Our People
Non-executive Directors
(Chairman of Directors-Non-Executive)
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Gerard King (Gerry)
Having graduated with a LLB in 1963, Gerry was admitted as a solicitor in 1965.
Throughout his career, Gerry has practiced in the legal areas of commercial property, banking/finance, revenue/tax, corporate compliance, and mining law. He has also served on the law Society of WA Council, and its committees.
He has been a director of a number of listed public companies and trusts, including the Rural Property Trust, Australasian Shopping Centers Property Trust, and Australian Mining Investments Ltd.
He has been a Director of Astron Limited since 1985. |
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Ron McCullough
Ron is an Honours graduate in Engineering from the University of Western Australia. He also completed a Master of Business Administration at UWA.
Subsequently, Ron has been involved in civil engineering design, and the construction of various major engineering works in Western Australia.
Ron has extensive mining experience, including bauxite and coal mining. Ron has investigated the development of a private power station and the exploitation of coal bed methane deposits in the Gunnedah basin of NSW. While involved with the Maitland Main Collieries, which held an authorization to develop a large coal deposit at Glennies Creek, near Singleton, in the Hunter Valley, NSW. Ron managed all necessary environmental impact studies, authority compliance requirements, mine construction and operation feasibility studies and then obtained a mining lease for the deposit.
Ron became involved in the sand mining industry in Western Australia with the development, in 1994, and management until 2005 of a silica sand mining and exporting operation at Albany in Western Australia, on behalf of Japanese corporations. |
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Robert (Bob) John Flew
After graduating with a B.Ec. (Hons) from Adelaide University in 1963, Bob commenced his career with BHP in Whyalla, and then went on to perform a wide variety of finance-oriented roles, with the BHP group. He was seconded to Woodside Petroleum in 1978 to assist in arranging Woodside's fist project financing ($1.1bn). He was involved in BHP's acquisition of Utah International in 1983/84, becoming a Vice President of Utah, based on San Francisco, responsible for accounting and control of the BHP Mineral group, and number project financings, including the Escondida copper project in Chile.
In 1988, Bob became BHP GM Corporate Development, then in 1989 Group GM BHP Australia Coal. In 1995 Bob moved to Group BM International of BHP, then in 1997 to Senior Vice President Corporate Development BHP Copper.
From 1989 to 1999, Bob was Vice President Investor Relations and Company Secretary of BHP, director of various companies (MPI Ines, Leviathan, Bass Strait Oil) and also works as a consultant. Apart from Astron, Bob is currently a director of Geodynamics Limited. |
Executive Directors
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Alex Brown
Managing Director
Alex is the founder of the Astron business in China. In the last 15 years his activities have focused on building the Astron Limited business in China starting from zircon and ilmenite mining and mineral processing in Hainan Island China in 1988 to becoming one of the world's largest zirconium chemical companies.
Alex has developed a deep understanding of business practices in China, ranging over the formation and operation of joint ventures and foreign companies within the country, Chinese corporate management including people management, litigation, corporate administration, and government relations.
Prior to the formation of Astron Alex was the founder of several companies in the engineering, industrial gold and coal sectors. These businesses were developed in Australia, Indonesia, Malaysia and USA.
His interests include his family, rugby football (he played international rugby for Western Australia in 1967), sport, music, trekking and history. |
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Kang Rong
Executive Director
Kang Rong is a graduate in chemical engineering from Shanghai Chemical University. She also graduated in foreign trade at Guangzhou Foreign Language Univeristy.
She has worked as a chemical engineer in Shenyang and in Sales and Administration for the Japanese trading co. Nissei Ltd.
She joined Astron in 1995 and now oversees Astron's China operation. |
Senior Executives
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Mark Nielsen
Chief Financial Officer and Company Secretary
Mark Nielsen qualified as a Chartered Accountant with Ernst & Young. Mark has 14 years' experience in corporate finance, private equity and as a Chief Financial Officer and Chief Operating Officer in a range of companies.
In addition to Ernst & Young, he has been employed by Anglo American Plc, Flemings (now JP Morgan), Myriad Medical and Afro Pacific Capital Limited. Mark has worked in Australia, South Africa and the UK. In 2001, Mark completed an EDP at Wharton Business School. |
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Richard Wang
B.Sc in Chemical Engineering, EMBA from CEIBS.
Richard Wang has 17 years managerial experience in Multi-national company and 11 years as General Manager with P&L responsibility in China, lead all functions including sales, marketing, HR, finance, IT, production, Q.A, engineering, supply chain and R&D. |
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Simon Peters
Simon is a Mining Engineer. Prior to joining Astron Ltd in 2006, Simon worked in both operations and project development for Drillcorp, Henry Walker Eltin and Rio Tinto Iron Ore. Simon has had extensive experience in the successful development and ongoing management of both processing and mining operations. He is a member of AusIMM and a director of the Astron Subsidiary Gambian Mining. |
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Emma Vogel
Emma is a Mining Engineer. Prior to joining Astron Ltd in 2006, Emma worked in operations and project development for both Henry Walker Eltin and Robe River Mining. She has significant experience in mining project expansions, business improvement and environmental management. |
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Sergei P. Panov
PhD (Metallurgy of ferrous metals)
Associate Professor (Technology of metals)
Sergei joined Astron in 2006 as R&D Manager. He has worked as a researcher, lecturer and associate professor for a number of companies and universities, and has authored more than 45 articles, papers and patents. He has many years of experience in the manufacture of metals such as Titanium//Zirconium as well as a variety of steels, Ferroalloys and Copper
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