Board of Directors

Mr. Jock Murray AO – Chairman

Mr. Murray studied economics and history with the Royal Military College at Duntroon before studying engineering management at the Royal Military College of Science in the UK. He holds qualifications in international politics from Deakin University and is a graduate of the then Australian Management College, Mt Eliza.

Roles currently held by Mr. Murray include strategic adviser for law firm King & Wood Mallesons in the government infrastructure sector and consultant to Infrastructure NSW. Mr. Murray managed numerous large projects in his role with NSW Department for Transport including the production of a 10-year development plan for the State’s transport infrastructure and services as well as chairing the $2 billion Parramatta Rail Link Company project. He was Transport Director for Sydney, and infrastructure adviser for Beijing and London Olympic Games. In addition to these roles, he has held numerous directorships including non-executive chairman of Omni Tanker Holding Pty Ltd for 8 years until retirement in July 2017, non-executive chairman for The Hills Motorway (M2) Limited prior to its takeover by Transurban in 2005 and the non-executive chairman for Country Pipelines for the three year prior to its takeover by APA in 2008. He was on the board of Terminals Australia for five years up until its sale to Asciano in 2008.

Prior to his foray into business, Mr Murray had a distinguished military career over almost 30 years before retiring as a Colonel in 1994. He brings a wealth of senior management and directorship experience with a particular focus on infrastructure, project management and freight logistics projects. He was made an Officer in the Order of Australia in 2018.

Mr. Murray was appointed a Director of Latrobe Magnesium on 1 May 2015.

Mr. Jock Murray AO – Chairman
Mr. David Paterson – Chief Executive Officer

Mr. Paterson is a qualified non-practising Chartered Accountant and a graduate from the University of Queensland. He is a Director of Europacific Corporate Advisory Pty Ltd and has held an Investment Dealers Licence since 1990. 

Prior to forming Europacific in 1990, he was a Group Manager of the Corporate Services Division of Tricontinental Corporation Limited responsible for NSW and Queensland. He also worked for Coopers & Lybrand in their Corporate Services Division. He has been involved in a wide range of corporate advisory assignments and underwritings of both debt and equity for a number of public and private companies involved in the mining and property industries.

Mr. Paterson was a founding partner of the Latrobe Magnesium project in 2000. He was appointed a Director of Latrobe Magnesium on 23 August 2002 and its CEO in 2005.

Mr. David Paterson – Chief Executive Officer
Mr. Michael Wandmaker – Non-Executive Director

Mr. Wandmaker is a Mechanical and Computer Engineer and a graduate from Monash University. He is a Fellow of the Institute of Engineering and has qualified as a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (GAICD).

His involvement in both public and private industry sectors at the senior executive level grants a strong track record of success in building and implementing corporate strategies to deliver operational excellence and profitable growth in large, complex asset intensive organisations.

Over the past 15 years, he has worked as the Managing Director for Melbourne Water and has held Executive General Manager roles for both Sydney Water and Transfield Services, including Chief Operating Officer (COO) and Acting Chief Executive Officer (CEO) for UGL. His career has included numerous tasks and roles, providing considerable experience in successfully integrating large complex (unionised) construction, engineering, infrastructure, defence, and utility businesses.

Mr. Wandmaker was appointed a Director of Latrobe Magnesium on 1 April 2022.

Mr. Michael Wandmaker – Non-Executive Director
Mr. Philip Bruce – Non-Executive Director

Mr. Bruce is a mining engineer with extensive resource industry experience in Australia, South Africa, West Africa, South America and Indonesia in operations, project development and corporate management.

Mr. Bruce is a Director of PF Bruce and Associates, which provides corporate and project management services. He is also Director of Ora Gold Limited.

Mr. Bruce’s career includes Board positions with ASX-listed companies Ausmelt Limited, Buka Minerals Limited, Triako Resources Limited, Hill End Gold Limited, Ora Gold Limited, and TSX-listed Archean Star Resources Inc.  Mr. Bruce also worked in senior management roles with Gencor Limited, Preussag AG, BHP Limited, Dallhold Resources Limited and served as General Manager of Development for Plutonic Resources Limited, a position in which he was responsible for acquiring and developing resource projects during the company’s rapid growth to over $1B.

Mr. Bruce was appointed a Director of Latrobe Magnesium on 4 September 2003.

Mr. Philip Bruce – Non-Executive Director
Mr. John Lee – Non-Executive Director

Mr. Lee has a broad range of commercial skills and experiences in both the public and private sectors. He has held senior management roles in the Federal Department of Employment and Industrial Relations. He was also senior private secretary and principal adviser to Tony Street, a senior federal cabinet minister.

