Rick Moignard, MBA
President and Chief Executive Officer
Rick Moignard graduated with a BBA from Acadia University and an MBA from the University of Toronto. Since joining Gemcom in 2002, Mr. Moignard has leveraged his many years of experience to grow the Company by expanding its product offerings and global reach. Under his leadership, Gemcom has become the largest global provider of mining productivity solutions, witnessing a more than five-fold increase in revenues.
Before taking on his role at Gemcom, Mr. Moignard was CEO for Chancery Software Ltd., a company he grew from a small entrepreneurship to a world-class corporation offering enterprise student management solutions to educational institutions. In addition to his software-solutions background, Mr. Moignard has also been an Executive Vice President and CFO with Woodward’s Ltd. and an Executive Vice President and COO of TIE Telecom.
Eric Palmer Chief Financial Officer
Eric Palmer joined Gemcom in 2009 in the role of Chief Financial Officer. Mr. Palmer is a Chartered Accountant and a Certified Management Accountant, who holds a BBA from Wilfred Laurier University. He has held the position of Chief Financial Officer, along with other senior management roles, with technology companies for 15 years. Most recently, he was the Chief Financial Officer with Nu Flow, a water technology provider. Immediately prior to this he was the Senior Vice President of Corporate Development - Mergers and Acquistions with Subex Azure Limited, a developer and marketer of software employed by telecommunications carriers.
Mr. Palmer began his career as a lecturer at Wilfred Laurier University, later moving on to work with KPMG and KPMG Management Consulting, before becoming Chief Financial Officer and Vice President of Finance with Mortice Kern Systems, a developer of software targeted at Global 1000 companies. For seven years he held senior positions, including the role of Chief Financial Officer, with Syndesis Limited, a provider of software and services to telecommunications companies.
Ram Sudama, Master of Computer Science
Chief Technology Officer
Ram Sudama, MSCS, has over 28 years of technical and managerial experience. Mr. Sudama was most recently Chief Technology Officer and Vice President of Research and Development at On Technology Corporation, an industry leader in electronic software distribution.
During his time at On Technology, Mr. Sudama designed six new product lines, grew the development team by 100% and significantly contributed to revenue growth. In his career, Mr. Sudama has been the principal inventor for six US and international patents on communications protocols and distributed systems technology.
Mr. Sudama is responsible for leading and implementing Gemcom’s long-term technical vision and strategy to ensure the continued development of solutions that deliver business value to clients.
Beverley Appelbaum Director of Human Resources
Beverley Appelbaum is a veteran human resources professional with more than 20 years experience working with multinational mining and technology companies. In her role as Director of Human Resources with Gemcom she is responsible for managing global staff recruitment, retention and development initiatives.
Prior to joining Gemcom in 2007, Ms. Appelbaum spent 19 years with De Beers Group in South Africa. In her time with the company she developed a new strategic direction and infrastructure for the De Beers Exploration Division. While a member of De Beers’ Technology Group, she created, designed and built human resources systems for research and development and production environments. Ms. Appelbaum has also worked as a consultant for Canada’s Placer Dome.
Steve Carter
Vice President Research and Development
Steve Carter possesses a unique blend of mining and software development expertise. He has more than 10 years of practical mining experience as a surveyor and 20 years experience in software development and management roles. In his role as a surveyor, working in open cast coal mines in Central Queensland, Australia, Mr. Carter was an early adopter of commercial mining software.
Mr. Carter joined Gemcom in 2006, following the company’s merger with Surpac Minex Group, where he had been Manager of Research and Development since 1991. At Gemcom, he oversees a global development team that has staff in Australia, Canada and India.
Tony Diering, Ph.D.
Vice President Caving Business Unit
Tony Diering has been involved in the development of mining applications for more than 25 years. Dr. Diering graduated with a degree in Applied Mathematics and Geophysics and a Masters in Mining Engineering from the University of Witwatersrand, South Africa. He earned his Doctorate degree from the University of Pretoria. Dr. Diering is the pioneer behind Gemcom’s innovative, block-caving Gemcom PCBC software. He also played a central role in setting up Gemcom operations in South Africa, and joined Gemcom in Vancouver in the mid 1980’s.
