Board and Management

Board and Management

Board of Directors

  • John Ribbons
    John Ribbons
    CHAIR
    Mr Ribbons is an accountant who has worked within the resources industry for over fifteen years in the capacity of company accountant, group financial controller or company secretary.

    Mr Ribbons has extensive knowledge and experience with ASX listed production and exploration companies. He has considerable site based experience with operating mines and has also been involved with the listing of several exploration companies on ASX. Mr Ribbons has experience in capital raising, ASX and TSX compliance and regulatory requirements.
    • Justin Brown
      Justin Brown
      MANAGING DIRECTOR
      Mr Brown is a geologist with over 20 years experience in global mineral exploration and mining. He has been involved in the full spectrum of mineral exploration through to mining in a range of commodities.

      Mr Brown has also held a number of board positions, including an executive role with Element 25 Limited since 2006. He has a strong track record of closing successful commercial transactions and brings a well rounded set of skills to the management of the Company’s activities.

      • Fanie van Jaarsveld
        Fanie van Jaarsveld
        NON-EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
        Fanie van Jaarsveld is an experienced company director and has held numerous senior management and executive positions over a career spanning more than 40 years. With a demonstrated history of working in the mining & metals industry, Mr van Jaarsvelds Managing Director for OM Manganese which operates the Bootu Creek manganese mine in the Northern Territory and highly skilled in mining, mineral processing and operational management. He has strong business development expertise and will be a key asset in achieving the Company’s production targets at the current manganese operation as well as helping to guide the planning and implementation of the expanded production plans at the Project and the downstream production of HPMSM.

        Mr van Jaarsveld has a ND Analytical Chemistry from the Cape Peninsula University of Technology -Cape Town.
        • Sam Lancuba
          Sam Lancuba
          NON-EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
          Mr Sam Lancuba is a chemical engineer with more than 40 years’ experience in the global fertiliser industry. Mr Lancuba has worked in research and development, process engineering, manufacturing and management. Following 27 years at Incitec Pivot Limited, an ASX top 50 company, Mr Lancuba has been providing expert consulting services for industry clients in Australia, New Zealand, USA, South America, Europe, India and China.

          Mr Lancuba currently advises fertiliser industry clients in a range of areas including plant design and maintenance, project management, project evaluation and marketing strategies for fertiliser products. He has extensive experience in chemical processing, project development and operations in the chemical industry as well.

          Mr Lancuba will be a valuable asset as the Company moves toward the construction of the first processing plant globally to produce ethical, traceable battery grade manganese sulfate using the Company’s proprietary process to convert Australian manganese ore to HPMSM for EV batteries.

          Mr Lancuba holds an Engineering Degree in Chemical Engineering from RMIT University.

          Senior Management

          • Michael Jordon
            Michael Jordon
            CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER
            Mr Jordon has extensive experience across many industries with a focus on manufacturing and service delivery sectors. He has most recently held positions of Chief Financial Officer and Chief Operating Officer and has been responsible for business start up development, merger and acquisition and business financing activities across Australia and Europe.
            • Ian Huitson
              Ian Huitson
              STUDY MANAGER
              Mr Huitson is a mining executive with 33 years’ experience in executive, operational and technical roles in the Manganese, Chromite, Gold, Silver and Nickel industries in Australia, Africa and Asia. Ian has extensive manganese experience through roles as Study Manager at Shaw River Manganese (2012-2014), Chief Operating Officer at Auvex Resources Ltd (2009-2011), Group Mining Engineer at Consolidated Minerals Ltd (2005-2007) and Resident Manager at Consolidated Minerals Ltd’s Woodie Woodie mine site (1999-2005). In addition to the above, Ian has executive management experience including roles as Operations Director and Managing Director at Monarch Gold Mining Company Ltd (2007-2009). Prior to this Ian had 15 years’ experience as a mining engineer with WMC Resources, Dominion Mining/Plutonic Resources and the Walhalla Mining Company. Ian has a Degree in Engineering (Mining Engineering) and is a Fellow of the AusIMM. Ian has completed multiple scoping and pre-feasibility studies throughout his career.
              • Sias Jordaan
                Sias Jordaan
                VP BATTERY MATERIALS MARKETING
                Mr Jordaan has been involved in the Stainless Steel production and raw material supply markets as well as rare metals markets for over 25 years. Sias held various roles within BHP Billton in South Africa, The Netherlands and Western Australia in the Stainless Steel, Ferro Chrome and Nickel divisions. As a result he has gained extensive experience in the procurement, marketing and logistics of various steel making metals. Sias was also involved in the management team that commissioned the Ravensthorpe Nickel Plant.

                More recently he performed study work for Arafura Resources Ltd (2011-2015), specifically the Nolans Rare Earths Project located in the Northern Territory, including the study into a suitable offshore separation facility and the establishment of a Letter of Intent with a Korean based partner.

                Sias has an accounting degree and is qualified as a Chartered Accountant in South Africa. He also holds a Diploma in International Logistics from the University of Navara and is a licensed real estate and business agent in Western Australia.
                • Neil Graham
                  Neil Graham
                  VP BATTERY MATERIALS
                  Neil is a chartered chemical engineer with more than 30 years of international experience in the chemical and resources industries. His experience in greenfield and brownfield project development, driving operational change and delivering performance turnarounds has been gained in various managing director/general manager roles, across a breadth of organisations and locations. These roles have been European, Asian and Australian based with multi-nationals, such as Huntsman and Orica, and West Australian resources businesses.
                  • Gideon van Wyk
                    Gideon van Wyk
                    GENERAL MANAGER MANGANESE ORE BUSINESS
                    Gideon van Wyk has joined the Team as General Manager (Manganese Ore Business). Gideon’s key responsibilities include:
                    • Process optimisation and improvement with the existing operations targeting tonnes, grade and recoveries.
                    • Technology selection for optimised expansion plant utilising improved comminution and dense media separation (DMS).
                    • Planning and execution of the Butcherbird Expansion Project to increase concentrate production volumes to a targeted 1Mtpa.
                    • Leon Lima
                      Leon Lima
                      TECHNOLOGY MANAGER
                      Leon is an experienced Metallurgist with a rich passion for innovation and sustainability and has worked across a variety of resources. As Technology Manager, he is at the forefront of developing and implementing cutting-edge solutions that optimize processes, enhance safety, and minimize environmental impact.
                      • Liam O'Connor
                        Liam O'Connor
                        BUSINESS SYSTEMS MANAGER
                        Liam joined Element 25 in mid-2024 as our Business Systems Manager. Liam has held a number of senior commercial, procurement and IT management positions across a range of industries.

                        The commercial and procurement processes for the major equipment and services contracts required as part of our Butcherbird Expansion Project, and the introduction of modern business systems and processes are key focus areas for Liam in this role.