Management Team
* Denotes member of the company's audit committee
Patrick D. O'Brien - President/CEO*
Patrick O'Brien, ICD.D has been involved with the resource sector for thirty years. Since 1992 he has served as either an Officer or Director of numerous companies in the sector. In 1992 Patrick joined Apella Resources Inc. and has served as President, CEO and Chairman of Apella. He has led the company through numerous project acquisitions, divestures and joint ventures throughout Canada. Patrick has been directly involved in raising millions of dollars of exploration and acquisition funds. He identified the opportunity to spin out Apella's gold assets into a new public entity named Pro Minerals Inc. which allowed Apella's shareholders to receive a dividend equity interest in this newly listed venture. Patrick and his management team negotiated and completed the multi-million dollar divesture of the company's Raglan assets. He has recently guided the Company through its acquisition of some of Canada's key Vanadium-Iron-Titanium assets. Patrick is a qualified Corporate Director who has earned the designation ICD.D in Canada. He is a member of the Institute of Corporate Directors (ICD) in Canada and the Institute of Directors (IOD) in London, England. Patrick also has the distinction of receiving Honors in Canadian Securities.
Dennis A. Bordin, Professional Mining Engineer
Mr. Bordin, P.Eng. A resident of Timmins, Ontario, is a professional mining engineer with 25 years experience in the industry. He has experience in all aspects of the business both domestically and internationally, including mineral exploration, mine feasibility, open-pit/underground operations, smelting and refining. He has a wealth of knowledge in the area of international procurement and logistics of mineral feeds for processing in Canadian smelting operations. Mr. Bordin is registered as a Professional Engineer in the Province of Ontario and is an active member of The Canadian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy, the Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada and the American Institute of Mining Engineers.
Mr. Bordin worked on northern Labrador iron ore projects with the Iron Ore Company of Canada dealing with development and logistics of mining in a remote sensitive area. With the discovery of the renowned Kidd Creek deposit by Texasgulf near Timmins, Ontario he worked for Texas gulf on the open-pit and underground transformation. Later with Falconbridge Limited (third largest nickel producer in the world and owners of the Raglan Ni-PGM Mine and Kidd Creek Zn-polymetallic Mine) he focused on environmental issues affecting the operation of large metallurgical complexes, in particular, in the control of sulphur dioxide emission control and acid plants in Canada.
While with Falconbridge and Noranda Mr. Bordin was a key team member and instrumental in the international procurement and negotiation of base metal feeds for smelting and refining at the Canadian processing site. Also with the Falconbridge and Noranda group he was a key player in the contract negotiation and logistics for the movement of Chilean copper concentrate feed from Collahausi (world's largest copper mine and one of the newest) to Canada for treatment over a 10-year period.
Mr. Bordin head up a privately held exploration group and has had joint ventures with Texasgulf, Northgate, Cominco, Noranda and Rubicon Resources.
He served as Chairman for the International Cadmium Council (Washington D.C.) and served on numerous mining committees dealing with closure, environment, health and sensitive mining areas.
Robert Collette, Diplomat
Mr. Collette’s distinguished 37 year career with Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada and other federal public service sectors culminated with his most recent appointment to the Swiss Federal Council with concurrent accreditation to the Principality of Liechtenstein in 2005. In addition to his appointment as Ambassador to Switzerland some of Mr. Collette’s other appointments include: Canada’s Chief of Protocol; Canada’s Ambassador to the Philippines; Minister (Commercial) and Deputy Head of Mission at the Canadian Embassy in Beijing, China; Deputy Director, Western Europe Trade, Investment and Technology at DFAIT; Director, Africa and Middle East Trade and Investment; Director, Investment and Science and Technology, Canada; and Personal Representative of the Prime Minister of Canada for La Francophonie.
Mr. Collette’s professional career included the following highlights:
- Seven years as Canada’s Ambassador to the Philippines and Switzerland;
- Two Years as Canada’s Chief of Protocol;
- Fourteen years as a Trade Commissioner including the following assignments: six years in Beijing including three years as Minister (Commercial) and Deputy Head of Mission; Director of Investment and Science and Technology Programs at Foreign Affairs and International Trade; Director, Trade and Investment Relations with Africa and the Middle East; and Deputy Director, Trade, Investment and Science and Technology Relations with Western Europe;
- Ten years with the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA), including two postings in Kuala Lumpur and Yaoundé;
- 18 years of experience living and working ‘on-the-ground’, in developing and developed countries (Malaysia, Cameroon, China, Philippines, Switzerland and Italy);
- Extensive experience as a Manager of human and financial resources.
Don Venturi - Director
Mr. Venturi is an aviation and logistics consultant whose expertise and more than 14,000 hours of flying hours as a
accomplished helicopter pilot allows him to specialize in servicing the needs of the Canadian mineral exploration and
mining sector.
Venturi Enterprises Inc., based out of Kelowna, B.C, provides aviation consulting services to Matrix Helicopters the highly
respected leader in Canadian helicopter logistics to the mineral exploration industry. Don deals directly with the various
technical aspects of client requirements such as helicopter and pilot screening procedures, onsite field safety audits of
ongoing projects and direct liaison with mineral project management and personnel.
