Meet the Team – Forari Resources

Aaron Baensch

BSc (Geology), MSc (Mining Technology & Innovation), FAusIMM

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Aaron is a mining innovation strategist and geoscientist with more than two decades of international experience spanning exploration, technology and investment in the resources sector.

At Forari, Aaron contributes strategic insight across exploration innovation, helping integrate advanced technologies and data led approaches to accelerate discovery.

Dr Felipe Lemos

Entrepreneur, BHSc (Dentistry)

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Felipe is a dental professional and entrepreneur in Vanuatu with more than 15 years of experience supporting healthcare access and community development across the Pacific.

He is leading efforts to responsibly revitalise the historic Forari manganese mine.

Alex Petermann

BSc (Geology), MSc (Economic Geology)

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Alex is an experienced mining and project development professional with a background in exploration and resource development.

He supports exploration planning and early stage project development across emerging opportunities.

David Turvey

BSc (Geology), MSc (Mineral Economics), FAusIMM

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David brings extensive commercial and technical experience from senior roles across the mineral resources sector.

He leads commercial and market based activities and supports the technical positioning of the resources being developed.

Douglas Hutchison

BSc (Geology), MSc (Mineral Exploration), MAIG

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Douglas is a highly experienced global exploration geologist and field project manager specializing in the SW Pacific region. He has worked extensively in Melanesia and helped pioneer modern exploration in Vanuatu commencing in the mid 1980’s. He has detailed knowledge of Vanuatu geology and mineral occurrences and led the field teams that discovered most of the known gold prospects. He worked for two years as Economic Geologist with the Vanuatu Department of Geology and Mines. His role with Forari is to provide technical advice on field projects and general advice on operating in Vanuatu

Fay Theiss

Entrepreneur, BCom (Human Resources)

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Fay is a people and culture advisor supporting cross cultural teams and multi stakeholder environments.

She oversees communication, compliance and workforce planning while strengthening relationships with local partners and communities.

Paul Murphy

BSc (Geology), NI 43 101 Expert, AusIMM Melbourne Chair, FAusIMM

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Paul is a senior mining executive with extensive international experience across exploration, project development and resource operations.

At Forari, Paul supports the identification and development of emerging project opportunities and works closely with the technical and commercial teams.

Richard Kaltongga

BSc (Marine Science), Government & Community Leadership

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Richard is a senior government advisor and policy specialist with extensive experience across fisheries, trade, and national development in Vanuatu and the Pacific. He has held key leadership roles within the Government of Vanuatu, including Director of Fisheries, where he advised ministers, led national programmes, and represented the country in regional and international forums.

At Forari, Richard leads government engagement and supports regulatory approvals, ensuring alignment with national priorities and strong relationships with local stakeholders. His insight is critical in navigating complex environments and supporting responsible project development in Vanuatu.

Russell Chard

General Manager

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Russell is an experienced mining executive, with over 30 years in the resources industry. He has been involved in private equity buyouts and taking private companies through to ASX listing. With a strong background in operations management, resource project development and execution. He brings practical expertise in coordinating and building technical teams, managing field programs and guiding projects through the regulatory and operational stages required to move from exploration toward development.

At Forari, Russell is responsible for the execution of the company’s operational strategy, working closely with the technical team on resource assessment and drilling activities. He also assists with licensing processes and the commercialisation of stockpiles, helping translate exploration progress into tangible outcomes.

Suziany Rocha de Souza

BSc (Geology), MSc (Mineral Economics), FAusIMM

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Suziany is a global exploration leader and strategic advisor with more than 25 years of experience across copper, bulk commodities, iron ore and critical minerals. She has held senior leadership roles with BHP as Head of Exploration for South America and with Rio Tinto as Exploration Executive and Global Critical Minerals Lead.

At Forari, Suziany provides geological and ESG advisory support, helping guide exploration priorities while ensuring sustainability considerations are embedded from the early stages of project development.