Our Board of Directors combines global expertise in all aspects of the development and financing of greenfield resource projects
Board of Directors
Russell Scrimshaw
Chairman
Chris Fraser
Managing Director and CEO
Jason Murray
Finance Director and Chief Financial Officer
Chris Catlow
Non-Executive Director and Deputy Chairman
Russell Scrimshaw was formerly an Executive Director and Deputy CEO of Fortescue Metals Group Ltd and was a member of the FMG Board from 2003 until 2011.
Previously Russell Scrimshaw was a board member of Commonwealth Properties Ltd, EDS Australia, Mobilesoft Ltd, Telecom New Zealand Australia Pty Ltd, The Garvan Institute Foundation and Athletics Australia and has also held senior executive positions within the Commonwealth Bank of Australia, Optus Communications Pty Ltd, Alcatel, IBM and Amdahl USA.
In addition he is an Associate Member of the Australian Society of Certified Practicing Accountants, an Adjunct Professor of Mining Economics at China Central South University in Changsha, China and a non-executive director of ASX-listed Cleveland Mining Company Limited.
Russell Scrimshaw was appointed Chairman of Sirius Minerals in November 2011 and is a member of the Remuneration Committee and the Nominations Committee.
Previously Russell Scrimshaw was a board member of Commonwealth Properties Ltd, EDS Australia, Mobilesoft Ltd, Telecom New Zealand Australia Pty Ltd, The Garvan Institute Foundation and Athletics Australia and has also held senior executive positions within the Commonwealth Bank of Australia, Optus Communications Pty Ltd, Alcatel, IBM and Amdahl USA.
In addition he is an Associate Member of the Australian Society of Certified Practicing Accountants, an Adjunct Professor of Mining Economics at China Central South University in Changsha, China and a non-executive director of ASX-listed Cleveland Mining Company Limited.
Russell Scrimshaw was appointed Chairman of Sirius Minerals in November 2011 and is a member of the Remuneration Committee and the Nominations Committee.
Chris Fraser has approximately 16 years' finance experience in the mining industry. During this time he worked for Citigroup, Rothschild and KPMG and has market leading expertise in all aspects of the financing and development of major mining projects. Having joined Citigroup in 2000, Chris Fraser was appointed Head of Metals and Mining Investment Banking for Australia in 2006 and Managing Director in 2008.
In these roles he led the bank to become one of the leading investment banking franchises in the mining industry in Australia. In particular he was the lead adviser on the US$2.5 billion initial development capital financing for Fortescue Metals Group Ltd (FMG). He has provided strategic advice to many of the world's leading mining companies including BHP Billiton, Rio Tinto, WMC Resources and Paladin Energy.
In 2009 Chris Fraser founded Sigiriya Capital, a specialist advisory and investment house focused on the resources sector. In 2010 he founded York Potash Ltd to undertake the exploration and development of the York Potash Project and in January 2011 York Potash was acquired by Sirius Minerals.
Chris Fraser holds a Bachelor in Commerce from the University of Western Australia. He is a qualified Chartered Accountant and a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Australia. In addition, he is a Senior Associate of the Financial Services Institute of Australia (FINSIA) and a member of the Institute of Company Directors in Australia.
Chris Fraser joined the Board in January 2011.
In these roles he led the bank to become one of the leading investment banking franchises in the mining industry in Australia. In particular he was the lead adviser on the US$2.5 billion initial development capital financing for Fortescue Metals Group Ltd (FMG). He has provided strategic advice to many of the world's leading mining companies including BHP Billiton, Rio Tinto, WMC Resources and Paladin Energy.
In 2009 Chris Fraser founded Sigiriya Capital, a specialist advisory and investment house focused on the resources sector. In 2010 he founded York Potash Ltd to undertake the exploration and development of the York Potash Project and in January 2011 York Potash was acquired by Sirius Minerals.
Chris Fraser holds a Bachelor in Commerce from the University of Western Australia. He is a qualified Chartered Accountant and a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Australia. In addition, he is a Senior Associate of the Financial Services Institute of Australia (FINSIA) and a member of the Institute of Company Directors in Australia.
Chris Fraser joined the Board in January 2011.
Jason Murray previously worked at Bank of America Merrill Lynch where he was Head of Capital Markets in Australia. Jason Murray has over 20 years' finance experience having held senior positions at Citigroup and JP Morgan and previously working in various accounting and finance sector roles in London, New York and Moscow. In the last decade, prior to him joining the Company, he participated in raising over US$250 billion for global companies in the debt, equity and hybrid capital markets in the USA, Europe and Asia.
As well as being at the forefront of capital markets globally, Jason Murray, is a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of England and Wales and has a degree in Accounting. Jason is currently a member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and the British Institute of Directors.
Jason Murray joined the Board in May 2012.
As well as being at the forefront of capital markets globally, Jason Murray, is a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of England and Wales and has a degree in Accounting. Jason is currently a member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and the British Institute of Directors.
