The Board & Management Team
The Board, which has over 100 years’ experience in mining and natural resources development, financing and corporate management, aims to utilise its experience and knowledge to deliver on the Company’s strategic growth objectives and build shareholder value.
Ali Farid Khwaja
Chief Executive Officer
Mr Khwaja has over twenty years' experience in commerce and brings deep experience of investing and operating across emerging markets, especially in the Middle East, Africa and Central Asia as well as European and USA public markets. He is one of the founders of Oxford Frontier Capital, a company builder that owns successful ventures in Saudi Arabia, UAE and Pakistan including KTrade Securities. Previously he was a Partner at Autonomous Research and prior to that was Group CFO and Board Director of AIM listed SafeCharge International Group (acquired by NUVEI). Ali has been one of the top ranked analysts at Berenberg, Kudu Emerging Markets and UBS. He is an alumnus of Oxford University, where he was a Rhodes Scholar.
Kelvin Williams
Non-Executive Chairman
Mr. Williams has held senior leadership positions across multiple industries, geographies and sectors including manufacturing, telecommunications, agriculture, and chemical production. His experience includes strategic restructuring, project financing, and guiding companies through periods of operational and financial transformation. Notable achievements in his career range from facilitating complex M&A transactions to overseeing critical international projects spanning the UK, France, the USA, and Africa. He holds a Business Studies Honours Degree and is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants.
Danilo Lange
Chief Operating Officer
Mr Lange is an experienced international executive with over 25 years of leadership across mining, consumer goods, and marketing sectors. He has a proven history in corporate turnaround, business expansion, and cross-cultural team management in Europe, the Middle East, and Eastern Europe. He was previously the CEO of a gold producer and exploration company listed on NASDAQ OMEX in Sweden. He has held senior management roles at Serviceplan Group, Red Bull, and Yahoo!. He is fluent in six languages, including French, and has a Master of Science from the University of Applied Science & Economics, Germany.
Jean Pierre Tshienda
Executive Director
Mr Tshienda is a UK national of Congolese origin who divides his time between the UK and the DRC. Mr. Tshienda is an accomplished mining professional with extensive expertise in natural resource management, mining governance, and international business economics, particularly within the DRC. He holds a degree in Economics & International Business and a Master of Arts in Global Affairs as well as Diploma in Natural Resources Management & Governance. In the past he has performed a consulting role for the DRC Mining Cadastre.
Kristofer Tremaine
Non-Executive Director
Mr Tremaine is a vastly experienced energy and metals executive, over with twenty seven years of experience across global commodity markets. Beginning his career in 1998 on the International Petroleum Exchange with Paribas Futures, Mr Tremaine has held senior roles in the commodities divisions of ABN AMRO and UBS, later leading the energy derivatives hedge fund market making at Societe Generale. He founded Kimura in 2013, building it into a leading asset manager in the physical commodity sector. Under his leadership Kimura financed more than 6,000 transactions and over $30 billion of strategic production, transport, and working capital across energy, base metals, and critical minerals. Kristofer currently holds board roles with Mosslake Partners LLC (Advisory, Kimura Performance Ltd., and continues to develop high-impact strategies in energy infrastructure and metal supply chains.
Avinash Bisnath
Non-Executive Director
As a qualified PhD geologist, Dr. Bisnath has over 28 years' experience in the mining industry with a focus on geological exploration. He started his career with Anglo American Platinum Corporation Limited in South Africa and has spent most of his professional life within the African Continent. Dr. Bisnath spent three years as a Lecturer in the Department Geology, at the University of KwaZulu-Natal ('UKZN') in South Africa. His advisory contributions in guiding various projects to success showcase his ability to navigate complex multi-commodity projects at different stages of their development. Awarded by the University of Cape Town, his Ph.D. research delved into continental geodynamics and evolution, showcasing his profound commitment to advancing geological understanding. Furthermore, his understanding of geological dynamics, coupled with his hands-on field experience across Africa, including the DRC, makes him an invaluable member of the Critical Metals team.
Selina Hayes
Non-Executive Director
Ms Hayes is an influential leader and investor in Africa and frontier markets, specialising in mining, critical minerals, and emerging technologies. As the CEO of Hayes Group International and founder of Seyah Space, she has led cross-sector initiatives connecting capital, resources, and innovation supported by prior roles in the US government, and in private sector in oil and gas, mining and other frontier technologies. Ms. Hayes holds a B.A. in International Relations from George Washington University, as well as an M.B.A. and M.A. in International Relations from the University of San Diego, USA.
STRATEGY
Critical Metals is focused on acquiring and developing brownfield mining opportunities in the critical minerals sector, as defined by the United States and European Union critical minerals list.
The Board believes there are significant opportunities in the high-value critical metal space as demand increases and supply constraints are accentuated. Critical metals demand is being driven by both the traditional sectors, including high-tech manufacturing and defence, as well as fast-growing developing markets including wind turbines, electric vehicles, next-generation batteries, solar cells and energy-efficient lighting.
The Company is focused on advancing low CAPEX and OPEX near-term production opportunities in order to generate short-term cash flow and build significant value for shareholders. This includes projects where the Board believe assets have been overlooked and under-analysed. Critical Metals’ primary geographic focus is Southern Africa, although individual projects will be assessed on their own merits.
Testament to this strategy, Critical Metals is currently developing the previously producing Molulu copper cobalt mine in the Democratic Republic of Congo, and is focussed on returning the mine to production, targeting 120,000t/per annum of Copper Oxide Ore. Alongside this, the Company maintains an active growth strategy and through its extensive contact base is actively evaluating opportunities in commodities including tantalum, niobium, antimony, copper, cobalt and rare earth elements.
Critical Metals is listed on the Main Market of the London Stock Exchange.