Geological Team
Dr. Christian G. Derosier, PGeo
In 1966, Dr. Derosier received his Diploma in Physical, Chemical, and Natural Sciences (S.P.C.N.) from the University of Paris, France; followed by his M.Sc., Geology in 1969 and his D.Sc, Geology in 1971, both also from the University of Paris. Christian is a member of the Order of Geologists of Quebec and the Canadian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy.
He is fluent in both French and English and as well, has worked in Spanish, Arabian and German. Dr. Derosier has served as a Director of the Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada and as both a Vice-President and a President of the Quebec Prospectors Association. In addition, Dr. Derosier is very experienced in the workings of exploration companies having, over the past 20 years, served as a founder, Director and President of a number of Canadian junior exploration firms.
Dr. Derosier has more than 40 years of exploration experience. He has extensive worldwide experience working on and heading up exploration programs in such countries as Canada, USA,
Columbia, Peru, Chile, Argentina, Venezuela, Ecuador, People's Republic of China, Belgium, France, Cameroon, Guinea, Ghana, Madagascar, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Haiti, and Guyana.
Over his career, Dr. Derosier has headed up a wide range of worldwide assignments for dozens of Canadian and International exploration and mining companies. This has included some very notable experience in eastern Canada and specifically Quebec where he has managed exploration and prospecting programs, carried out Economical Impact Studies, arranged mining financings, supervised extensive drill programs, evaluated mineral deposits and producing mines, compiled inventories of resources and reserves, ore reserve calculations, and been involved in notable discoveries. Aside from his vast international and domestic undertakings, in and around Quebec, and more specifically, in the vicinity of Apella's extensive Chibougamau holdings, some highlights of Dr. Derosier's experience has included:
- Dr. Derosier participated in the discovery of a 2 million ton copper deposit near Chibougamau (the Corner Bay Project), Quebec; Apella currently controls key exploration claims adjoining this deposit.
- Christian was involved in the financing and discovery of the Gonzague-Langlois polymetallic mine in Lebel sur Quevillon (VSM Resources, 1989) which was sold to Cambior and is now owned and operated by Breakwater Resources.
- Involved in programs for increasing and proving the reserves of two titaniferous ore deposits around the Lac Allard ilmenite deposit, Quebec; proving ore reserves of an asbestos deposit of 100 million tonnes near Chibougamau, Quebec, Canada, for Rio Algom Mines Ltd.; carried out an evaluation and ore reserve calculations for an asbestos deposit of 100 million tonnes near Chibougamau, Quebec.
With Dr. Derosier's involvement, Apella intends to step up its approach to its Chibougamau exploration endeavours. Management is confident that Christian will provide considerable insight and expertise in this and the Company's other projects.
Mehmet Taner, Consulting Geologist and Mineralogist
Dr. Mehmet Taner is a Consulting Geologist and Mineralogist with more than 25 years of experience in the mining industry. He is a practicing member of the “Order des Geologues du Quebec” and received his degrees in Switzerland specifically: Ph.D. in Geology and Mineralogy, University of Geneva, Switzerland – 1976; M.Sc. in Geological Engineering (Geostatistics), University of Geneva, Switzerland – 1974; and B.Sc. in Geology, University of Lausanne, Switzerland (Geology and Geophysics) – 1971. Mehmet is best known for his work on the Vanadium-Titanium occurrences in the Matagami region of Quebec. Dr. Taner was also responsible for spearheading the International Symposium on Vanadium which was held in 2002 in Montreal. He has published over 30 papers in revered journals and produced over 200 technical reports and presentations.
From 1977–1982, Dr. Taner served as the Chief Geologist in the Economic Geology Division, of the Geological Survey of Turkey. During this time he also put his knowledge to work as Associate Professor in charge of teaching mineralogy at the University of Selcuk, Konya, Turkey. This important role prepared him well for his move to the position of Research Scientist with Ecole Polytechnique, IREM-MERI in Montreal, Canada. In 1986 his services were enlisted by Quebec Ministry of Natural Resources, as he was chosen Chief of an exploration team assembled to map the Juillet Lake area east of the Labrador Trough.
Between 1991 and 1997 Mehmet applied his knowledge to the Selbaie Mine, owned by Billiton Metals Canada. He was hired as an Exploration Geologist and Consulting Mineralogist and participated heavily in their underground development planning, and mapping. His contribution to the description of the Selbaie type volcanogenic polymetallic Cu, Zn, Ag and Au ore deposits by developing new litho geochemical methods and employing data compilation proved tremendously beneficial. It should also be noted that thanks to Mehmet’s mineralogical studies on mill feed ore, the metallurgical performance of the Selbaie concentrator was greatly advanced.
One of Mehmet’s more noble accomplishments lies in his volunteer work as a Research Scientist and Mineralogist with the Canadian Museum of Nature, located in Ottawa Ontario, Canada. In collaboration with Dr.T. Scott Ercit, and Dr. Joel Grice, Dr.Taner has been involved in several research projects for the museum focusing mainly on the mineralogy of vanadium-bearing magnetite, from the Matagami and Chibougamau mining districts in Quebec.
Apella considers Dr. Taner a tremendous compliment to our team as Apella goes forward with our world class Vanadium-Titanium-Iron projects.
