Our board of directors
Our board of directors
A group of seasoned professionals
to ensure the prosperity of Champion Iron.
Michael O’keeffe, B AppSc (Metallurgy)
Executive Chairman and Former Chief Executive Officer
Michael O’Keeffe is a founder and Executive Chairman of Champion Iron, having been appointed to the role in August 2013. He served as the Company’s Chief Executive Officer until April 2019. A qualified metallurgist, Mr. O’Keeffe began his career in 1975 with MIM Holdings, where he held a variety of senior operating positions and advanced to Executive Management in commercial activities. In 1995, he became Managing Director of Glencore Australia (Pty) Limited, a position he held until July 2004.
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Mr. O’Keeffe was also the founder and Executive Chairman of Riversdale Mining Limited and currently serves as a member of the Board of Directors for Burgundy Diamond Mines Ltd.
David Cataford, Eng.
Chief Executive Officer and Director
David Cataford joined Champion Iron in 2014. He held the position of Chief Operating Officer before being appointed Chief Executive Officer of the Company in 2019. Mr. Cataford steered the recovery of assets, the restart of the Bloom Lake Mine and today, with the support of a team of over 1,300 employees, he leads all of the Company’s growth projects. Under his leadership, Champion Iron has forged a strong position in the green steel supply chain, building on a trust-based partnership with First Nations communities.
Prior to joining Champion Iron, he held various management positions with other mining companies operating in the Labrador Trough, including Cliffs Natural Resources Inc. and ArcelorMittal. He was also co-founder and president of the North Shore and Labrador Mineral Processing Society. Mr. Cataford holds a bachelor’s degree in mining engineering from Université Laval. His career path has earned him several awards, including the Young Mining Professionals Award and the Brendan Woods International Top Gun CEO Award.
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Mr. Cataford holds a bachelor’s degree in mining engineering from Université Laval. His career path has earned him several awards, including the Young Mining Professionals Award and the Brendan Woods International Top Gun CEO Award.
Gary Lawler, BA, LLB, LLM (Hons), ASIA, Master of Laws (Applied Laws) (Wills and Estates)
Lead Director (independent)
Gary Lawler was appointed as a Non-Executive Director on April 9, 2014. He worked as an Australian corporate lawyer specializing in mergers and acquisitions for 45 years, during which time he was a partner in several leading Australian law firms. Mr. Lawler is also the Chairman of Mont Royal Resources Limited. He has previously held board positions with Dominion Mining Limited, Riversdale Mining Limited, Riversdale Resources Limited and Cartier Iron Corporation, and brings a wealth of legal, governance and business experience to the Board.
Michelle Cormier,CPA
Non-Executive Director (independent)
Michelle Cormier is a senior-level executive with experience in management, including financial management, corporate finance, turnaround and strategic advisory situations and human resources. She has a strong capital markets background, with experience in public companies listed in the United States and Canada. She has significant experience in corporate governance, having served on several boards of directors of publicly listed and privately held companies as well as government-owned institutions and not-for-profit organizations. Ms. Cormier has been a consultant to Wynnchurch Capital Canada, Ltd. since 2014.
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Previously, she spent 13 years in senior management and as Chief Financial Officer of a large North American forest products company, and eight years in various senior management positions at Alcan Aluminum Limited (Rio Tinto). Ms. Cormier articled with Ernst & Young. She currently serves on the Board of Directors of Cascades Inc.
Louise Grondin, P.Eng., MSc
Non-Executive Director (independent)
Louise Grondin retired as Senior Vice-President of Human Resources and Culture for Agnico Eagle Mines Limited (“Agnico Eagle”), an international gold producer based in Canada, in January 2021. Joining Agnico Eagle in 2001, Ms. Grondin has held various management positions, including Senior Vice-President of Environment, Sustainable Development and Human Resources and Senior Vice-President of Environment and Sustainable Development. Prior to working with Agnico Eagle, Ms. Grondin was Director of Environment, Human Resources and Safety for Billiton Canada Ltd. In 2013, she was named amongst the 100 Global Inspirational Women in Mining, in 2015, she received the Rick W. Filotte Career Recognition Award and, in 2016, she was the recipient of the Women in Mining Canada Trailblazer award. She also sits on the Board of the Canadian Mining Hall of Fame and Wesdome Gold Mines Ltd.