In the private sector, Mr. Lee has held a number of senior management positions with a number of major corporations including Henry Jones IXL, Elders Building Supplies and Woolworths Limited. He is a Director of a number of listed companies concentrating mainly in the mining and technology sectors.

In July 1987, Mr. Lee formed Stockholder Relations, a management consultancy specialising in corporate advisory, investor relations and corporate governance.

Mr. Lee was a founding partner of the Latrobe Magnesium project in 2000. He was appointed a Director of Latrobe Magnesium on 10 December 2010.

Mr. John Lee – Non-Executive Director
Mrs. Michelle Blackburn – Non-Executive Director

Mrs. Blackburn graduated from Melbourne University with a Bachelor of Laws (hons), has a Masters in Social Science (Planning and Environment) from RMIT University and has been a Honorary Senior Fellow at the University of Melbourne designing and delivering a Juris Doctor subject. Mrs Blackburn is also a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (GAICD).

Mrs. Blackburn brings a breadth and depth of corporate and legal advice experience, covering a wide range of public and private industry sectors having held positions representing Australian States & Federal governments including local and international legal entities for more than 20 years.

Mrs. Blackburn has held roles that include Director of South Gippsland Water, Chairman of Lifeline Gippsland, and a Director of Interchange Gippsland. She has also served as a Member of the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal sitting in its planning and environment list. Her career includes significant environmental law experience ass principal of her own legal practice in Gippsland and in senior positions at Minter Ellison and Corrs Chambers Westgarth.

Mrs. Blackburn was appointed a Director of Latrobe Magnesium on 25 August 2022.

Mrs. Michelle Blackburn – Non-Executive Director
Mr. Peter Church OAM – Non-Executive Director

Mr. Church holds a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of New South Wales, a Bachelor of Laws from the University of Sydney, a Master of Laws from the University of London, and a Doctorate of Humane Letters from Sri Sharada Institute of Indian Management. He was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia in 1994 by the Australian Government for the promotion of business between Australia and South East Asia. He is a visiting professor at several universities in India and Australia.

Mr. Church brings a breadth and depth of leadership, operating expertise, corporate advisory, legal and directorship experience in the ten countries of South East Asia including Malaysia and the State of Sarawak where he served as a Non-Executive Director of OM Holdings Limited (OMH) for a period of 10 years which included the development and then operation of its Sarawak smelter operations – a major ferrosilicon producer, based in the Samalaju Industrial area and from which LMG is a potential large customer of its products, both in Australia and Malaysia.

Mr. Church has held roles that include Executive Chairman of AFG Venture Group, an Australian and Asian corporate advisory firm with activities throughout Australia, South East Asia and India. He is a senior adviser to Stephenson Harwood, as English law firm with operations in multiple jurisdictions including, London, Hong Kong, Myanmar, and Singapore. He has also served as the first Asian Managing Partner of Freehills, Non-Executive Director of Northern Iron limited, Non-Executive Director of The George Institute of GlobalHealth, President of Australia Indonesia Business Council, and a member of several Federal Government Boards such as the Trade Policy advisory Committee.

Mr. Church was appointed a Director of Latrobe Magnesium and Independent Chairman of LMG’s wholly owned subsidiary, Latrobe Magnesium Sarawak Sdn Bhd on 24 April 2023.

Mr. Peter Church OAM – Non-Executive Director

LMG Team

Mr. John Collier – Chief Financial Officer

Mr. Collier holds a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Tasmania and a Master of Business Administration from the Australian GSM. He has over 35 years of experience with private and publicly listed entities within infrastructure, construction, and professional services.

Mr. Collier career includes Commercial Director and Chief Financial Officer (CFO) roles managing multi-billion-dollar contracts with CPB Contractors, Countplus Limited, Australian Water Services Pty Ltd (a Lend Lease subsidiary) and BDO – Chartered Accountants and Business Advisors. He has managed contracts totalling some $4.6B of design, engineering, and construction work for Sydney Metro City & Southwest Project and Western Sydney Airport.

Mr. Collier has recognised experience in strategic planning, structured problem solving and effective business operation management, creating substantial value for stakeholders. He is an Associate of Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand and Financial Services Institute of Australasia, and a member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

Mr. Collier joined Latrobe Magnesium as Chief Financial Officer in November 2023.

