Welcome to the Crystallex HUB on AGORACOM
Crystallex International Corporation is a Canadian-based gold company with a successful record of developing and operating gold mines in Venezuela and elsewhere in South America
Robert A. Fung
Executive Chairman & CEO
Robert A. Fung is the former founding chairman of the Toronto Waterfront Revitalization Corporation, a corporation established by the Government of Canada, the Province of Ontario and the City of Toronto to lead the $17 billion renewal of Toronto’s waterfront.
Mr. Fung is a member of the advisory body to the Capital Markets group at Macquarie Capital Markets Canada. He was the former Deputy Chairman of a predecessor company to Macquarie Capital Markets Canada. Mr. Fung is a member of the Board of Directors of a number of private, public and charitable organizations. He is Chairman of Crystallex International Corporation, Tonbridge Corporation, Tonbridge Power Corporation and Deputy Chairman of Kingsway International Holdings. He is also as a Director of Mount Sinai Hospital, Export Development Canada and GLOBE Foundation of Canada. He is on the Advisory Board of Marsh Canada as well as the former Vice-Chairman of Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada. He is a member of the Province of Ontario’s BioCouncil and former Chairman of Smart Toronto. He was a member of the Prime Minister of Canada's Advisory Committee on Asia Pacific Economic Corporation, as well as a member of the Government of Canada's Department of Industry International Trade and Agriculture Team Canada Inc. Advisory Board, which provided advice to the Government of Canada in setting strategic direction and performance objectives for Canada's International Business Development
From 1980 to 1998, he was Vice-Chairman and a Director of Gordon Capital Corporation. He was a senior member of the team that built that company into one of Canada’s most innovative independent investment dealers at the time, participating in many of Canada's largest corporate transactions. From 1998 to 2001 he joined independent investment dealer Capital West as a Senior Partner.
From 1967 to 1978, he was Vice-President and a Director of Dominion Securities Limited with responsibilities for its investment activities in Asia and the Middle East. He began his career in the investment industry in 1964 with Wood Gundy.
Robert Crombie
President
Mr. Crombie has over 15 years of mining-related financial experience. From 1999-2001, he was a Vice President of Dresdner Bank in Toronto and managed the origination and structuring of their Canadian mining project finance initiatives. Until 1999, he was Vice President Corporate Finance for the Chase Manhattan Bank in Toronto, and was the principal executive managing and developing a portfolio of Canadian mining clients. Between 1989 and 1992, he held positions with Corona Corporation, a Canadian mining company, including time at two of their operations. Mr. Crombie has a Master of Science degree in Mineral Economics from Penn State University and an Honours Bachelor of Commerce Degree from Queen’s University.
Hemdat Sawh
CFO
Hemdat Sawh is a Chartered Accountant, and holds an MBA degree in Accounting from York University, a Bachelor of Science degree in Geology from Concordia University and a Graduate Diploma in Geology from McGill University. Mr Sawh has over 16 years of accounting and auditing experience at Grant Thornton LLP, culminating in the position of Principal, where he acted as lead supervisor for auditing teams of businesses with a concentration in publicly-listed mining companies. Most recently Mr. Sawh served as CFO for Goldbelt Resources Ltd.
William A. Faust
COO & Senior VP
Mr. Faust has over 28 years of engineering and management experience, particularly in open pit mining in Mexico and the Western U.S. He most recently served as VP Operations for Nevada Pacific Gold Ltd., which was acquired by US Gold Corporation in March 2007. Prior to his tenure at Nevada Pacific Gold, he was President of Pan American Silver's Mexican operations, in charge of expanding the La Colorada underground silver mine in Zacatecas. He was also VP, Operations from 2001 to 2003 of Corner Bay Silver Inc. prior that company's sale to Pan American Silver Inc. where Mr. Faust was in charge of developing a new open pit silver mine in Sonora, Mexico. As VP Operations of Eldorado Gold Corporation from 1997 to 2001, Mr. Faust was in charge of two operating mines in Mexico and Brazil, with over 700 employees and 14 contractors with 250 employees producing 180,000 ounces of gold annually. He was also involved in project evaluations and feasibility studies at Eldorado Gold. Previously Mr. Faust worked as Manager of Engineering for Santa Fe Pacific Gold Corporation in project evaluation and development roles, after serving as Mine Manager at the Twin Creeks Mine in Nevada. Prior to that, he worked for Gold Fields Mining Company as Mine Operations Manager at the Chimney Creek Mine in Nevada, where he joined the project at the feasibility study stage as Chief Engineer, and saw the mine through construction and commissioning. Mr. Faust is a Registered Professional Engineer in New Mexico, and holds an MBA Finance, Management from Western New Mexico University, a BS, Mining Engineering from New Mexico Tech, and a BS, Civil Engineering from the University of New Mexico, and is fluent in Spanish.
Richard Marshall
VP Investor Relations
Mr. Marshall joined Crystallex in July of 1996 as Vice President Corporate Development. In the fall of 2003 he was named Vice President Investor Relations for Crystallex. From 1986 through 1995, Mr. Marshall held investment banking and management positions at several investment banking firms, including Cohig & Associates and J.W. Charles/CSG. Immediately prior to joining Crystallex he was a vice president of investor relations for US based consumer products company.
