administration in the mining industry and agricultural sector. Her previous appointment as Manager, Administration & Human Resources in a busy city office sees her well placed to provide administrative support to the organisation and team.