MANAGEMENT & DIRECTORS
The management and directors of Euro Manganese Inc. have extensive experience in project planning and development, geology, metallurgy, engineering, environmental planning and permitting, project finance, commodities marketing and corporate development. Our team brings together competencies and perspectives that are crucial for tackling the complexities of developing a project such as the Chvaletice Manganese Project, while meeting the demanding social and environmental standards of the Czech Republic and the European Union.
Our success depends on the talent, dedication and cohesion of our management team, along with that of the many engineers, metallurgists, geoscientists, environmental scientists, financial experts, legal advisors and administrators who work with us.
MANAGEMENT
Martina Blahova – Interim Chief Executive Officer
Martina Blahova has 20 years of international experience in finance; including public practice with PricewaterhouseCoopers and Ernst & Young in the Czech Republic and UK. She held senior positions in automotive and mining industry as a corporate controller at Euro Manganese Inc, Manager of Financial Reporting at SSR Mining Inc. and FP&A manager for KS Kolbenschmidt Inc., a Czech subsidiary of the Rheinmetall Group AG, and consulted Canadian public and private companies in senior finance roles and with transition to IFRS. Martina is a member of CPA Canada (CGA) and of ACCA (UK) and holds a Master’s Degree in International Business from the University of Economics in Prague, Czech Republic, and from the Université d'Orléans, France.
Dean Larocque – Chief Financial Officer
Mr. Larocque is a seasoned finance professional and a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA) in Canada and a Certified Professional Accountant (CPA) in the United States (Oregon, Nevada, Alaska). He has over 30 years of experience, including an 18-year tenure as a Senior Assurance Partner at PwC. Mr. Larocque has substantial experience in initial public offerings, mergers and acquisitions, due diligence, all forms of financing, dual listings, and mining and public company-specific accounting, regulatory and controls issues. In addition to his CPA certifications, Mr. Larocque recently obtained his Independent Corporate Director (ICD.D) designation. He is a graduate of the Institute of Corporate Directors at the Rotman School of Management and Beedie School of Business, is a designated Certified Financial Planner (CFP), and holds a joint Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) and Bachelor of Arts in Economics (BA) from Simon Fraser University.
Laurel Petryk – Chief Legal Officer & Corporate Secretary
Ms. Petryk has over 24 years of legal experience in corporate, securities, governance, and mining gained from a large national firm and in house, and regulatory experience including working at the British Columbia Securities Commission. Before going in house, Ms. Petryk was a partner at McMillan LLP, one of Canada’s leading business law firms where she practiced securities and corporate law and advised companies on a range of complex legal matters, with a speciality in mining. Previous in house roles include Senior Legal Counsel at HSBC, and Leader and Senior Legal Counsel at a Vancouver Coastal Health, regional health authority, where she led the corporate legal and policy teams during the COVID pandemic.
James Fraser – Vice President, Commercial
James Fraser joined Euro Manganese as Vice President Commercial in October 2022 and brings over 25 years of experience from the geosciences, consulting, mining, carbon credit and automotive sectors. After completing his doctorate in Himalayan Tectonics, James worked as a strategy consultant for McKinsey & Company and then held a range of senior positions during his 11 years at Rio Tinto in commercial and technical fields across different commodities. He subsequently worked for Permian Global, an investment fund focussed on forest carbon and most recently held Head of Sales & Sourcing and Managing Director roles with two UK-based specialist automotive / motorsport engineering firms.
James holds an MA (Hons) and DPhil in Earth Sciences from the University of Oxford.
Andrea Zaradic, Vice President, Operations
Andrea Zaradic has over 30 years of experience in corporate, project and business development in the mining and renewable energy industries, having worked throughout the Americas, Africa, Asia and Europe. Previous senior roles include: President and CEO of Northair Silver, President and CEO of Troon Ventures Ltd., VP Operations and Development for Magma Energy Corp., Construction and Senior Process Operations Engineer for BHP Billiton’s Ekati Diamond Mine, and Manager of Infrastructure Development for Canico Resource Corp. in relation to the Onca Puma nickel laterite project in Brazil. She now serves on the board of Sedna Wind Technologies and serves as a Technical Advisor to Northleaf Capital in relation to their geothermal investments. Andrea holds a Master's degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of British Columbia and is a registered Professional Engineer in the provinces of British Columbia and Ontario.
