Team

Mr. John Quinn  B.Com.

Non- Executive Chairman (64)

 John’s career spans more than 30 years in the mining industry.  He was involved from the start in the discovery and development of the Telfer and New Celebration Mines for Newmont Mining Corporation in the 1970’s and played a key role in the formation of Newmont Australia in 1987 as well as the creation of Newcrest Mining Limited in 1990 where he was Managing Director for 8 years. 

During his tenure at Newcrest, he formulated and implemented the strategies that led to the discovery and development of the Cadia, Ridgeway, Gosowong and the Telfer “I” Series orebodies.  John was also the Chairman of the Newmont Mining Corporation subsidiaries which discovered the Mesel and Batu Hijau orebodies in Indonesia.

John was appointed Non-Executive Chairman of Perseverance Corporation in 2001 at a time when it was a declining producer of gold from low grade oxide deposits using heap leach techniques.  On assuming the role of Executive Chairman he redirected the Company’s energies to the evaluation of the sulphide mineralisation at Fosterville.  This initiative led to the discovery of the Phoenix orebody, the definition of more than 3 million ounces of gold within the Fosterville mining license and the development of a mine and mill to exploit those sulphide deposits.  His role reverted to Non- Executive status in 2005. 

Mr. Stephen McPhail  M.Sc., M.B.A.

Managing Director (52)

Stephen has 19 years experience in the mining industry. He managed Todd Corporation Limited’s gold and base metals business from 1988-1993. Todd was New Zealand’s largest investor in the resources sector. In 1994, he co-founded Highlake Resources NL with Bruce Bell and was a non-executive director until 1998. He had a key role in the IPO of Highlake and negotiated the merger of Highlake with Ballarat Goldfields in 1998.

From 1999-2002, Stephen was CEO of  Morel & Co Ltd. – at that time New Zealand’s principal investment bank focused on the technology sector. He has raised capital for many businesses including $7 million for Highlake and has been a non-executive director on several boards.

In 2003, he left Morel & Co to focus on King Solomon which he had established with Bruce Bell and Fu La.

Mr. Bruce Bell  B.Sc. (Geology), FAusIMM (CP)

Executive Director (64)

Bruce brings to King Solomon over 30 years of mineral exploration expertise in Australia, New Zealand, North America, the Pacific Islands and China.

Bruce's working experience has ranged from field geologist through to public company CEO.  He has worked for US Steel, Teck Corporation, Canyon Resources, Delta Gold, Sigma Resources, Highlake Resources and Ballarat Goldfields and has consulted to New Zealand's Todd Corporation. He was a founding shareholder and executive of Delta Gold which listed in 1983. He was a director of Delta from 1985-89.

In 1986, he was appointed managing director of Sigma Resources in New Zealand. Sigma listed in New Zealand in 1987 and was taken over by Delta in 1988.

In 1994, Bruce founded Highlake Resources – an Australian gold explorer. He ran Highlake through a public listing in 1996 and a merger with Ballarat Goldfields in 1998.

Bruce manages King Solomon’s exploration programme.

Mr. Fu La

Non-Executive Director (62)

Fu La graduated with Diploma of Business in Economics and Management from the Inner Mongolia Finance & Economics College. He worked for 15 years in the commodity logistics industry for the Inner Mongolia Bureau of Commodity Logistics.

In 1996, Fu La found AMI Ltd – a commodity trade company specialized in importing aluminum powder from Australia to China. He was the managing director of the company from 1996 to 2000. During that period, Fu La became increasingly interested in the mining industry both in Australia and China and personally participated in gold mining projects in Inner Mongolia, China.

In 2001, Fu La co-founded Inner Mongolia Ao Meng Xin Economic and Trade Co.  Ltd. (“Ao Meng Xin”) in Inner Mongolia. The company is involved in importing cattle from both Australia and New Zealand to China.

As an ethnic Mongolian and a successful entrepreneur as well as a former CPC (the Communist Party of China) official, Fu La is responsible for acquiring minerals licenses and negotiating with KSM’s potential joint venture partners in China. 

Mr. Christopher Castle B.C.A., A.C.A., C.F.I.P.

Non-Executive Director (60) 

Chris is a chartered accountant with 30 years experience in the investment and corporate finance sectors. He was a founding director of Spectrum Resources Ltd and Premier Mining Securities and has held directorships in eight NZX listed companies. His mining and mineral exploration background includes (as an executive of Brierley Investments from 1975-1982) a series of projects with Amoil NZ Limited, Kanieri Gold Dredging Limited and Australian Anglo-American Limited.

His investment sector experience includes eight years with Brierley Investments (the last five as investment manager) and five years with Regina Confections/Charter Corporation group. He established Widespread Portfolios Limited in 1989 as a mining focused investor and share trader. Since September 1999 Chris has been managing the company on a full time basis. He is also a non-executive director of TSX.V listed Asian Mineral Resources and a director of NZAX listed Widespread Energy Limited.