Gerard Barron is on a mission to help wean humanity off fossil fuels and transition to a circular resource economy. He is a seasoned entrepreneur with a track record of building global companies in battery technology, media and future-oriented resource development both as a chief executive and strategic investor. He became involved in the early strategic development and financing of DeepGreen during its formation in 2011 and stepped into the role of Chairman & CEO in 2017.

Gerard is leading DeepGreen’s three-part strategy to first inject a sufficient supply of four virgin metals (Ni, Mn, Co, Cu) into the system to enable the green transition, then track and recycle the four metals that DeepGreen injects, and ultimately work through the rest of the periodic table to circularize the remaining metals. If DeepGreen succeeds, mining virgin ores—whether in land or in the ocean—will become a marginal human activity as we meet most of our metal needs by recycling a shared common stock of metals.

Anthony O’Sullivan has over 30 years mining experience with a track record of delivering innovative solutions across multiple continents both in the terrestrial and marine environments. He is an innovator in mining, who is part of DeepGreen because of his proven commitment to sustainable and ethical mining. As Chief Operating Officer of Nautilus he led exploration, engineering and design, project development, permitting and product marketing culminating in the declaration of 43-101 compliant resources, grant of the environmental permit and mining lease from the Government of Papua New Guinea, ore sales agreement with one of China’s leading copper producers Tongling Nonferrous Metals Group and the completion of project design and commencement of project construction. He was previously part of the BHP Billiton Global Exploration Leadership Team with responsibility for the company’s iron ore, bauxite, coal and non-porphyry base metal exploration portfolios. He is the named co-inventor on 5 subsea mining patents.

Dr. Stone is an ocean scientist and explorer with over 10,000 dives throughout Earth’s ocean down to 18,000 feet using submarines, SCUBA, underwater habitats and robotics. Greg is widely known as a global thought leader who finds ways for humanity and the ocean to co-exist and support each other in the modern world. He was a catalyst at the genesis of the Ocean Health Index and specializes in sustainable fishing, aquaculture, climate adaptation and seamount ecology. Greg’s ability to communicate complex science is illustrated by his compelling TED and Davos talks, and his appearances in documentaries for Discovery and National Geographic. Greg’s numerous accolades and professional associations include the Explorers Club, Pew Fellowship for Marine Conservation, National Geographic Hero, Order of Kiribati Medal, and the U.S National Science Foundation/Navy Antarctic Service medal. In 2008, The Boston Globe named him “Bostonian of the Year”. Previously, Greg was Senior Science Advisor to the Special Envoy for Ocean and the World Economic Forum Ocean Program, and served as Chief Scientist for Conservation International and head of their Global Ocean Program. He currently calls Los Angeles his home and looks out at his beloved Pacific Ocean.

Andy Jones brings over 30 years in technology and software development experience to The Metals Company and is a specialist in large-scale, business-critical and data-driven applications with a focus on security and technical excellence. Andy joins The Metals Company from healthcare data business Pavilion Health/PKS. He was previously at media services provider AdStream, where he oversaw growth from start-up to global adtech platform. Andy brings extensive experience as a hands-on technologist, systems architect, and a technology thought leader who provides advice and guidance to technology companies within media, legal, agri-tech and health-tech sectors.

Erika Ilves is an entrepreneur and seasoned strategy lead dedicated to creating the systems and conditions required to secure a safe future for the human species. She was co-founder of Offworld, an industrial robotics company, where she led a team of machine learning engineers to develop teachable mining robots, and was also co-founder of Shackleton Energy, where she developed an international public-private consortium to create technologies to extract water ice from the moon in order to fuel deep space missions from low Earth orbit, drastically reducing the costs of such missions. Erika’s 15 years of strategy consulting experience started with McKinsey & Company, where she served global and emerging markets financial institutions on strategy, performance and operational transformations; and later advised GCC governments and investors on transitioning to a green economy. Previously, Erika was an executive at videoconferencing technology firm TANDBERG (acquired by Cisco), where she was responsible for developing leadership and sales capability for the firm’s global sales force. At DeepGreen, Erika is working to build the world’s first vertically integrated clean energy ecosystem by establishing alliances with like-minded leaders in offshore, electric vehicles and renewable energy technology, as well as developing our transparent provenance strategy to enable DeepGreen to establish Clean Metals as a new purchasing category. She is fluent in English, Estonian, Russian and proficient in Danish and French.

