Board & Management

Agha Shahzad Pervez
Executive Chairman
Mr Pervez is an experienced Company Director, CFO and Company Secretary, with over 13 years’ experience working with ASX listed companies. Mr Pervez currently holds the role of Non-Executive Chairman of Bayan Mining & Minerals Limited, as well as Non-Executive Director roles at Equinox Resources Limited and Pioneer Lithium Limited.

Rafael Moreno
Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer
Mr Moreno is a Chartered Professional Engineer with over 23 years’ global experience in the mining & petrochemical industries. He has held executive & senior leadership roles at Argosy, Santos, & INPEX, specializing in execution of major capital projects and has extensive experience covering exploration, business development, commercial, offtake agreements involved with projects in Australia, Asia, Europe, S & N America.

Geoff Bedford
Non-Executive Director
Mr Bedford is an experienced executive and director with more than 20 years’ experience in rare earths, advanced materials and specialty chemicals. He has held senior leadership roles including Chief Executive Officer, Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer of Neo Performance Materials, a global rare earths and advanced materials business. He has extensive experience in international operations, rare earth processing, capital markets, corporate strategy, and public company governance. He holds an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management and is a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA, CA).

Jose Carlos Guedes
Non-Executive Director
Mr Guedes is a senior industrial executive in the mining and chemical sectors, with an extensive record in delivering and operating projects in the EU, NORAM, LATAM and APAC regions. He was previously the COO of Serra Verde Mineração and Vice President Industrial of Lynas Corp, two leading Rare Earths businesses outside of China. He also acted as an independent consultant for critical metals projects at Euro Manganese, Peak Resources and Araxá Metals. Previously, Mr Guedes held senior positions with Solvay. Mr Guedes holds a degree in Chemical Engineering and a postgraduate degree in Business Administration and Management (IAE France).

Marcus Silberman
Non-Executive Director
Mr Silberman is a US-based investment banking executive with approximately 30 years’ experience in global equity financing, capital solutions and mergers and acquisitions (‘M&A’), having completed more than 50 transactions with an aggregate value exceeding US$140 billion. He has held senior leadership roles at Credit Suisse and Bank of America, including Managing Director and Co-Head of M&A in Emerging Markets and Latin America, and has extensive experience advising on mining and natural resources transactions across Latin America, particularly Brazil-focused and Vale-related M&A. Mr Silberman has also held board and senior management roles across listed companies and private capital vehicles and currently serves on the board of Cemig, one of the largest integrated power utilities in Brazil and Latin America.

Ross Forzatti
Chief Operating Officer
Mr Forzatti is a highly regarded rare earths project development specialist with more than 24 years’ experience delivering major rare earth, battery materials and complex metallurgical projects globally. His experience spans the full project lifecycle from early-stage scoping through feasibility, detailed engineering, procurement, construction and commissioning. Mr Forzatti has played a central leadership role in the Colossus Project, having led the Scoping Study and Pre-Feasibility Study phases, and brings deep technical and operational familiarity with the Project’s flowsheet, execution risks, supply chains and Brazilian regulatory framework. He has also held senior leadership roles on several globally significant rare earth developments, including Arafura’s Nolans Project, Iluka’s Wimmera and Eneabba Projects, Lynas’ Mt Weld, Serra Verde and Tronox.

Ramon Soares
Chief Financial Officer
Mr Ramon Soares is a highly experienced finance executive with more than 15 years of global experience across ASX-listed mineral resources and royalty companies, including senior leadership roles supporting the development, financing and operation of assets in Brazil. His experience spans project finance, equity and debt funding, treasury management, financial governance and ASX compliance. Mr Soares holds a Bachelor of Accounting and Finance and an MBA from The University of Western Australia. He is a member of CPA Australia and a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

Carly Terzanidis
Company Secretary
Mrs Terzanidis is an experienced corporate professional with 20 years’ prior experience in the financial services industry, with a focus on capital markets and governance, and is a Chartered Secretary. Mrs Terzanidis acts as Company Secretary for a number of ASX listed resources and services companies.

Dr Klaus Petersen
Executive Director, Brazil and Country Manager
Dr Klaus Petersen Executive Director, Brazil & Country Manager Dr Petersen is a seasoned geologist and mining executive with 35-years’ experience across Iron, Gold, Copper, Manganese and Rare Earth projects in Brazil. Dr Petersen also co-founded several Australian, Brazilian and Canadian companies. Dr Petersen has built an extensive network with mining investors, financiers, governmental and environmental agencies which has allowed him to introduce and execute numerous successful transactions. Dr Petersen has spent significant time in Poços De Caldas over the last year and is very familiar with Ionic Clay Rare Earth hosting mineralisation in the Complex. Dr Petersen is author of numerous academic publications in the field of geology. Dr Petersen holds a degree in Geological Engineering, Masters of Science in Mineralogy and Petrology, PhD in Mineralogy and Petrology and is a registered member of AusIMM.

