Board Members

Ian Jeffrey Gandel (Non Executive Chair)

LLB, BEc, FCPA, FAICD

Mr Gandel is a successful Melbourne based businessman with extensive experience in retail management and retail property. He has been a director of the Gandel Retail Trust and has had an involvement in the construction and leasing of Gandel shopping centres. He has previously been involved in the Priceline retail chain and the CEO chain of serviced offices.

Through his private investment vehicles, Mr Gandel has been an investor in the mining industry since 1994. Mr Gandel is currently a substantial holder in a number of publicly listed Australian companies and, through his private investment vehicles, now holds and explores tenements in his own right in both South Australia and Western Australia. Mr Gandel is a Non-executive Chair of Alkane Resources Ltd (Director since 2006).

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Rowena Smith (Managing Director and CEO)

B.Com, MAICD

Ms Smith was appointed Managing Director in March 2023. Ms Smith is also ASM Chief Executive Officer, a position she has held since July 2022.

Ms Smith has over 30 years experience in the mining and minerals processing sector in a range of senior roles in strategy, operations and commercial. Prior to joining ASM, she was Chief Sustainability Officer at South32, accountable for sustainability strategy, risk management and HSE business processes. Other past roles include Vice President Supply at South32, General Manager BHP’s Kwinana Nickel Refinery, and operational leadership roles within Rio Tinto’s aluminium smelting business.

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Kerry Gleeson (Non-Executive Director)

LLB (Hons), FAICD

Ms Gleeson is an experienced independent Non-Executive Director, chair and committee member with over two decades of experience as a director, senior executive and board advisor of various ASX listed companies. Ms Gleeson has worked nationally and internationally across broad and complex industry sectors, including mining and resources, industrial and agri-chemicals, manufacturing, transport and distribution and international education. Ms Gleeson is a qualified lawyer in both the UK and Australia, and spent 15 years in private practice, including as a partner of an English law firm, before emigrating to Melbourne and joining Blake Dawson Waldron (now Ashurst).

Ms Gleeson’s other current roles include Non-Executive Director of St Barbara Limited and Chrysos Corporation Ltd. She is also the Chair of Trinity College at the University of Melbourne.

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Dominic Heaton (Non-Executive Director)

Bsc, MAICD

Mr Heaton holds a Bachelor of Science from James Cook University and a Postgraduate Diploma in Mineral Processing from La Trobe University. He has further honed his executive leadership skills through the Advanced Management Program at the University of Melbourne, Mt Eliza. As a Member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, he has demonstrated a deep understanding of corporate governance, risk management, and strategic oversight in the mining sector.

Mr Heaton has held several high-profile leadership positions across various mining jurisdictions, including Southeast Asia, Australia and Europe. Previous roles include Managing Director at HC Starck GmbH and CEO of Masan High-Tech Materials in Vietnam, where he played a pivotal role in corporate strategy, acquisitions, and operational efficiency.

In addition, he serves as a Non-Executive Director for Asiamet Resources and runs his own business consulting firm specialising in mining and resource management.

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Gavin Smith (Non-Executive Director)

B.Com, MBA, MAICD

Mr Smith is an accomplished senior executive and non-executive director within multinational business environments. He has more than 35 years’ experience in Information Technology, Business Development, and General Management in a wide range of industries and sectors. Mr Smith has worked for the Bosch group for the past 28 years in Australia and Germany and is the current Chair and President of Robert Bosch Australia. In this role, Mr Smith has led the restructuring and transformation of the local Bosch subsidiary. Concurrent with this role, he is a non-executive director of the various Bosch subsidiaries, joint ventures, and direct investment companies in Australia and New Zealand.

In addition, Mr Smith is the Chair of the Internet of Things Alliance Australia (IoTAA), the peak body for organisations with an interest in the IoT. Mr Smith is also a non-executive director of Alkane Resources Ltd.