Board and Management

BSc (Mathematics and Physics)

Asimwe Kabunga is a Tanzanian born Australian entrepreneur with multiple interests in mining and IT businesses around the world.

Mr Kabunga has extensive experience in the mining industry, logistics, land access, tenure negotiation and acquisition, as well as a developer of technology businesses. Mr Kabunga has been instrumental in establishing the Tanzania Community of Western Australia Inc., and served as its first President. Mr Kabunga was also a founding member of Rafiki Surgical Missions and Safina Foundation, both NGOs dedicated to helping children in Tanzania.

Mr Kabunga also serves as a Executive Chairman of Lindian Resources Limited (ASX.LIN), Executive Chairman of Resource Mining Corporation (ASX:RMI) and Non Executive Chairman of Volt Resources Limited (ASX:VRC).

BA Bus, F Fin, ACIS, GAICD 

Ms Nahajski-Staples is an investment banker, public company director and manager, with nearly 30 years’ experience (15 years in mining) representing over half a billion dollars in global transactions. AuKing’s ongoing development of its flagship Koongie Park Copper Zinc Project in Western Australia’s Halls Creek region will be well served by her broad international capital markets experience, high-performance work ethic, and ‘big picture’ thinking. 

Currently, Perth-based Ms Nahajski-Staples is Executive Director of Paloma Investments and Founding Director of copper-gold explorer Larvotto Resources (ASX: LRV) and Nevada-focused Moneghetti Minerals (proposed IPO in 2023). She was also a Founding Director of New Zealand-focused gold explorer Siren Gold (ASX: SNG).

She is a Fellow of Finsia, a graduate of the Governance Institute of Australia (2009) and the Australian Institute of Company Directors (2007) and studied accounting at Harvard University (1993) before receiving a Bachelor of Business Administration with a scholarship from the University of Washington. 

BA LLB (UQ)

Mr Williams holds both Bachelor of Arts and Law Degrees from the University of Queensland and practised as a corporate and commercial lawyer with Brisbane legal firm HopgoodGanim Lawyers for 17 years. He ultimately became an equity partner of HopgoodGanim Lawyers before joining Eastern Corporation as their Chief Executive Officer in August 2004. In mid-2006 Mr Williams joined Mitsui Coal Holdings in the role of General Counsel, participating in the supervision of the coal mining interests and business development activities within the multinational Mitsui & Co group.

Mr Williams is well known in the Brisbane investment community as well as in Sydney and Melbourne and brings to the AKN Board a broad range of commercial and legal expertise – especially in the context of mining and exploration activities. He also has a strong focus on corporate governance and the importance of clear and open communication of corporate activity to the investment markets.

Mr Tighe started his working career in the family-owned JH Leavy & Co business, which is one of the longest established fruit and vegetable wholesaling businesses in the Brisbane Markets at Rocklea and has been trading since the late 1800s. As the owner and managing director of JH Leavy & Co, Mr Tighe expanded the company along with highly respected farms and packhouses that have been pleased to supply the company with top quality fruit and vegetables for wholesale/export for over 40 years.

Mr Tighe has been a director of Brisbane Markets Limited (BML) since 1999. BML is the owner of the Brisbane Markets® site and is responsible for its ongoing management and development of its $400m asset portfolio. As the proprietor of the site, BML has over 250 leases in place including selling floors, industrial warehousing, retail stores and commercial offices. BML acknowledges its role as an economic hub of Queensland, facilitating the trade of $1.5 billion worth of fresh produce annually, supporting local and regional businesses of the horticulture industry. As a Board member Mr Tighe has held roles in various sub-committees which include: 

• Chairman of Safety and Tenant Advisory Committee
• BML Strategy Investment Committee
• Legal and Compliance Committee

In 2016 the JH Leavy & Co business was sold but Mr Tighe has continued in the senior management of Global Fresh Australia, trading as JH Leavy & Co, to ensure a successful transition of ownership.

Mr Tighe (with his wife Patty) own Magic Bloodstock Racing (MBR), a thoroughbred horse racing and breeding company. MBR has acquired many horses which are trained and raced across Australia and around the world including “Winx”, one of the greatest thoroughbreds of all time winning more than $26m in prizemoney.

BA, MSc (Mining Geology and Mineral Exploration)

Mr Hodkinson is a Registered Professional Geoscientist (RPGeo) in the fields of Mining and Mineral Exploration with over 40 years of experience in exploration, metalliferous mining and project development, in both Africa and Australia.