Jon Machin has 30 years experience at the forefront of oilfield engineering and technology and has worked extensively in the deep-water sector. He has held senior management positions in the technical and commercial departments within market leading organizations Fugro, Technip and Schlumberger. He was a co-founder of deep-water geotechnical engineers UTEC Geomarine. Mr Machin has a remarkable track record of design and build of numerous Remote Operated Vehicles (ROV’s) and ‘extreme’ machines engaging the seafloor, including trenchers for pipelines and cable laying and deep-water dredgers. With DeepGreen Resources Director David Heydon, he jointly conceived the ROVdrill to overcome limitations of conventional drill ships in the marine minerals industry. Mr Machin holds a masters degree in Engineering Science from the University of Oxford. He is a Member of the Institution of Civil Engineers, is accredited with over 20 published peer-reviewed papers and lectures widely on deep-water engineering. He holds at least 6 patents.

Dr. Jeffrey Donald has over 20 years of international experience in the mining & metallurgy business. Dr. Donald is a specialist in the interface between business strategy, capital project scoping, technology and operational excellence. He is an expert at managing the business case development of complex strategic projects in challenging international environments with multiple stakeholder interests. Dr. Donald has a broad knowledge of all aspects of the mining industry; nickel in particular, with a basis in metallurgy and process engineering. Dr. Donald has extensive project development experience, having managed portfolios of complex, strategic projects including greenfield developments, major expansions, environmental improvement & compliance, commercialization of novel technologies and operations improvement programs during his tenures at Hatch, Inco, Vale, PT Vale Indonesia and SNC Lavalin. He holds a Ph.D. from the University of Toronto and degrees from Queen’s University at Kingston, ON.

Michael has a PhD from the University of Texas and completed post-doctoral studies at Queen Mary University in London. He has 25+ years of experience in the field of environmental management and impact assessment with a focus on the mining and renewable energy sectors. With certifications as an Environmental Practitioner and Environmental Impact Assessor from the Environmental Institute of Australia and New Zealand (EIANZ), he has successfully delivered highly complex Environmental Impact Assessments for large infrastructure projects in all corners of the globe. Michael is also an accomplished marine biologist, he led a team to map marine turtle nesting and migration patterns on the northern coast of the Sinai Peninsula as part of a Darwin Initiative for the Conservation of Species project and has conducted marine conservation programs and baseline studies in Egypt, Indonesia, Vanuatu and Australia.

Corey is an experienced community and social performance manager with experience working in the South Pacific and in Canada’s North. Corey began his career working in government before transitioning to the mining industry where he worked with Rio Tinto leading their community relations team at the Diavik Diamond Mine. While at Diavik, Corey developed sector leading practices for Indigenous business development and renegotiated modern industry leading benefit agreements. Outside of work, Corey enjoys spending time with family in the mountains and sits on the Squamish Waldorf School Board.

Craig has over 15 years combined experience in public investing, metals research and investment banking in New York. He spent 12 years at King Street Capital Management, most recently as senior analyst in charge of recommending investments in the global metals & mining space. He analyzes electrification trends, battery chemistries and the resulting impacts on supply & demand for critical base metals, with particular expertise in nickel and copper. Craig also has significant experience navigating complex, legal-driven investments around the world, as King Street was one of the largest creditors in over a dozen global Lehman Brothers entities. He worked closely with administrators, creditors, lawyers and advisors to reach settlements, form JVs and accelerate recoveries, particularly in the US, UK, German, Swiss and Dutch Lehman administrations. He also spent two years as the top-tier analyst on the insurance & asset management investment banking team at Morgan Stanley.

Craig was raised in an iron mining family in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, working as a production truck driver in Cleveland-Cliffs iron mines during college summers, becoming intimately familiar with open pit operations as well as the environmental and social challenges of terrestrial mining. Craig graduated magna cum laude with a B.S. in Finance from the University of Notre Dame.

