Experience and ambition

Experience and ambition

  • James Knowles
    Executive Chairman
    James Knowles is an accomplished corporate professional with over twenty-five years of experience in the financial sector. Having previously focused on debt funding for real estate projects at Barclays Bank PLC, he now brings his extensive expertise to his role as Executive Chairman of First Class Metals.

    At First Class Metals, James leverages his background to provide strategic investment and advisory services at the board level. His experience as a seasoned investor in resource companies has been pivotal in guiding First Class Metals in enhancing its investor relations and securing significant funding to support its growth initiatives.

    With a unique blend of financial acumen and strategic insight, James plays an essential role in positioning First Class Metals for sustainable success in the competitive resource sector, driving value for stakeholders, ensuring the company remains at the forefront of industry and corporate developments.
  • Marc Sale
    Chief Executive Officer
    A corporate professional who has specialised in natural resources, specifically precious and base metals, with a focus on gold, for over 25 years. Marc has worked on project assessment, exploration, and development in Africa, the Americas, Europe, and Australasia. He has held Technical Directorships for several listed and private companies, including Brancote PLC, Landore Resources PLC, Gold Mines of Sardinia, and Patagonia Gold. As a ‘Competent Person’ he is accomplished in the preparation of Company reports and overseeing JORC/NI43-101 reporting as well as the delivery of presentations to investors, institutions, and shareholders.
  • Andrew Williamson
    Non-Executive Director
    Andrew Williamson qualified as a lawyer in 1990 and has worked in the corporate field throughout his career.

    He has substantial experience of listings on the major stock markets around the world. He also has extensive experience of public and private corporate transactions and the creation of domestic and international investment funds.

    A former institutional corporate stockbroker, nomad, and sponsor to the Full List, he is known to use his extensive commercial experience to assist his clients with their legal issues. He has been recognized as a recommended lawyer by legal 500 in the private acquisition and merger (sub £100m) category and in the debt capital market category.
    • Marc Bamber
      Non-Executive Director
      A Global Corporate Financier, with over 20 years’ of experience in the hedge fund sector, capital markets, private and institutional Investments, investor comms, and marketing. Marc was a core member of the multiple award-winning RAB Special Situations Fund that delivered net returns of 50x to investors with circa. US$2.8Bn in Assets Under Management (AUM) in just under five years. Marc is very active in the international markets and works with a number of Toronto and London-listed companies in senior management roles.

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