Dr Jose Marques Braga Junior
Executive Director, Brazil and Lead Exploration
Dr Braga is former Principal Geologist at CBMM. His 12 years of experience at CBMM has allowed him to gain a unique skillset in Niobium and Rare Earth mineral assets. Dr Braga oversaw and managed CBMM’s full suite of geological activities including prospecting, metallurgy, modelling, mining, and administrative rights. He has authored multiple scholarly publications on alkaline-hosted Nb, REE, P deposits, saprolite and weathered ores in Brazil. Dr Braga holds a Degree in Geological Engineering, a Master’s in Mining Engineering, PhD in Geology and is a registered member of AusIMM with qualifications for mineral exploration and evaluation of supergene deposits of REE, Nb, P, Ba and Fe.
Brazilian Team

Márcia Cunha
Corporate Manager
Márcia Cunha is a lawyer with 24 years of experience. She holds postgraduate degrees in Procedural Law and Public Law and has built much of her career in leadership positions. She served as Attorney General and Chief Attorney of the Municipality of Poços de Caldas, as well as Interim Secretary of Government and Communication and Director of Budget and Planning. She also worked as Legal Advisor in municipal chambers, joined the Board of Directors of DME Companies, and participated in municipal councils focused on economic and social development, bidding committees, and tax boards. She is currently a Counselor of the 25th Subsection of the Brazilian Bar Association (OAB) and Corporate Manager at Viridis Mineração Ltda.

Eder Nunes Ferreira
Exploration Manager
Mr. Eder Nunes Ferreira is an experienced Geologist with over 14 years in the mining sector. His career includes managing projects and teams in both national and international contexts, where he has excelled in the areas of prospecting and mineral characterization. He has extensive experience in drilling campaigns aimed at resource classification, as well as modeling and quality control. His work history also encompasses activities and strategic planning in both open-pit and underground mines, with a special focus on gold and copper projects.

Maria Teresa Muniz
Regulatory Affairs Manager
Mrs Maria Teresa Muniz is a highly skilled Mining Engineer with over 8 years of experience, Specializing in Mining Law, Regulatory Compliance, and Sustainable Mining Practices. Currently pursuing a Master’s in Mineral Engineering, Mrs Muniz has worked with niobium in Araxá and extensively with bauxite in Poços de Caldas, publishing research on sampling techniques. As a specialist in the maintenance and expansion of mining assets, Mrs Muniz excels in shaping sustainable mining policies playing a key role in discussions with ANM and as a member of the the Brazilian Bar Association's (OAB) Special Commission on Mining Law in São Paulo.

Karla Franco Brandão
Sustainability Manager
Mrs Karla Franco Brandão holds a degree in Chemical Engineering, a Master’s in Mineral Processing and Environmental Management, and a Postgraduate degree in Occupational Safety Engineering. Mrs Brandão brings over 7 years of extensive experience in Environmental Licensing and Regulation, gained through her work at the State Secretariat for Environment and Sustainable Development of Minas Gerais. Mrs Brandão has worked in the iron ore sector in both the Quadrilátero Ferrífero region and southeastern Pará, with a strong focus on sustainability. Her expertise spans environmental licensing processes, land and environmental management, institutional and community relations, as well as occupational health and safety (OHS).

Márcia Cota
Head of Finance
Marcia is a senior finance executive with more than 20 years of experience across mining and other complex business sectors. Her expertise includes financial strategy, FP&A, funding, CAPEX, governance and financial operations. She has a strong track record of supporting growth and transformation initiatives while partnering with executive teams, boards and shareholders to drive performance and value creation.

Marcelo Delmanto Colleoni
HR Manager
Marcelo Delmanto Colleoni is an HR executive with over 30 years of experience in the mining, technology, and services sectors, having worked in 11 countries. He holds a Master's degree in Emerging Technologies in Education from Must University (USA) and MBAs from Fundação Dom Cabral and FGV. He has accumulated extensive corporate experience in multinational companies in the areas of Human Resources, Finance, Compliance, Internal Controls, Auditing, and Shared Services. He is a guest professor at PUC MBA in Advanced People Management and a member of the Advisory Board of APAE (Associação de Pais e Amigos dos Excepcionais), a support network focused on promoting the autonomy and social inclusion of people with intellectual and multiple disabilities.

Daniel Rosestolato
HSE Manager
Mr. Daniel Rosestolato is an Industrial and Occupational Safety Engineer. He also holds a degree in Business, and an MBA in High-Performance Team Leadership and Productivity, as well as Environmental Management postgraduation. He is a qualified and experienced leader in the fields of EHSS (Environment, Health, Safety and Security) and PSM (Process Safety Management), with over 25 years practical experience in management of direct (local plants) and distributed teams (throughout Brazil, South America and LATAM) in complex environments, such as: Greenfields, shutdowns, expansion projects and FPS – Fatality Prevention System. Mr. Rosestolato has a variable industrial know-how in many diferent segments, such as: mining, construction, chemical, steel, aluminium and automotive industries. Solid technical knowledge, being currently responsible for the EHSS and PSM increased results where he has worked (having received 4 EHS Awards in the last 8 years).