The Board of Directors of Iron Bear Resources is composed of a diverse group of industry professionals, all bringing strong leadership and experience in key strategic, financial, commercial and legal roles across a variety of industries with a strong focus on natural resources. Our team is committed to upholding the highest standards of corporate governance and driving sustainable growth for our shareholders and stakeholders.
Simon Lill is brings more than 35 years of strategic leadership, corporate development and capital
markets experience across the resources and manufacturing sectors.
Mr Lill served on the Board of De Grey Mining Ltd from 2013, helping drive the Company’s successful growth following the discovery and development of a 13.5Moz gold resource in Western Australia’s Pilbara region, including the world-class Hemi gold deposit containing 11.2Moz of gold.
Mr Lill was previously Chairman of De Grey Mining (ASX: DEG), where he played a pivotal role in the Company’s transformation from a $1 million market capitalisation junior explorer into an ASX 200 mineral development company in just over 10 years. His tenure culminated in De Grey’s acquisition by Northern Star Resources (ASX: NST) in May 2025, in one of the largest corporate transactions in the Australian gold sector. During his 12 years with De Grey, Mr Lill oversaw the discovery and development of the world-class Hemi gold deposit in Western Australia’s Pilbara region, one of Australia’s most significant gold discoveries in recent decades. Under his leadership, the Company delivered substantial resource growth, created exceptional shareholder value and successfully navigated the $6 billion takeover by Northern Star.
Mr Lill continues to contribute to the growth and development of several resource companies through his current roles as Chairman and Non-Executive Director, including Ballard Mining Ltd (ASX: BM1), Pilbara Gold Ltd (ASX: PGL), Evergold Minerals Ltd (ASX: EG1), Artemis Resources Ltd (ASX: ARV) and Sierra Nevada Gold Inc (ASX: SNX).
Paul Berend brings over 25 years of leadership experience in the iron ore and steel industries, gained across blue-chip corporations and junior mining ventures. His corporate background includes senior roles such as GM Corporate Strategy at ArcelorMittal, GM Business Development at Rio Tinto Iron Ore and Director Australasia at Hatch.
Paul is a passionate mining entrepreneur and was a founder and historic CEO of Trans-Tasman Resources Ltd (a titano-magnetite project in New Zealand ASX: MKR) and has played a key role in a number of private early-stage exploration ventures.
In addition to his entrepreneurial work, Paul has a successful track record in turning around distressed producing mines and steel mills in difficult jurisdiction including Australia, PNG, Europe, GCC and Africa . He is a trusted advisor for Tier one natural resource companies, supporting operational, organisational and growth strategies. In this capacity, Paul’s previous employers include McKinsey& Company and Partners in Performance.
Paul has an MBA from HEC (Paris, France), a MSc and DEA (~PhD) in chemical process design and chemistry from ENSIC (Nancy, France), and undergraduate credits in applied mathematics and algebra from Harvard University (Cambridge, USA) and is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. He speaks native and English and French as well as professional German.
Luke Martino is a prominent figure in the corporate world of Western Australia, with over 30 years experience at partner and board level with major accounting firms and is a Director of several public & private companies. He has gained significant experience and established credibility in the mining & resources, property and hospitality industries. Luke has an entrepreneurial passion for nurturing businesses and specializes in corporate & growth consulting.
A chartered accountant, Luke was the lead partner of Deloitte growth solutions. His success as a lead partner of Deloitte also saw him appointed to national executive roles and a Board member for the national Australian firm.
Luke is Executive Director of Indian Ocean Consulting Group, a boutique corporate & investment banking services firm in Perth & Sydney, Australia, with joint interests in Mainland China. He is also current chairman of EV Resources Limited and chairman of Magnum Mining & Exploration Limited, two companies focused on precious and green metal exploration and renewable green energy.
Caue is an MBA qualified geologist, Fellow of the Australasian Institute of Mining & Metallurgy and Member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. Caue has dual citizenship (Brazil/Australia) and speaks fluent English & Portuguese.
Caue brings unique experience that encompasses commercial leadership, geology and exploration, mining finance & investment strategy, market research, project evaluations and global strategic assessments across a range of commodities, project management.
Caue’s earlier roles include CEO of Oceana Lithium Limited (ASX: OCN), Global General Manager – Mine Finance Advisory at Palaris, Regional Director of Investment and Business Planning at Hatch in Australia-Asia, Principal Consultant and Partner (Project Evaluation/Valuation) at SRK Consulting (Sydney Office). He was also the Global Iron Ore Industry Director at the Australian Mineral Economics Group (AME) in Sydney, where he managed a team of research analysts based in Sydney and Hong Kong.
Caue’s technical experience includes operational and strategic roles with VALE S.A., plus extensive international consulting experience. As an advisor, he provided technical advice and risk analysis to several project finance teams and Export Credit Agencies involved in the financing of the 55Mtpa Roy Hill Iron Ore Project, one of the largest mining project finance deals in history. He has also conducted technical assessments, due diligence and valuations for several other iron ore mining operations in Australia, Brazil, Canada, West Africa and Russia.
Caue is currently Director of Corporate Development at St George Mining Limited (ASX: SGQ) and was previously a Non-Executive Director of Power Minerals Ltd (ASX:PNN).
David Sanders is an experienced corporate lawyer with more than 20 years’ of extensive background in corporate affairs.
He has advised numerous entities, including ASX-listed and private companies on capital raising, mergers and acquisitions, Corporations Act and ASX Listing Rules compliance, as well as commercial transactions across a range of industries and jurisdictions. David also advises a range of public, private and indigenous corporation Boards in relation to compliance and corporate governance. In addition to his legal qualifications, David has a Bachelor of Commerce and Graduate Diploma of Applied Finance and Investments from the Securities Institute of Australia. David is the Chairman of Murlpirrmarra Connection Limited, which focuses on education and training for indigenous youth in the Yilgarn Region of Western Australia. He is also a non-executive director of a range of public and private companies.
Johnathon Busing is a Chartered Accountant and registered tax agent with over 15 years of experience. He works closely with clients to support their business growth and long-term success. He is the Director of Eleven Corporate, where he advises and supports a range of ASX-listed entities. Johnathon also serves as Company Secretary for multiple ASX-listed companies and is a Non-Executive Director of Orange Minerals NL and Mantle Minerals Limited. Johnathon is a member of Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand and holds a Public Practice Certificate.