Johan van't Hof
Director, Chairman of Audit Committee
Johan van't Hof is President of Tonbridge Corporation, a Toronto based infrastructure fund manager. Mr. van’t Hof is the former COO of a North American electronics auto parts manufacturer. He has held several senior Accounting and Financial positions including Partner and Managing Director, PricewaterhouseCoopers Securities Inc., Project Finance & Privatization, from 1991 to 2001, and Corporate Finance Partner and Partner in Charge of the National Office, Grant Thornton and its predecessor firms, from 1983 to 1991. Mr. van’t Hof was seconded to the Corporate Finance Department, Ontario Securities Commission, in 1982 and 1983. Mr. Van’t Hof is a chartered accountant.
Michael Brown
Director
Mr. Brown recently joined the Crystallex Board. A 30-year veteran of mining finance and analysis, he is President of Capital Markets Advisory and has joined its Board as an independent Director. Previously, Mr. Brown held positions with Macquarie Bank of Australia, as President and Chief Executive Officer of Macquarie North America, and then as Vice Chairman. He and his team are credited with winning a number of cross-border merger and acquisition mandates and mining advisory assignments for Macquarie, which is highly recognized in the mining industry. Prior to that, Mr. Brown was a Managing Partner with Gordon Capital Corporation, responsible for coordinating and marketing Gordon Capital's investment banking services to the mining industry. He was a founder of McLean McCarthy's equity research in 1973, and continued as mining analyst and Managing Director of Research after the firm was acquired by Deutsche Bank. Earlier in his career, Mr. Brown also held positions in mining corporate finance and analysis with Rio Algom and then with investment dealer, Harris & Partners Limited. Mr. Brown served for 14 years as a member of the TSX Stock List Committee and was a Governor of the Exchange for two years. He is past President of the Mineral Resources Analysts Group, a member of the Toronto Society of Financial Analysts and is a Chartered Financial Analyst and registered Professional Engineer. We welcome Mr. Brown aboard.
C. William Longden
Director
Mr. Longden is currently Vice Chairman of the engineering consulting firm Marshall, Macklin, Monaghan Ltd., with over 30 years experience in project related consulting. Mr. Longden has led the firm's project development efforts since 1985. He also serves as President and CEO of MMM International Inc., and, as Chairman and/or member of the Executive Committees of nine major project management and engineering joint ventures, representing a capital investment of over C$ 4.9 billion. Mr. Longden has played a prominent role in some of Canada's largest private infrastructure projects as well as several international projects and multi-national developments worldwide. We welcome him as an integral part of the team as the Company pursues its growth plans.
Harry J. Near
Director
President of the Government and public affairs consulting company, Earnscliffe Strategy Group, Mr. Near advises companies regarding government policies and regulatory matters. His previous experience as both a Chief of Staff and Senior Policy Advisor with the Canadian Ministry of Energy, Mines and Resources and as Advisor to former Canadian Prime Minister, offer valuable insights to our Board.
Marc J. Oppenheimer
Director
Mr. Oppenheimer served as the President, Chief Executive Officer and a Board member of Crystallex, from February 1995 to September 2003. Recently, Mr. Oppenheimer joined the Board of Directors of IDT Corp., a multi billion dollar telecommunications company. Mr. Oppenheimer had a varied and impressive business career before joining KRY. Previously he worked in commercial banking at Chase Manhattan Bank, and Midlantic National Bank. He successfully negotiated a number of mergers and acquisitions; both national and international. The focus of much of the direct lending business was the commodities and mining industry. He has also served as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of a multi-national, publicly traded company. Immediately before joining KRY, Mr. Oppenheimer was engaged in merchant banking activities, and was a consultant to the Company.
Armando F. Zullo
Director
Founder & President A.F. Zullo & Company, Ltd., a leading supplier of industrial products to commercial, industrial and municipal entities including mining companies and other multi-nationals, Mr. Zullo's understanding of global business is an excellent resource for the Board.
Gordon M. Thompson
Director
Mr. Thompson was a director of Crystallex from 2000 to 2002. He has more than 35 years experience in the financial services sector; including significant expertise in raising debt, equity and project finance in Canadian and U.S. Capital Markets.
Mr. Thompson most recently served as Senior Vice President Corporate Development of NCE Resources Group/Sentry Select Capital Corp. He participated in the growth of the companies' Oil and Gas and Pipeline Assets from C$450 million in 2001 to over C$4 billion in 2006. He also served as President and COO of Strategic Energy Management Corporation. Strategic Energy invested in Private and Public, early-stage Oil and Gas companies. During his term as President, the fund grew from C$20 million to C$280 million. Prior to NCE Resources, he was VP Corporate Development for Newcourt Credit Group and a Director of the Public Sector Finance Group of Newcourt Capital, a structured finance company (Newcourt was purchased by C. I. T. in 2000). Mr. Thompson also spent 20 years with the Bank of Montreal. At the time of his departure he was Vice President, Toronto Region.