Dr. Diering began his career at SRK in Johannesburg, where he developed a number of stress analysis systems including two and three dimensional boundary and finite element analysis systems. At SRK he was largely responsible for the development and initial marketing of DMIPS, a computerized mine planning system developed by the Company in the late 1970's.
Ben Farquharson, MBA Director of Minex Business Unit
Ben Farquharson, who has been with Gemcom since 2006, held the position of Asia Pacific Sales Manager prior to becoming Director of Minex Business Unit. He holds an MBA from the University of Western Australia. Mr. Farquharson has over 15 years of experience as a manager, team leader, and sales professional with multi-national, high-tech organisations. During the last eight years of his career, he has specialised in helping mining companies increase efficiency by implementing cutting-edge technology and professional service solutions. Prior to joining Gemcom, he has worked in senior sales executive and management roles for companies including Telstra, Australia’s largest telecommunications company, working with clients predominantly in mining and oil and gas.
Since joining Gemcom, Mr. Farquharson has worked closely with its clients to provide them with value-adding solutions that span the mining value chain. In his role as Director of Minex Business Unit, he is tasked with managing the growth of the company’s Minex Business, which specialises in geological evaluation and interpretation, mine planning and rehabilitation software and services aimed at transforming how businesses interpret and mine their stratified deposits.
Marni Rabassó, PEng Director of Product Management
Marni Rabassó, who holds a degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of British Columbia, has more than 20 years of experience in product management, marketing and natural resource engineering. Since joining Gemcom in 2006, Ms. Rabassó has been responsible for overseeing and expanding Gemcom’s product management group.
Ms. Rabassó has previously held senior product management and marketing positions with WaterTrax and Absolute Software, RADSS Technologies, Merak Projects and AGL Petroleum. She has been involved in the development and marketing of solutions for environmental data management, asset tracking, logistics optimisation and management, oil and gas economic evaluation, and oil and gas exploration. Earlier in her career, Ms. Rabassó was as a development engineer with Esso Resources.
Cameron Reed Vice President, Corporate Development
Cameron Reed has been with Gemcom since 1993. In 2010 he assumed the newly created role of Vice President of Corporate Development. Mr. Reed is responsible for overseeing all merger and acquisition activities for Gemcom and also ensuring that the company’s clients, and the global exploration and mining industry, have the geology, mine planning, and operational performance management solutions required to maximise economic return and productivity.
Mr. Reed previously held the role of Vice President of Gemcom’s North America Business Unit, where he built upon its market-leading position by delivering high-impact software and services. Mr. Reed, who has a BA in Economics and B.Sc. in Geology from the University of Western Ontario, began his career as a mine and exploration geologist in the Yukon Territory. Prior to joining Gemcom, he was a Chief Geologist who was responsible for all geological activities at the Faro, Grum, and Vangorda underground and open pit mines.
Robert W. Selzler, BA
Vice President of Marketing
Robert Selzler is a veteran solutions marketer with an exceptional track record, helping technology companies such as General Electric, Apple, InnoMedia and Mediabolic (acquired by Macrovision) grow revenue and market share. He brings more than 25 years of success in developing marketing strategies and go-to-market initiatives at several Silicon Valley high-technology companies.
Mr. Selzler has been Vice President of Marketing with Mediabolic, InnoMedia, Kenwood and Zen Research. For more than 9 years Mr. Selzler held senior marketing management positions with Apple, where he led a global team responsible for the worldwide technology evangelism of its software. He was also instrumental in helping Apple launch into the engineering and scientific markets. Earlier in his career, he held several positions with mining and engineering companies and with companies supplying related technology, including 4 years as a product manager with General Electric Calma, where he managed a line of 3-D mapping software.
Allen D. Vaughn, MBA
Executive Vice President,
Enterprise Business Unit
Allen Vaughn is an accomplished senior executive who has established a successful career directing major operational groups, and sales and marketing organisations. Before joining Gemcom, he held several senior positions with global ERP solutions provider Mincom. His experience at Mincom includes serving as the head of worldwide operations, as its mining industry vertical leader, and as the general manager of its fastest growing geographic region.
Mr. Vaughn has had significant experience working with the mining industry and has been involved in ERP solutions and enterprise software for most of his career. Prior to joining Mincom, Mr. Vaughn held senior positions with Indus International, including vice president international operations. During his career he has also held senior positions with Dun & Bradstreet.