Jason Murray joined the Board in May 2012.
Chris Catlow is highly experienced in the international resources industry having worked on the development and operations of oil and gas, hard rock and sand mining projects over a 25 year career. He played a central role in the formation of Iluka Resources Limited and most recently was a senior executive and CFO of the ASX-listed iron ore mining company, Fortescue Metals Group Ltd FMG), having joined shortly after its formation in 2003.
During his seven years at FMG, initially as its inaugural Chief Financial Officer and then as its Investment and Business Development Director, the company financed and brought into production its major iron ore mining, processing and port facility in Western Australia's Pilbara region. The development established FMG as Australia's third largest iron ore producer behind Rio Tinto and BHP Billiton.
Chris Catlow has a BSc in Engineering Science from the University of Durham in the UK and is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Australia. He is currently Chairman of Indo Mines Limited and Allied Healthcare Group Limited both listed on the ASX.
Chris Catlow was appointed as a director of the Company in April 2010 and as Deputy Chairman in November 2011. He is Chairman of the Audit Committee and is a member of the Remuneration Committee.
During his seven years at FMG, initially as its inaugural Chief Financial Officer and then as its Investment and Business Development Director, the company financed and brought into production its major iron ore mining, processing and port facility in Western Australia's Pilbara region. The development established FMG as Australia's third largest iron ore producer behind Rio Tinto and BHP Billiton.
Chris Catlow has a BSc in Engineering Science from the University of Durham in the UK and is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Australia. He is currently Chairman of Indo Mines Limited and Allied Healthcare Group Limited both listed on the ASX.
Chris Catlow was appointed as a director of the Company in April 2010 and as Deputy Chairman in November 2011. He is Chairman of the Audit Committee and is a member of the Remuneration Committee.
Sir David Higgins
Non-Executive Director
John Hutton
Non-Executive Director
Professor Michael Mainelli
Non-Executive Director
Peter Woods
Non-Executive Director
Sir David, is currently the Chief Executive of Network Rail, the Authority responsible for the UK's rail network with an asset value of £40 billion.
Previously he was Chief Executive of the Olympic Delivery Authority ("ODA") from March 2006 until January 2011 responsible for Venues, Infrastructure and Spectator Transport for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games with a budget of £8 billion. Prior to this, he was Chief Executive of English Partnerships, the Government's National Regeneration Agency, for three years.
Earlier in Sir David's career, he was the Managing Director and Chief Executive of Lend Lease Group, a global property and infrastructure company. He graduated in Civil Engineering from the University of Sydney and also holds a Diploma from the Securities Institute of Australia. He was knighted in 2011.
Sir David joined the Board in March 2012. He is a member of the Audit Committee.
Previously he was Chief Executive of the Olympic Delivery Authority ("ODA") from March 2006 until January 2011 responsible for Venues, Infrastructure and Spectator Transport for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games with a budget of £8 billion. Prior to this, he was Chief Executive of English Partnerships, the Government's National Regeneration Agency, for three years.
Earlier in Sir David's career, he was the Managing Director and Chief Executive of Lend Lease Group, a global property and infrastructure company. He graduated in Civil Engineering from the University of Sydney and also holds a Diploma from the Securities Institute of Australia. He was knighted in 2011.
Sir David joined the Board in March 2012. He is a member of the Audit Committee.
Lord Hutton was a distinguished member of the Government for 13 years from 1997 to 2010, including 11 years as a Minister and four years serving on the Cabinet. He was appointed Chairman of the Independent Public Service Pensions Commission established by the current Government in June 2010, which delivered its final report in March 2011.
Lord Hutton was a legal adviser to the Confederation of Business Industry in the late 1970s before becoming a senior law lecturer at Newcastle Polytechnic. In 1992 he was elected to the Barrow and Furness seat in Cumbria where he remained as MP until he stood down at the 2010 general election.
During Lord Hutton's varied career in Government, he served first as a Permanent Parliamentary Secretary in the Department of Trade and Industry before becoming Leader of the House of Commons and then moving to the Department of Health in 1998 where he became Minister of State for Health in 1999, a position he held until 2005.
In 2005 Lord Hutton was briefly appointed Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister of the Cabinet Office before being made Secretary of State for Work and Pensions. In 2007 Lord Hutton was appointed Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform. In 2008 he became Secretary of State for Defence until he stepped down from the Cabinet in 2009. Following the general election in 2010 he was created a life peer as Baron Hutton of Furness and now sits in the House of Lords.
Lord Hutton joined the Board in January 2012. He is Chairman of the Remuneration Committee.
Lord Hutton was a legal adviser to the Confederation of Business Industry in the late 1970s before becoming a senior law lecturer at Newcastle Polytechnic. In 1992 he was elected to the Barrow and Furness seat in Cumbria where he remained as MP until he stood down at the 2010 general election.
