The Team
The Pallinghurst Group have a unique, experienced senior management team with a multifaceted skillset including the development of mining companies, private equity as well as finance and corporate development.
We have a proven track record and an in-depth industry knowledge of assets, companies, people and trends. As a team, we pride ourselves on being recognised for our strategic insight and vision, decades of value creation, being highly regarded by international investors, and our trademark of pioneering innovative and sustainable transactions.
Since our formation over 15 years ago, The Pallinghurst Group’s ethos has been built on integrity, sustainability, teamwork and leadership. Through those four pillars, The Pallinghurst Group is focused on providing its investors with superior and sustainable returns.
Our four partners are Brian Gilbertson, the Non-Executive Chairman, Arne H. Frandsen and Andrew Willis, the Managing Partners, and Chris Shepherd, Partner and Managing Director.
The Partners provide The Pallinghurst Group with leadership and strategic guidance as well as hands-on management and execution oversight. As a team, the Partners have complementary skills and experience providing a unique skillset which in turn unlocks and maximises the potential of its portfolio companies. Through a unique hands-on approach, the Pallinghurst Team provides management and oversight which in turn maximises value for the benefit of all our stakeholders.
The Partners are supported by an experienced team of the highest calibre professionals. The complementary skills of the professional individuals of the Pallinghurst Team, provides a complete knowledge base which enables us to do our asset evaluations, deal execution as well as ongoing management in house.
In addition to its core team, Pallinghurst has identified a group of highly qualified senior mining professionals as well as experienced financial managers, who will be available to become direct employees of the companies Pallinghurst invests in – if and when such needs are required.
Headquartered in London with additional offices in Canada and Guernsey.
Partners
Brian Gilbertson
Brian Gilbertson has extensive experience in the global natural resources industry. He has held senior positions in many leading companies including as Managing Director of Rustenburg Platinum, Chief Executive of Gencor Limited, BHP Billiton and Vedanta Resources.
Arne H. Frandsen
Having studied Law in Europe, Africa and Asia, Arne Frandsen holds a Masters in Law. Arne has over ten years’ of investment banking experience with Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan, providing strategic advice and structuring mergers and acquisitions as well as corporate finance transactions for clients in 30 different countries, raising in excess of US$20 billion of capital.
Andrew Willis
Andrew Willis has over 15 years’ experience in international finance, structuring and private equity. He started his professional career as an accountant in New Zealand and after moving to Europe spent three years with pan-European private equity investment manager Candover Investments.
Christopher Shepherd
Chris Shepherd joined Pallinghurst in 2010 and has 20 years’ experience in international finance, investment banking and private equity. He is a former investment banker and has extensive experience in transaction origination, structuring and execution in the mining sector.
Investment Leadership Team
Group Head of Mining and Engineering
Spiro Pippos
Spiro Pippos oversees our mining engineering and mine management upstream effort. Spiro is Australian and holds an MBA from London Business School. In addition, he earned a Bachelor of Engineering (Mining) with honours as well as a Bachelor of Commerce (Finance) from University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia.
Group Head of Corporate Finance
Sean Thijsse
Sean Thijsse joined Pallinghurst in 2011 and has been an integral part of Pallinghurst’s corporate finance team for the past 8 years. Specifically, he headed the execution of Pallinghurst’s Steel Making Materials strategy which resulted in building the Tshipi manganese mine into the single largest manganese mine in South Africa and the top five in the world.
Group Head of Metallurgy
Zama Ntombela
Zama Ntombela oversees our processing and downstream analysis. Zama is South African and has earned a master’s degree in Management of Finance and Investment (Wits Business School). She also holds a Bachelor of Engineering (Metallurgical Engineering) – First Class & Honours (University of Pretoria).
Group Head of
Geology
Dr. Alex Middleton
Dr. Alex Middleton is spearheading our geological analysis. Alex is British and earned a PhD with a focus on geochemistry as well as natural resource research and development from University of Queensland, Australia. Before that, he earned a MSci (Hons) in Earth Science and Engineering from Imperial College London.
Operations
Group Head of HR and Operations
Alice Coslett
Alice Coslett delivers wide ranging expertise to The Pallinghurst Group. Alongside managing these fundamental personnel processes, her role extends to supporting the Finance Team and advising Management.
Group Head of Investments
Richard Dudley
Richard Dudley conducts research and financial analysis for the investment and corporate finance team on both prospective and existing Pallinghurst projects. He is also an integral member of the finance team and assists with the servicing of Pallinghurst’s investors and strategic partners.
Group Head of Compliance
Anthony Payne
Anthony Payne oversees regulatory compliance throughout The Pallinghurst Group, along with ensuring the group adheres to positive ESG practices and global tax regimes.
Global Head of Accounting
Timene Stemmet
Timene Stemmet joined Pallinghurst in 2009 and manages the financial accounting for various offices across the Group.
Senior Business Management
Eve James
Eve James joined The Pallinghurst Group in 2018 providing varied administrative support to the London Team, including senior members within the core investment and compliance teams.
Carissa Mosser O'Neill
Carissa Mosser O’Neill provides high-level secretarial, administrative and information management support to Andrew Willis and the wider team.
Ulandi Langhein
Ulandi Langhein has over 30 years of experience in various disciplines such as Business, Financial and Project Management as well as Operating Excellence and Community engagement.