Jan Votava - Managing Director of Mangan Chvaletice s.r.o.
Jan Votava is a highly skilled and respected Czech engineer and executive leader who holds a doctorate in mechanical engineering. For 17 years, he held various managerial roles at LafargeHolcim, the world’s largest construction materials company. These roles included Head of Transformation Team for Europe, Technical Director for Central Europe, Executive Chairman and Managing Director for the Czech Republic, and he oversaw, among other activities, quarrying and cement production. He also recently played a leadership role with the team that constructed a €250 million cement plant in Hungary for Lafarge using Chinese technology, equipment, engineering and construction companies, and he led the team in optimizing and developing the operation. He is now responsible for leading EMN’s activities in the Czech Republic, for its organizational and reputational development, as well as for Project permitting and development.
Tim Kindred – Project Director, Mangan Chvaletice s.r.o.
With a strong background in hydrometallurgy, Tim Kindred is a highly skilled project and operations leader in the mining and metals industry with over 30 years’ experience. He has successfully lead project delivery from feasibility study, to FEED, construction, completion, and commissioning on multibillion dollar projects, including large and complex operations. Tim has experience in nickel, cobalt, copper, lithium, and gold and has a strong background in battery metal projects supporting decarbonisation. He has worked on four continents and multiple jurisdictions. During his 10-plus years working with Vale Base Metals, he led the project turnaround and successful construction, completion, and commissioning of the Vale Long Harbour Project, a US$5 billion nickel processing plant project, transitioning to an integrated team delivery model that drove success and delivered the project on time and on budget. Tim Kindred is a Chemical Engineer and a graduate of the Australian Graduate School of Management.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
John Webster - Chairman and Director
John Webster is a senior finance professional who spent over 30 years with PricewaterhouseCoopers until his retirement in 2014. His former roles include BC Managing Partner, Assurance Leader in Romania and head of the firm’s mining practice in Canada. He has extensive experience as audit partner and advising private and listed clients, and he has valuable international experience with mine development projects. He is currently a director of Eldorado Gold Corporation.
Dr. David Dreisinger - Director
Dr. David Dreisinger is a Professor and Chairholder of the Industrial Research Chair in Hydrometallurgy at the University of British Columbia. He has published over 300 papers and is co-inventor of 21 U.S. patents for work in hydrometallurgical research. He runs an active international consulting practice focused on various major hydrometallurgical projects and plants. His previous experience includes director positions at PolyMet Mining, Search Minerals, LeadFX, Cascadero Copper Corp. and officer positions with Camrova Resources, Clifton Star Resources and South American Silver.
Ludivine Wouters – Director
Ludivine Wouters is a seasoned strategy, governance, and policy executive with more than 20 years of experience in European and emerging markets. Leveraging her background in law, political risk insurance, and investment banking, Ludivine excels in guiding transformational growth, advising executives on sustainability and innovation in the minerals and materials sectors. As the Managing Partner at Latitude Five, she leads the Mining and Minerals practice. Her expertise extends to mining policy and governance, including working with policy shapers on critical minerals and responsible sourcing priorities. Ludivine was named one of the 100 Global Inspirational Women in Mining in 2013 and is currently a Visiting Fellow with the European Council on Foreign Relations. She holds a Master’s in Business Law from Université Panthéon Assas and a JD from Université Panthéon Sorbonne.
Thomas M. Stepien - Director
Thomas Stepien has over 30 years of global high technology management, operations and engineering experience at small and large companies. He is currently CEO of QM Power, an innovative electric motor company. He is also an Operating Partner at KCK Investment Group, a venture and private equity investment firm. Tom serves as Director of Primus Power Solutions, a battery energy storage company and was its CEO from 2009 to 2020. Prior to co-founding Primus, he was a VP at semiconductor equipment manufacturer Applied Materials. Tom earned a BS and MS in Mechanical Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, is a co-inventor on numerous patents, and a frequent speaker at energy conferences. He brings an international perspective, having led diverse teams in several countries.