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Ms. Grondin is a member of the Association of Professional Engineers of Ontario, the Ordre des ingénieurs du Québec and a fellow of the Canadian Academy of Engineering.
Jessica McDonald
Non-Executive Director (independent)
Jessica McDonald joined Champion Iron in August 2023. She has been a corporate director since 2014 and has been certified by the Institute of Corporate Directors since 2017. She is currently a member of the board of directors of GFL Environmental Inc. and Foran Mining Corporation. Ms. McDonald was also a director of Coeur Mining, Inc. from 2018 to 2023, a director of Hydro One Limited from 2018 to 2022 and a director and chair of Trevali Mining Corporation between 2017 and 2020. From 2014 to 2017, Ms. McDonald was President and Chief Executive Officer of the BC Hydro and Power Authority, a clean energy utility with over $5.5 billion in annual revenue and more than 5,000 employees.
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She acted as interim President and Chief Executive Officer of Canada Post Corporation from April 2018 to March 2019 and was the chair of its board of directors between 2017 and 2020. Ms. McDonald served as the Chair of Powertech Labs, one of the largest testing and research laboratories in North America and a director of Powerex, an energy trading company. Ms. McDonald has extensive government experience, including serving as Deputy Minister to the Premier and Head of the BC Public Service. Ms. McDonald holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from the University of British Columbia, is a graduate of the Institute of Corporate Directors and holds a certification in cybersecurity oversight from the National Association of Corporate Directors and Carnegie Mellon University.
Jyothish George, Ph. D
Non-Executive Director (independent)
Jyothish George joined Champion Iron in October 2017. Mr. George is currently Head of Copper Marketing at Glencore. Immediately prior to his current role, Mr. George served as head of marketing for iron ore at Glencore. Prior to that he was the Chief Risk Officer of Glencore. He earlier held a number of roles at Glencore’s head office in Baar, Switzerland, and from 2009 onwards focused on iron ore, nickel and ferroalloys physical and derivatives trading, and has been involved with iron ore marketing since its inception at Glencore. Mr. George joined Glencore in 2006 in London.
He was previously a Principal at Admiral Capital Management in Greenwich, Connecticut, a Vice-President in equity derivatives trading at Morgan Stanley in New York, and started his career at Wachovia Securities in New York as a Vice-President in convertible bonds trading.
Mr. George received a Bachelor’s in Technology from IIT Madras, India and a PhD in Mechanical Engineering from Cornell University.
Ronnie Beevor, BA (Oxon)
Non-Executive Director (independent)
Ronnie Beevor was appointed as a Non-Executive Director in March 2024. Mr. Beevor has over 40 years of experience in investment banking and the mining sector, including as Chair and non-executive director of several mining companies in Australia and internationally. He is presently Chairman of Felix Gold, which has substantial gold exploration properties in Alaska, director of Mont Royal Resources, building a dominant position in underexplored greenstone belts in Québec, and director of Lucapa Diamond Company Limited, an international producer of high value diamonds. He recently retired as Chairman of Bannerman Energy Limited, owner of the large Etango uranium deposit in Namibia.
Previously, Mr. Beevor served as head of investment banking at Rothschild Australia, Chair of EMED Mining, which acquired, developed and operated the Rio Tinto copper mine in Southern Spain, board member of Riversdale Resources, which was acquired by Hancock Prospecting for A$800 million, as well as Talison Lithium which acquired the Greenbushes lithium mine in West Australia, prior to its acquisition by Tianqi Industry Group for nearly C$700 million. Mr. Beevor also served on the board of Oxiana Limited, which developed substantial gold and copper operations in Laos, acquired the Golden Grove polymetallic mine in Western Australia, developed the Prominent Hill mine in South Australia and merged with Zinifex Limited to form OZ Minerals, which was acquired in 2023 by BHP Group Limited for A$9.5 billion. Mr. Beevor holds an Honours degree in Philosophy, Politics and Economics from Oxford University, and qualified as a chartered accountant in England and Wales.
