Board & Management

Cliff Lawrenson

Non-Executive Chair

Mr Cliff Lawrenson has over 10 years of experience as a Non-Executive Chair and Non-Executive Director in both public and private companies.

Alongside his commitments to AVL, Cliff is currently Non-Executive Chair of Paladin Energy Ltd (ASX: PDN).

Mr Lawrenson was Managing Director of Atlas Iron Ltd from 2017 and led the company to its acquisition by Hancock Prospecting Pty Ltd. Prior to Atlas Iron, Mr Lawrenson was Managing Director of a number of ASX listed companies in the mining and mining services sectors. Mr Lawrenson was a senior executive of CMS Energy Corporation in the United States of America and Singapore and this was preceded by an investment banking career.

Daniel Harris

Non-Executive Director

Mr Daniel Harris BSc ChE is a vanadium industry veteran and has an understanding of the resource sector from both a technical and financial perspective.

He is currently Non-executive Director of Queensland Energy & Minerals (ASX: QEM) and RedHawk Mining (ASX: RHK).

Previous roles include Non-Executive Director of U.S. Vanadium and an Advisory Board Member and Vanadium Consultant for Blackrock Metals, interim CEO and Managing Director at Atlas Iron; Chief Executive & Operating Officer at Atlantic; Vice President & Head of Vanadium Assets at Evraz Group; Managing Director at Vametco Alloys; CEO and COO of Strategic Minerals Corporation and acting as an independent technical and executive consultant to GSA Environmental Limited in the United Kingdom.

Miriam Stanborough AM

Non-Executive Director

Ms Stanborough is a chemical engineer with over 20 years of experience in the mineral processing industry across a range of commodities. She has held senior roles at Monadelphous, Iluka Resources, Alcoa and WMC Resources. Her skill base spans innovation and technology, technical development, production management, project management, business improvement and people and culture.

Ms Stanborough is currently a Non-Executive Director of Pilbara Minerals Limited (ASX: PLS), BCI Minerals Limited (ASX: BCI), Chair of the Minerals Research Institute of Western Australia (MRIWA), Deputy Chair of the Northern Agricultural Catchments Council (NACC) and a Director of Scouts WA.

Peter Watson

Non-Executive Director

Mr Watson is a chemical engineer, with 40 years of experience in senior technical, project and management roles, in addition to corporate experience running ASX-listed companies. He has significant board-level experience, particularly regarding safety, governance, financial reporting, risk management and strategy.

Mr Watson is also currently a Non-Executive Director of Paladin Energy Ltd (ASX: PDN).

Jo Gaines

Non-Executive Director

Ms Gaines was previously the Deputy Chief of Staff to the Premier of Western Australia, a role in which she was a leader in significant policy development affecting the economic and social fabric of the State. She brings extensive experience in stakeholder engagement, including across all levels of government and within the private sector, to drive reforms in a diverse range of fields including training and job creation, contracting and procurement, climate change, child protection and health.

Ms Gaines holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Western Australia, a Post Graduate Diploma in Occupational Health and Safety from Curtin University and is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. She is currently Chair of the Government Employees Superannuation Board (GESB), a Non-Executive Director of DevelopmentWA, Non-Executive Director of Chalice Mining Limited (ASX: CHN), Board Member of CinefestOZ and Executive Director of Gaines Advisory Pty Ltd.

Neville Bassett

Company Secretary

Mr Neville Bassett is a Chartered Accountant operating his own corporate consulting business, specialising in the area of corporate, financial and management advisory services. Mr Bassett has been involved with numerous public company listings and capital raisings.

His involvement in the corporate arena has also taken in mergers and acquisitions, and includes significant knowledge and exposure to the Australian financial markets.

Mr Bassett has a wealth of experience in matters pertaining to the Corporations Act, ASX listing requirements, corporate taxation and finance. He is a director or company secretary of a number of public and private companies.

