Team

Mr. Stephen McPhail  M.Sc., M.B.A.

Managing Director (54)

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. Fu La

Non-Executive Director (64)

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 (62) 

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.