Ian has a bachelor’s degree in Geology and Geography from the University of London and a Master of Science in Mineral Exploration and Mining Geology from the University of Leicester in the UK. He is a long-standing member of the Australian Institute of Geoscientists (AIG) and the Society for Geology Applied to Mineral Deposits (SGA).

Mr Hodkinson’s experience and ability to report as a Competent Person (CP) covers a broad spectrum of mineral commodities including base metals (copper, lead and zinc), precious metals (gold and silver), nickel/cobalt and tin/tungsten across both underground and open-pit operations. He has extensive experience in the project development phase with a particular focus on resources/reserves and geometallurgical and geotechnical investigations. He has been the senior site geologist on numerous operational mine sites including Eloise, Mt Leyshon, Hadleigh Castle and Mungana as well as having Australia-wide metalliferous exploration experience.

Mr. Yin is a Chinese national without any foreign permanent residence, holds a Master of Professional Accounting degree and is a Chinese Certified Public Accountant and a Senior Accountant. From September 1994 to September 2010, Mr. Yin served successively as Accountant of Beijing No. 2 Water Pipe Factory, Audit Manager and Audit Partner of Yuehua Certified Public Accountants Firm, and Senior Partner of Zhongrui Yuehua Certified Public Accountants Co., Ltd.

From October 2010 to May 2011, Mr Yin served as Chief Financial Officer of JCHX Mining Management Co., Ltd.

From May 2011 to April 2017, Mr Yin served as Chief Financial Officer and Secretary of the Board of Directors of JCHX Mining Management Co., LTD (Shanghai Stock Exchange Code: 603979).

From April 2017 to the date of this Prospectus, Mr Yin has been Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and Secretary of the Board of JCHX Group Co., Ltd.

Mr. Yin has been the chairman of the Board of Supervisors of JCHX Mining Management Co., Ltd (Shanghai Stock Exchange Code: 603979) since May 2017.

Mr Yin has been an Independent Director of:

• Beijing Century Real Technology Co.,Ltd. (Shenzhen Stock Exchange Code: 300150) since September 2018;
• Beijing Yiqiao Shenzhou Technology Co., LTD. (which is to be listed on Growth Enterprise Market (“GEM”) of Shenzhen Stock Exchange) since March 2020; and
• previously, from October 2009 to March 2015, Dalian East New Energy Development Co., Ltd. (Shenzhen Stock Exchange Code: 300125) from October 2009 to May 2015.

Mr Yin will represent the interests of major shareholder JCHX, on the Company’s Board.

LLB, ACA

Paul Marshall is a Chartered Accountant.  He holds a Bachelor of Law degree, and a post Graduate Diploma in Accounting and Finance.  He has 30 years professional experience having worked for Ernst and Young for ten years, and subsequently twenty years spent in commercial roles as Company Secretary and CFO for a number of listed and unlisted companies mainly in the resources sector. 

Mr Marshall has extensive experience in all aspects of company financial reporting, corporate regulatory and governance areas, business acquisition and disposal due diligence, capital raising and company listings and company secretarial responsibilities.

MGeoSc, MComm (Finance), BMSc

Mr Bittar was previously Senior project Geologist at Pantoro Limited’s Norseman Project in Western Australia, where he supervised the planning and execution of near-mine exploration and resource development programs as part of the Definitive Feasibility Study program at Norseman.

Previously, Mr Bittar held Senior Geologist roles with Millennium Minerals (Nullagine Gold project) and Pilbara Minerals (Pilgangoora Lithium project), and Exploration Geologist roles with Sumitomo Metal Mining Oceania and Northern Minerals (Browns Range rare earths project in WA). In these roles Mr Bittar gained extensive experience in taking projects from greenfield exploration to resource development and up to mine-ready feasibility study stage. This experience included supervision of multiple drilling campaigns, geological interpretation, data management and project reporting. Mr Bittar has also maintained a strong commitment to company safety policies and procedures.

MSc (Distinction Mineral Economics, University Medal), BSc

Mr Johnston is a highly experienced mineral resources manager and executive with management roles at BHP and Newcrest Mining, and as Managing Director at ASX-listed Sardinia Gold Mines and Tanex Resources.  Mr Johnston has broad experience in identifying and managing international natural resource opportunities and advising on corporate strategies. 

He has also provided advice on all sectors of the resource industry from grassroots exploration through to drill outs, feasibility studies, construction and operations. Specific expertise in assessing opportunities, metallurgical treatment and hydrometallurgy. Co-author of over 12 international patents including AmmLeach® and HyperLeach®. Garry has extensive international experience and assessments, including the Australia, South America, Mexico, Canada, Africa and South East Asia and is an expert in alkaline base metal leaching.