Merlin Thomas has a degree in Mineral Processing from Imperial College, London University. He is a fellow of the Institute of Materials, Minerals & Mining and is a fluent French speaker, having spent more than 12 years working on projects in francophone Africa. Mr Thomas is a senior mining professional with more than 30 years’ experience of gold and copper operations across five continents. He was general manager of a 100,000 ounce per annum gold mine located in a remote environment, taking the project from commissioning through to commercial production. Prior to this appointment, he held several senior management roles with First Quantum Minerals over a ten-year period.