Kingsgate’s executives have a comprehensive range of skills and experience including mine development and operations, exploration, finance and administration. They are supported by highly qualified specialists, whose backgrounds cover the full scope of mining resources activities.

Senior members of Kingsgate’s management team are:

Gavin Thomas BSc FAusIMM
Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer

Gavin Thomas has had a successful career in developing mining companies from the exploration phase into mid-tier gold or copper producers. He has over 40 years of international experience in exploring for, evaluating, developing, operating and reclaiming mines in North and South America, Australia, the Southwest Pacific, Asia and Europe. Amongst Gavin’s credits is the discovery of “Lihir” in Papua New Guinea, one of the largest gold deposits in the world. In particular, he has extensive experience in Thailand and South America.

Gavin was appointed CEO of Kingsgate in 2004 and joined the Kingsgate Board on 16th November 2007. He is currently a Non-Executive Director of the TSX listed company Mercator Minerals Limited and Chairman of the ASX listed company Laguna Resources Limited.

Duane Woodbury was appointed CFO of Kingsgate on 1 September 2011. Duane has a BEc (Hons) Degree and has worked in various financial, accounting and advisory roles during his career in a number of locations, including London, New York and Singapore.  He has been assisting Kingsgate in its business development initiatives since August 2007 and brings over 18 years of experience in financial markets and corporate finance transactions, principally with the Macquarie Group.

Joel Forwood joined Kingsgate in November 2010 and has over 25 years experience in the resource and investment industries covering investor relations, funds management and exploration. For over 10 years, he has been leading investor relations at a number of listed companies, most recently for Lihir Gold Limited. Prior to this he was a fund manager with Queensland Investment Corporation (QIC) following his early career in mineral exploration with BHP and corporate development with RGC.

Ross Coyle joined Kingsgate in March 2011 following the Company’s acquisition of Dominion Mining Limited. He is a qualified accountant and was with the Dominion group for over 20 years and has over 25 years experience in finance and accounting within the resource industry. He was Finance Director of Dominion from 1996. Ross was appointed Kingsgate’s Company Secretary on 1 September 2011.

Ron James has 28 years of experience in exploration and mining at management level inclusive of setting up gold mines and exploration projects from their earliest stages through to development and sustainability. Before joining Kingsgate, he was Chief Mine Geologist at the Gold Ridge Mine in the Solomon Islands and later Group Exploration Manager for Ross Mining NL. Ron is familiar with the technical and operating requirements for emerging projects in a variety of terrains and environments and has a strong focus on maximising returns from ore bodies through optimum waste and ore classification as well as increasing reserves from near-mine resource development.

Phil MacIntyre joined Kingsgate as the General Manager of Chatree Gold Mine in July 2001. He has a metallurgical and management background with over 37 years of mine operations experience in Canada, Papua New Guinea, Australia and Thailand. Previously, Phil was Mine General Manager at the Kidston Gold Mine in Queensland, Australia and, before that, Mill Superintendent at the Porgera Joint Venture in Papua New Guinea, at the Royal Oak Giant Mine, at Westmin Resources’ Myra Falls Mine and at the Premier Gold Project and other projects in Canada.

Pakorn Sukhum joined the management team of Akara Mining Limited as Chief Executive Officer at the end of 2009. He brings to Akara over 22 years of industrial commercial managerial experience in various industries such as metallurgy, chemicals & ceramics in international & domestic markets of Thailand, having held senior management positions in both Thai & Multinational joint venture companies such as Basell Poyolefins, Bayer AG as well as Padeang Industry of Thailand. His major contributions & responsibilities have ranged from project management, commercial marketing & sales to business development.

Tim Benfield
Chief Operating Officer

Tim Benfield joined Kingsgate in February 2012 as Chief Operating Officer. Tim is a mining engineer with over 20 years’ underground and open pit experience in the mining industry in both operational and corporate roles. He has operational and project development experience in Australia, Africa and Saudi Arabia. This includes 10 years with Barrick Gold of Australia where he provided support to 4 operating mines and two development projects. Tim was most recently General Manager of the Pajingo Gold mine in Queensland for Evolution Mining Limited..

Peter Warren joined Kingsgate in March 2006 as Chief Financial Officer and is a CPA of 35 years standing, with an extensive involvement in the resources industry. Prior to Kingsgate, he was Company Secretary and Chief Financial Officer of Equatorial Mining Limited and of the Australian subsidiaries of the Swiss based Alusuisse Group and has held various financial and accounting positions for Peabody Resources and Hamersley Iron. Peter has been retained by the Company providing corporate advisory services.