Louis Mostert

Chief Legal and Commercial Officer, Joint Company Secretary

Mr Mostert has over 20 years of experience in project contracting and finance, corporate advisory, mergers and acquisitions, insurance management, dispute resolution, work health and safety, employment and industrial relations, intellectual property, corporate governance and compliance.

Mr Mostert graduated from the University of Western Australia with a Bachelor of Engineering (Hons) and a Bachelor of Laws (Hons) and has a Diploma of Applied Corporate Governance from the Governance Institute of Australia. He is admitted as a barrister and solicitor of the Supreme Court of Western Australia, a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Secretaries, a Fellow of the Governance Institute of Australia and a Member of the Institute of Company Directors.

Graham Arvidson

Chief Executive Officer

Mr Arvidson is a highly respected executive with over two decades of experience in key leadership roles including project studies, design, construction, commissioning and operations management across the Australian and international resource and energy sectors.

Mr Arvidson was appointed CEO of Australian Vanadium Limited in 2022. Prior to AVL, he held key leadership roles with IGO, Primero Group, and Pilbara Minerals where he established a track record in successful project development, operational turnarounds, and optimisation of mineral processing operations.   Graham’s combined energy and metals background matches AVL’s pit to battery strategy well, having been a Production Manager at Midwest Vanadium and Energy Management Engineer with Epcor Energy, a leading Canadian gentailer.

Graham’s recent experience leading lithium operations has instilled a passion for renewable energy generation and storage which has provided the emphasis for Mr Arvidson to develop AVLs vertically integrated vanadium supply chain to ensure AVL is positioned to create shareholder value as the global energy transition towards decarbonisation and electrification accelerates.

Graham is a graduate of University of Alberta (BSc Mechanical Engineering) and Curtin University (MBA and MSc Mineral Economics).   Graham is Project Management Professional (PMP) through the Project Management Institute, a Chartered Professional Metallurgy (CPMet) and Fellow with the Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy, a Chartered Professional Engineer (CPEng) and Fellow with Institute of Engineers Australia, and a Graduate and Member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

Graham is an active Adjunct Lecturer at the University of Western Australia where frequently lectures MBA students on best practice operational excellence, project management, lithium markets, and vanadium markets.

Tom Plant

Chief Financial Officer

Mr Plant is a seasoned finance executive, with almost 30 years of experience in various corporate and commercial roles. He has a strong background in debt and equity funding solutions, investment evaluation and corporate transactions. Mr Plant’s experience in these areas will complement the existing capabilities in the AVL team as it progresses the Australian Vanadium Project.

Mr Plant is a Chartered Accountant (CAANZ) and holds an MBA from INSEAD, an MSc (Mineral Economics) from Curtin University, a Bachelor of Commerce from The University of Western Australia and a Graduate Diploma of Applied Corporate Governance and Risk Management from the Governance Institute of Australia.

Todd Richardson

Chief Operating Officer

Mr Todd Richardson BSc ChE MBA is an expert in vanadium process design, commissioning and operations with over 20 years’ experience in vanadium.

He has an extensive background in operations management and technical services both in the USA and Australia in all phases of plant operation – process design through commissioning, ramp up and operation.

Mr Richardson leads the development of AVL’s world class vanadium project.

Stephanie Banning

Executive General Manager – VSUN Energy

Ms Banning brings 25 years of deep energy market experience, including as Managing Director of Epic Energy. Steph has led the delivery of complex energy projects and has a deep understanding of energy customer needs, as well as having delivered a considerable amount of complex energy supply agreements.

At AVL, Steph will lead the deployment of strategies to commercialise and scale VSUN Energy’s energy storage solutions, services and customer engagement.

Craig Sainsbury

Executive General Manager – Strategy and Business Development

Mr Sainsbury has over 18 years of experience as a financial markets professional within the mining sector. He brings with him deep knowledge and experience in capital markets, investor relations, business development and stakeholder engagement.

Craig has been working with AVL in an advisory capacity prior to his appointment and continues being instrumental in advising the company on decisions relating to equity markets, corporate finance and strategy & business development.