Regional Management
AustralAsia
Andrew Pyne, MBA
Senior Vice President, AustralAsia Business Unit
Andrew Pyne, who has an MBA from the University of Western Australia with a specialisation in International Management, has been involved in business management for 15 years. Mr. Pyne joined Gemcom following nine years with Surpac Minex Group’s management team, where he was a member of the Executive Operating Committee and the General Manager of the company’s Asia Pacific operations.
Early in his career Mr. Pyne gained international experience with corporate reporting, account management and marketing roles with Dun & Bradstreet in both their Hong Kong and Australian operations. With Gemcom, he has leveraged his international experience and entrepreneurial expertise to drive business growth by opening up new market opportunities in geographically and culturally diverse areas of the world. Mr. Pyne has established Gemcom operations and a network of resellers in many parts of the world, including China, Indonesia, and the Philippines.
Europe, Middle East and North Africa
Alan Carmichael, BSc.
Vice President, Europe, Middle East and North Africa Business Unit
Alan Carmichael has been involved in the mining industry for almost 25 years. He is highly experienced in computer applications and geology. Mr. Carmichael graduated with BSc (Hons) Geology from Leicester University. Mr. Carmichael joined Gemcom in 2006 from Surpac Minex Group
Mr. Carmichael has a depth of mining expertise and is experienced in planning and management of drilling programs and the detailed logging of borehole core, including geotechnical logging to BS 5930 and production of detailed final logs using GINT software. He is also experienced in geological mapping and structural interpretation and of working in development programmes for new coal mine projects. Mr. Carmichael also has wide experience of computer-based 3-D geological models and preparation of reserves and resource statements.
Indo-Africa
Mike Kersten, BCom
Vice President, Indo-Africa Business Unit
Mike Kersten is a graduate of the University of Natal in Durban, South Africa, where he received a Bachelor of Commerce degree majoring in Computers and Economics with a further post graduate major in Marketing. Mr. Kersten brings more than 20 years experience in the IT industry to Gemcom, mostly with multinational IT Solution vendors. He has worked for firms including Unisys, ICL, Gandalf-Infotron, Meissner and Viziqor Solutions (formerly Protek Network Management).
Mr. Kersten has served on the EXCO of Rolls Royce’s NEI Africa Ltd as well as the International Board of Protek Network Management based in the UK. Mike has extensive experience working with System Integrators and Channel Partners throughout Africa. Prior to joining Gemcom he was the Regional Vice President for Africa for mining eCommerce business at Quadrem, where he AngloGold Ashanti, Anglo Platinum, Anglo Base Metals, Anglo Coal, Rio Tinto, BHP Billiton, SASOL, Impala Platinum, Lonmin, Vale (CVRD), Xstrata plus Mopani (Zambia), Barrick (Tanzania) and Newmont (Ghana).
Latin America
Martín Lozano, M. Sc.
Vice President, Gemcom América Latina Business Unit
Martín Lozano graduated from Chile University as a Computing Engineer in 1988. Shortly thereafter, he joined NCL Consulting Engineers S.A., where he worked for over 10 years. Mr. Lozano has gained extensive mining experience throughout South America, ranging from underground, open pit, seam modelling, and vein deposits.
Mr. Lozano oversees Gemcom’s Latin American operations.
North America
Iain McLean, MBA, B.Sc., MIMMM
Vice President, North America Business Unit
Iain McLean is a seasoned sales and operations professional who started his career as a mining engineer, working around the globe, including stops in South Africa, UK and Australia. He currently sits on the Board of Platinum Group Metals, a TSX listed Company. In addition to his background in mining, Mr. McLean has spent much of his career working with early-stage and established technology companies.
Mr. McLean joined Gemcom from renewable energy start-up Vertical Wind Energy, where he was Chief Operating Officer. Immediately prior to this he led Econnect Technologies, a renewable energy consulting firm, which was preceded by his role as President and CEO of Municipal Software Corporation. Earlier in his career he was the Vice President of Operations with Canada’s Ballard Power Systems. Mr. McLean holds an MBA from Harvard Business School and a B.Sc. in Mining Engineering from the Imperial College of Science.