Kristin is a seasoned business development strategist with combined expertise in materials research, renewable energy, and sustainability. Most recently, Kristin served as Director of Business Development at Edison Energy, an independent energy consulting firm, helping commercial and industrial clients build decarbonization strategies across energy procurement including power purchase agreements (PPAs), distributed generation and efficiency projects, and impactful sourcing of global renewable energy certificates and carbon offsets. Prior, Kristin spent 4 years facilitating energy conversion and storage technology research at manufacturing multinationals, startups, national laboratories, and universities. Kristin started her career working in project development and key account management at a solar startup, now part of Engie North America, aligning business cases across policy, finance and engineering. She also worked with PV Evolution Labs to create a PV Module QA process in the midst of the US-China Solar Trade Case

With a degree in Law (Hons) and Business Management from the University of Queensland, Australia, Robert Heydon has played an important role in pioneering 21st century private sector mineral exploration in the International Seabed Area. He has been involved in the deep sea mining industry for over a decade, including assisting to progress the development of national and international legal frameworks regulating seafloor mining. Along with overseeing successful seafloor mineral exploration and metallurgical processing programmes, Mr. Heydon has pioneered deep sea mineral ventures with Pacific Island countries. Previously, he worked for Nautilus Minerals Inc., and was a member of the UNEP/GRID-Arendal Steering Committee for the Pacific Marine Minerals and Deep Sea Mining Assessment.

Robert Milbourne is an international corporate attorney with 20 years of experience in the global mining and minerals, infrastructure and energy sectors. Rob served as in-house and General Counsel for global mining firm Vale in Australia, and as an equity partner at two of the world’s leading law firms where he specialized in cross-border mining transactions. He has worked in most commodities and major mining jurisdictions and has closed transactions in over 30 countries. Rob has advised governments, financial institutions, investors and mining firms in all stages of mining projects from early exploration to development, operations and closure. He is also an adjunct professor of law at the University of Queensland, and regularly speaks on global trends in mining and natural resources law and policy. Rob is the founder of Mining Standards International, which addresses transparency, accountability, law and policy in the mining sector. He has an undergraduate degree from Dartmouth College in Asian Studies and a Juris Doctorate from Duke Law School.

Toby Buckley is a robotics and control engineer who has overseen projects taking robots around the globe and into outer space. He previously was senior robotics and controls engineer for innovative robotics startup OffWorld Inc., leading the software and controls team in development of robotic systems. Toby earned a master’s degree in aeronautics and astronautics from Stanford University, and completed internships at Boeing, where he simulated and analyzed space-launch system vehicle trajectories; at Stanford’s Autonomous Systems Lab, where he helped implement decision-making algorithms for autonomous cars; and at The SpaceShip Company, where he programmed software for the suborbital vehicle SpaceShipTwo.

Dan has over 15 years of experience in international development, renewable energy and media ventures. He founded Planetwize Strategies in 2006 and has worked with clients around the world to develop brands, strategy and programs for making, measuring and communicating impact. He was VP of Impact and Communications at solar mini-grid pioneer Powerhive, in East Africa, where he leveraged communications and media to increase uptake of solutions to the global energy access challenge. Dan served as Communications Officer for The Christensen Fund where he led the foundation’s strategic communications initiatives in support of Indigenous communities around the world, and was previously the VP of Sustainability for Better Energy Systems where he developed strategy, marketing and social entrepreneurial applications in East Africa with Solio, one of the world’s first commercial micro-solar technologies. Dan received his Masters degree in environment and development from the London School of Economics and is an accomplished filmmaker and musician.

Rory has over 4 years of experience in public relations and communications, having worked as a consultant for the London-based outfit, The Cape Partnership. As a consultant, Rory developed communications packages and strategies for the President of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Félix Tshisekedi, as well as Nobel Peace Prize laureate, Dr. Denis Mukwege. His work also included various C-suite speech-writing activities, including for the CEO of Gulftainer, the world’s largest privately-owned port operator. Rory has a passion for politics and led The Cape Partnership in its Brexit-related analysis for Gulf-based clients. He earned an MSc in African Studies from the University of Oxford, where his research focussed on the Ugandan government’s policies towards the challenges and opportunities presented by artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM). Prior to his Master’s degree, Rory pursued a BA in English at Rhodes University in South Africa.

