Our highly credentialed, well-respected team bring a wealth of experience from identifying the exploration projects to building and operating mines globally.
Through our decisions we ensure the safety and well-being of our employees, our partners and the communities we operate in. Through forward thinking, collaborative partnerships and environmental stewardship we set new benchmarks for excellence, forging long lasting relationships that generate shared success and long-term prosperity.
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.
Paul Vermeulen is a recognised technical expert in the field of steel making, mining, beneficiation, and bulk logistics. Paul is a Metallurgical Engineer with over 25 years of experience in iron ore mining, processing and steel production. Paul is driving all phases of feasibility studies and is responsible for technical, engineering and product marketing aspects.
Paul established Vulcan Technologies in 2007, which provides technical consulting services to iron ore majors, iron ore juniors, engineering firms and steel makers in the field of mineral beneficiation, metallurgical test work, steel plant design, decarbonisation of steel making operations, mineral resource definition, and project management.
His previous operational roles include Blast Furnace Manager at Iscor South Africa (now Arcelor-Mittal), where he managed one of the largest blast furnaces in the southern hemisphere. Subsequently, Paul worked for five years at Rio Tinto Iron Ore as Principal Technical Marketing where he played a key role in developing high value iron ore products for steel mills, including the benchmark Rio Tinto ‘Pilbara Blend’.
Paul holds a bachelor’s degree in metallurgical engineering with post-graduate Refractory Materials specialisation from the University of Pretoria and is a Member of MAusIMM, Member Association of Iron and Steel Technology (MAIST)
Levi plays a pivotal role in shaping Cyclone Metals’ long-term business strategy, particularly across its flagship Iron Bear project. Levi leads strategic initiatives and corporate development activities, aligning technical, operational, and financial dimensions of project, evaluating growth opportunities, optimizing resource allocation, and driving value creation for shareholders.
Levi brings solid experience in both financial markets and M&A, coupled with a strong experience in project-level technical analysis. His prior professional experience includes broking and merger & acquisition work, giving him practical exposure to capital markets and investment structuring.
Alex is a highly regarded Finance and Accounting Specialist with more than 20 years of global experience in senior leadership roles within multi-national organizations in the mining and steel making, including Tata Steel, Anglo American and Vale. He is responsible for Accounting, Compliance, Financial Planning, Tax and Budgeting of the Project operations, helping guide resource deployment during the development phase.
Alex brings an extensive experience in financial controls and project financing within the resources sector, providing financial stewardship for complex, capital-intensive projects.
Holds Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting, Master’s Degree in Management and Financial Management from Ibmec, and MBA from FGV (Fundação Getulio Vargas), Brazil
Floriane brings over 10 years professional experience in the environmental functions gained in large mining and engineering corporations, including
Minerai de fer Québec (MFQ), a subsidiary of Champion Iron Ltd, and WSP in Canada, where she was responsible for enforcing compliance with permits and authorizations, coordination of the environmental monitoring and surveillance activities for the operations, environmental risk management, and employees training. She is responsible for management of the environmental and community workstreams with First Nations and Indigenous groups, organization of environmental inspections and audits of Iron Bear project activities, identification and assessment of potential environmental risks, and develop and implementation of appropriate mitigation plans, including water management, dust control, and waste disposal.
Floriane completed her undergraduate studies in Physics at Claude Bernard University Lyon 1, undertook the first year of her master-level training in Physics at the University of Sherbrooke—where she earned a certificate—and subsequently returned to Lyon to complete her master’s degree, specializing in Ocean, Atmosphere and Climate Sciences with a concentration in air quality. She is native in French and English.
Massakoro brings experience in the mining sector, with hands-on exposure gained at leading international companies such as Glencore, Newmont, and Eldorado Gold. He has developed a strong understanding of mining operations, project execution, and industry best practices across multiple commodities and jurisdictions.
He has contributed to various aspects of mining projects, including operations, capital project planning, and financial analysis, with exposure to key functions such as production, safety, and performance optimization. His experience provides him with a comprehensive understanding of the mining value chain, from extraction to processing, as well as the strategic and operational challenges faced by the industry.
He also brings investment experience through his work with Helios Investment Partners, where he evaluated infrastructure and energy investment opportunities across African markets, strengthening his ability to assess project economics, investment risk, and value creation potential.
Massakoro holds a Master’s degree in Metals and Energy Finance from Imperial College London and a Bachelor’s degree in Mining Engineering from Polytechnique Montréal. His combined technical and financial expertise enables him to assess mining projects from both engineering and investment perspectives.