Vital Metals Limited announced the appointment of Mr. Richard Crookes and Mr. Paul Quirk as Non-Executive Directors, following completion of Tranche 1 of a AUD 45 million Placement announced on 1 August 2022. Mr. Crookes and Mr. Quirk join the Board as nominees of Lionhead Resources Fund LP, which committed AUD 30 million in the Placement as a cornerstone investor. Richard Crookes is managing partner of Lionhead Resources (LHR) and chairman of the Investment Committee. He has more than 35 years of global resource industry experience across a diverse range of projects, geographies and commodities as both an operator and investor. Prior to LHR, Mr. Crookes was the Chief Geologist then Mining Manager of Ernest Henry Mining in Australia, an Executive Director of Macquarie's Metals & Energy Capital division and, most recently, a senior Investment Partner at another mining private equity fund. His experience has spanned all aspects of mining projects, including exploration, mineral resource development, mine operations, environmental management, project finance and project management. While at Macquarie, Mr. Crookes managed all aspects of its principal investments in mining and metals companies including deal origination, evaluation, structuring, client relationship management, marketing and execution of investment entry and exits for both private and public resources companies. He is Chairman of Black Rock Mining (ASX:BKT) and a non-executive Director of Lithium Power International. Mr. Crookes holds a BSc in Geology and a Grad Dip in Applied Finance and is a member of the
Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy (AusIMM), a Fellow of the Financial Services Institute of Australia (FINSIA) and a member of AICD. Paul Quirk is a partner at Lionhead Resources and is responsible for originating new investment opportunities and building and maintaining investor relations. Mr. Quirk has had a successful career as a private equity investor, with more than 15 years of private equity and operational experience
in mining and other industries. Before LHR, Mr. Quirk co-founded Lionhead Capital Partners, a multi-strategy principal investment firm focused on mining, real estate and private equity investing. He was one of the founding partners of Cora Gold, a gold exploration and development company operating in Mali. He has deep experience in mining operations and has been actively involved in exploration, mineral resources development, project finance and project management. Mr. Quirk has held various senior positions in a broad range of industries, including finance, mining and logistics industry, starting Fortis Logistique in Pointe Noire, Republic of Congo. A key part of his career has been identifying and evaluating resource opportunities around the world - while leveraging a large global network. He holds a B.Comm from the Northeastern University in Accounting and Finance. In addition to Mr. Crookes and Mr. Quirk joining Vital's Board, Lionhead Resources' Russell Bradford will join Vital's new Technical Advisory Committee. Russell is a partner at Lionhead Resources and is primarily responsible for conducting and undertaking technical due diligence on mining projects and for providing portfolio company oversight where he serves as a key partner to management teams, providing technical insights and
overseeing development, growth and performance. Russell is a metallurgist with more than 35 years of project management and operational experience in the mining sector. Prior to LHR, Russell gained extensive, hands-on experience at an executive level in both operations and project development for a number of tier-1 mining companies, including Anglo American, BCL and LionOre. He has extensive experience in grassroots to advanced exploration and the development of projects across a wide range of commodities and countries. For more than 20 years, Russell has worked in executive operational roles within Africa and has played a key role in successfully developing and building a number of significant projects for listed mining companies globally. Russell holds a Higher National Diploma in Extraction Metallurgy from the University of Johannesburg and is a fellow of the Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy (AusIMM) and a member of AICD. Lionhead Resources (LHR) is a mining-focussed private-equity fund, aiming to invest strategic capital into mid-tier companies producing Future Critical Minerals essential for a prosperous, clean energy future. The firm is led by Richard Crookes, a highly respected mining investment professional, and supported by a seasoned, multi-disciplinary team of mining and investment professionals from a variety of blue-chip backgrounds. The team has a connected history in the mining industry and a strong track record of investing, building, operating and exiting mining assets over several decades, across numerous commodities and jurisdictions around the world, generating superior returns for investors.