Tom is an experienced trader of commodities and equities and has worked at firms that include Paul Morgan & Co, Barclays Bank and UK stockbroker Cazenove, where he ran the Australian Sales Desk into Asia. At the turn of the century Tom focused on the Australian stock market with Tolhurst, where he ran their Institutional Desk. During this time Tom extended his responsibilities beyond sales and trading in to corporate services with a focus on the resources sector. He began working with Nautilus Minerals to raise the initial funds for the company’s IPO on the Toronto Stock Exchange. Tom has also worked privately as a corporate advisor to select companies with big ideas. He believes in DeepGreen’s mission to move humanity toward carbon-free energy and applies his efforts and experience to the areas of finance, investor relations and business development

William Li is an experienced senior manager and entrepreneur with more than two decades of experience working between Australia and China in both the private and public sectors. He has been active in the minerals and mining industry since 2002, developing product off-take agreements; project development strategy and financing; engineering and research development and procurement of a number of global commodities. William has been an active participant in the evolution of deep sea mining over the last eight years, playing a key role on a team that initiated one of the world’s first deep sea minerals offtake agreements in a multi-year, international negotiation. He holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Economics from Nankai University, China, an MBA from QUT, Australia and has completed course work toward a certificate of extractive metallurgy. He currently lives in Brisbane, Australia.

Tina Pomee has worked with the Tongan Government at the Natural Resources Department on water and coastal management projects, and good work relationships with Government, NGOs, communities and schools throughout Tonga.  Previously with Nautilus Minerals, Tina participated in multiple offshore expleditions both on minerals and environmental baseline studies. As a Lead Marine Scientist, Tina has managed shifts of scientists on working vessels, led on writing reports on work completed; built and maintained scientific data systems, conducted safety briefings and reports, and maintained key marine science databases. Tina trained and supervised four Tongans to do mega-fauna logging of more than 20000 photos collected from a 2015 CCZ cruise as part of the environmental studies. She has contributed to stakeholder consultations including with Government Ministries, NGOs, schools and village communities. Tina joined DeepGreen in 2020.

Peter Jacob joined DeepGreen in 2020 and brings decades of experience from his work within the Government of the Republic of Nauru. He currently serves as the Chairman of the Board for the Nauru Rehabilitation Corporation and recently served as the Chief of Staff for the Office of the President. From 2012-2013, Peter acted as the Director of Trade for the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. He also served as the First Secretary for the Nauru High Commission in Suva, Fiji Islands, and previously as the Chief Executive Officer for the Nauru Fisheries and Marine Resources Authority (NFMRA) where he helped develop the Nauru Aquaculture Plan with the Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC). Peter brings a wealth of knowledge of the Pacific region and international diplomacy to his role as Country Manager for DeepGreen. He holds a masters degree in International Relations and Diplomacy from the University of Fiji, as well as several Post-Graduate Diplomas and a Bachelor of Arts from the University of the South Pacific (USP).

Having spent his professional career contributing to unique environmental and resource undertakings in the Pacific Islands, Indonesia and Australia, Pat Clarke provides operational and project management support to The Metals Company. An engineer by training, Pat enjoys working with multidisciplinary teams to overcome complex project development challenges. With a passion for all things related to the ocean, Pat is focused on progressing the Metals Company’s vision and developing solutions for the sustainability challenges of tomorrow.

Katie is an earth and environmental scientist by training with over a decade of experience in marine geoscience and offshore marine management projects. Katie has participated in and assisted the planning and coordination of numerous offshore multidisciplinary mineral exploration and mapping campaigns across the South West Pacific and is an accomplished offshore environmental team leader. She has also participated in academic research cruises in the Mediterranean and a resource campaign in the Clarion Clipperton Zone. Katie’s expertise in the use of GIS platforms to analyse and present spatial data significantly enhances the capacity of the environmental team. As a Project Geoscientist, Katie has worked on deep-sea mineral exploration projects for Neptune Minerals, and as a marine scientist on coastal marine management projects undertaken by the Government of New South Wales in Australia.