Mr. Brett Trigger – Procurement and Contracts Manager

Mr. Trigger holds a Mechanical Engineering Degree from Swinburne University and an MBA (Executive) from RMIT. In the early part of his career worked in various project and manufacturing engineering roles for global organisations within the Automotive Industry, leading various lean manufacturing programs, minor capex and tooling projects, and the production launch of new automotive products.

Since joining Ford Motor Company in 2003 Mr. Trigger has worked in the commercial sphere, focused on procurement and supply chain activities across various industries including Automotive, Resources and Defence. His notable roles include an assignment in Thailand as Purchasing Program Manager during the launch of the Ford Ranger at the AutoAlliance (Thailand) Plant, and, leading the Procurement and Supply Chain activities for the establishment of an Owner/Miner Fleet at MMG Limited’s Sepon LXML Mine. 

Mr. Trigger also previously lead the procurement and supply chain activities for Rheinmetall MAN Military Vehicles in Australia and New Zealand supporting their large defence programmes in those countries.

Mr. Trigger joined Latrobe Magnesium in April 2021.

Mr. Sal Awad – Project Manager

Mr. Awad is an experienced Project Manager with over 12 years of demonstrated history in delivering EPCM services to the mining and oil & energy industries. He has a solid background in project management with a proven record of delivering results throughout all phases of the project lifecycle.

Mr. Awad has held several project-management positions with a number of the world’s largest corporations including Fluor, WorleyParsons and Wood. He has managed a variety of capital & maintenance brownfield projects including ExxonMobil PNG LNG, Woodside Karratha Gas Life Extension and First Quantum Minerals Kansanshi projects.

Mr. Awad has a practical understanding of project planning, cost control, FEED, execution preparation, implementation, procurement, shutdown support, asset management, commissioning and project closeout. Including extensive experience both office-based and on-site working closely with clients, successfully managing multidisciplinary teams to continually deliver project results safely within budget and schedules.

Mr. Awad joined Latrobe Magnesium in April 2021.

Mr. Ronan Gillen – Chief Operating Officer

Mr. Gillen is a process engineer, project manager and a graduate from Murdoch University. He has over 20 years’ experience in the resources industry in Australia, China, Saudi Arabia, Korea in the areas of Operations, Project Development and Project Management.

Mr. Gillen’s career includes operational roles with companies such as Rio Tinto, Minara Resources and Bulong Nickel as well as project management roles with the major engineering and construction companies, Fluor and Bechtel.

Mr. Gillen has extensive experience in the operational, technical and project management fields in areas such as process engineering, production management, maintenance, project management, engineering, construction, procurement, contracts, commissioning, safety and risk management.

Mr. Gillen joined Latrobe Magnesium as Chief Operating Officer in 2020.

Mr. John Catterson – Commercial Manager

Mr. Catterson is a dedicated and technically skilled commercial and contracts manager who has a Master of Business (Finance) from University of Technology Sydney. He has over 25 years in banking, including 17 years in corporate lending, and extensive experience in account management for large projects with a specialised understanding of the construction, resources and finance sectors.

Mr. Catterson’s career includes CFO roles for both established and start-up businesses and responsibility for accounts management of large, syndicated construction facilities for both domestic and international banks. In recent years, he has been involved in major infrastructure construction projects, successfully completing projects for Clough, QGC, CCC, Qantas, Harvey Norman, Wasco (Aust), Clough Downer JV and Delco Australia.

Mr. Catterson’s extensive experience has included responsibilities for feasibility plans, legal administration, contract management, finance evaluation, report & document management and contract negotiation and liaison with project stakeholders including head contractors, suppliers, cultural heritage parties and landowners.

He joined Latrobe Magnesium as Commercial Manager in June 2021.

Mr. Jim Siemon – Technical Director

Mr. Siemon is the Technical Director for Latrobe Magnesium. Reporting to the MD, the charter has been to lead the development of the process flowsheet through the technology sourcing (or the development steps where needed) and the early engineering studies, to the point where the first plant could be built.

This has involved the identification of the technology pathway, guidance – as the client – of R&D projects, testwork and pilot campaigns at commercial laboratories, engineering design studies and the negotiations with regulatory authorities and other consultants and suppliers.

Mr. Siemon is a chemical engineer by training. Prior to the appointment with LMG, he held various metallurgical R&D management roles at Nyrstar, Zinifex, Pasminco, Rio Tinto and CRA. The earlier technical experience was with CSIRO Minerals. He is a Member of Engineers Australia and a Fellow of the Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy.