GARETH HUCKLE

15 years in the mining industry holding various operations management and senior executive positions A partner with Monitor Group, consulting to blue-chip clients across a variety of international markets, industry sectors and business challenges B.Eng (Hons) in Mining Engineering (Leeds, UK) and MBA (University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa)

Gareth brings extensive hands-on experience of the mining industry combined with 8 years of senior management consulting experience. He held various operations management positions with Anglo American Coal Division, technical and JV management positions with Shell Minerals in South Africa, and business development positions with Western Areas Limited and the mining vertical of a family owned investment group. As a partner with Monitor Group, Gareth consulted on strategy and business improvement challenges to clients in the resources, FMCG, financial services, beverages, petrochemicals and public sectors, in markets in Africa, Australia, South America, and the UK.

CAREER SNAPSHOT

• SUN Mining - As Senior Vice President Strategy and Business Development, oversaw the development of strategy for SUN Group’s mining vertical and led related new business and project development activities, with a particular focus on gold mining assets in Russia and the FSU.
• Monitor Group - Jointly led the Johannesburg office and oversaw a period of significant revenue growth, helping local and global clients with a variety of strategic and business improvement challenges including:

1. Strategic planning and scenario analysis
2. Productivity enhancement and performance improvement
3. Portfolio analysis and capital/resource allocation
4. Corporate and business unit strategy formulation
5. Market and competitor analysis
6. Acquisition strategy, target analysis and valuation
7. Cost reduction
8. Consumer and channel insight, and sales growth strategy
9. Procurement strategy
10. Industry sector strategy

Highlights include:

1. worked with a platinum major to redesign and reconfigure the procurement function resulting in substantial short- and longer-term cost savings and enhanced service delivery
2. formulated consumer insight-based growth strategies for a global beverages leader in a number of key African markets, leading to significant top and bottom line performance improvement
3. developed a knowledge dissemination structure for a FTSE 100 resources company, enabling performance improvement insights to be efficiently transferred across operating division

• Western Areas Limited/JCI Ltd. - As General Manager Business Development, was responsible for identifying, evaluating and pursuing gold mining opportunities outside of South Africa.
  1. Director of two Australian subsidiary companies
  2. Pursued JCI’s rights to the Sukhoi Log gold deposit in Russia
  3. Technical and valuation responsibility in negotiations for the successful sale of JCI’s coal business
• Shell Mineral (South Africa) - As Technical Manager, was responsible for the technical, feasibility and financial evaluation of new projects, as well as major technical and capital investment decisions at the operations. As Joint Venture Manager, was also responsible for liaison with the company’s 50/50 JV partner, around operational, investment and strategic issues relating to a 6 Mtpa export coal mine.
  1. Co-managed the feasibility study, evaluation, design, investment and implementation of the Rietspruit Underground Transition project
  2. Managed the technical feasibility study for the ‘Caroline’ Coal Mine
  3. Key member of the negotiating team established for the sale of Shell’s South African coal assets
• Anglo American Coal Division - As Pit Superintendent at Arnot Colliery, had operational and P&L responsibility for a 3 Mtpa opencast coal mine. Also held various other planning and production management positions at a number of Amcoal’s underground and opencast collieries.

Education and Interests

Gareth holds a Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) degree in Mining Engineering from the University of Leeds, UK, and a Masters in Business Administration from the University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa. His spare time is divided between his wife and two children, attempting to keep fit and enjoying a good book.