During Lord Hutton's varied career in Government, he served first as a Permanent Parliamentary Secretary in the Department of Trade and Industry before becoming Leader of the House of Commons and then moving to the Department of Health in 1998 where he became Minister of State for Health in 1999, a position he held until 2005.
In 2005 Lord Hutton was briefly appointed Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister of the Cabinet Office before being made Secretary of State for Work and Pensions. In 2007 Lord Hutton was appointed Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform. In 2008 he became Secretary of State for Defence until he stepped down from the Cabinet in 2009. Following the general election in 2010 he was created a life peer as Baron Hutton of Furness and now sits in the House of Lords.
Lord Hutton joined the Board in January 2012. He is Chairman of the Remuneration Committee.
Michael Mainelli is Executive Chairman of Z/Yen, the City of London's leading commercial think-tank, where he has worked since 1994 on strategy, technology, finance and business development. He started his career as a research scientist and then spent seven years as a partner in a leading accountancy firm directing much of their consultancy work in the UK and overseas.
Michael's natural resources experience dates back to 1979 where his early research work led to him starting companies in seismology, cartography and oil & gas information for a Swiss firm. In the early 1980s he initiated and ran the Swiss firm's multi-million dollar oil industry consortium (Shell, BP, Chevron and Elf Aquitaine were the primary partners plus 10 minor partners) to digitise the world. This culminated in the development of Geodat and Mundocart, oil industry standard sets of cartographic data at scales from 1:50,000 to 1:1,000,000 and over 60 million geographic features.
Michael has worked for public, private and not-for-profit companies, led several privatisation projects, was Chief Scientist of the DTI Foresight Challenge award-winning Financial Laboratory and served as Corporate Development Director on the board of Europe's then largest R&D organisation – the 12,000 strong Defence Evaluation and Research Agency of the UK's Ministry of Defence.
Michael is Emeritus Professor of Commerce at Gresham College and was British Computer Society Director of the year in 2005.
Michael Mainelli joined the Board in May 2005. He is a member of the Audit Committee and is Chairman of the Nominations Committee.
Michael's natural resources experience dates back to 1979 where his early research work led to him starting companies in seismology, cartography and oil & gas information for a Swiss firm. In the early 1980s he initiated and ran the Swiss firm's multi-million dollar oil industry consortium (Shell, BP, Chevron and Elf Aquitaine were the primary partners plus 10 minor partners) to digitise the world. This culminated in the development of Geodat and Mundocart, oil industry standard sets of cartographic data at scales from 1:50,000 to 1:1,000,000 and over 60 million geographic features.
Michael has worked for public, private and not-for-profit companies, led several privatisation projects, was Chief Scientist of the DTI Foresight Challenge award-winning Financial Laboratory and served as Corporate Development Director on the board of Europe's then largest R&D organisation – the 12,000 strong Defence Evaluation and Research Agency of the UK's Ministry of Defence.
Michael is Emeritus Professor of Commerce at Gresham College and was British Computer Society Director of the year in 2005.
Michael Mainelli joined the Board in May 2005. He is a member of the Audit Committee and is Chairman of the Nominations Committee.
Peter Woods is a consulting geologist and engineer with extensive experience in the potash industry having worked for 13 years as Chief Geologist at the Boulby Potash Mine in North Yorkshire, initially on its development and start-up.
Since leaving Boulby, Peter has consulted to a number of potash companies and projects including Selection Trust on the Red Sea potash project in Saudi Arabia and for two years on the Environmental Protection Scheme for the ASEAN potash project in Thailand. In addition he has reviewed potash projects in Spain and Russia. He has been advising York Potash Ltd since its establishment and has continued to do so following its acquisition by Sirius in January 2011.
In addition to his potash knowledge, following a Masters Degree in Environmental and Resource Management issues in 1988, Peter Woods served as the Secretary of State's Environmental Appointee on the North York Moors National Park Authority from 1996 – 1999.
Peter Woods also ran his own environmental consultancy until 2007 and has lived in North Yorkshire, on and off, for over 40 years.
Peter Woods joined the Board in April 2011.
Since leaving Boulby, Peter has consulted to a number of potash companies and projects including Selection Trust on the Red Sea potash project in Saudi Arabia and for two years on the Environmental Protection Scheme for the ASEAN potash project in Thailand. In addition he has reviewed potash projects in Spain and Russia. He has been advising York Potash Ltd since its establishment and has continued to do so following its acquisition by Sirius in January 2011.
In addition to his potash knowledge, following a Masters Degree in Environmental and Resource Management issues in 1988, Peter Woods served as the Secretary of State's Environmental Appointee on the North York Moors National Park Authority from 1996 – 1999.
Peter Woods also ran his own environmental consultancy until 2007 and has lived in North Yorkshire, on and off, for over 40 years.
Peter Woods joined the Board in April 2011.
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