Inspiration Station

About Us

Neil Gawthorpe - CEO

 

  • 30-year career in the mining industry with operational and consulting roles across various jurisdictions primarily across Africa

  • Most recently CEO of Tungsten West, previously Senior VP of BD at Allied Gold and Neil also spent nine years as part of the executive team at Sierra Rutile

  • Neil holds a Bachelor of Engineering (Hons) in Mineral Engineering from the University of Leeds

Guillaume Benard - Executive VP Integration & Optimisation

 

  • Experienced professional with 18 years in the mining industry

  • 15 years experience in financial leadership roles, including senior positions at Endeavour Mining and Areva Mines

  • Proven track record in post-acquisition integration, risk management, operational performance, and information systems, with extensive international experience across Africa and Europe

Mehdi Bouchaala - General Manager Oumeirame

 

  • Mining professional with experience in operations management across multiple minerals, including copper, silver, fluorite

  • Mehdi previously held senior positions at SMI and SAMINE, focusing on both operational leadership and mining investment

  • Mehdi holds an engineering degree from Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Mines and a Master’s degree from University Sidi Mohmmed Ben Abdellah

Vinesh Karia - CFO

 

  • Vinesh worked at ING Barings for 20 years, rising to Managing Director and worked in a number of front office disciplines including Mergers & Acquisitions, Equity Capital Markets, Private Placements, Leveraged Finance, Debt Capital Markets and Ratings

  • Roles included origination, execution and coverage where he developed a network of corporate and sponsor relationships, with technical expertise

  • Previously at Ernst & Young and Andersen and is a Chartered Accountant

Lahcen Alloubane - Manager, Admin & Corporate Affairs

 

  • 12 years of experience overseeing administrative, permitting and operational aspects of projects, financed mining assets in Morocco

  • As GM at Emmerson PLC, Lahcen built and led a team to progress from exploration to development of the $2.2bn potash project in Morocco

  • Prior to that, Lahcen was administrator at the Achmmach tin project, where more than 120km of ore was drilled and full project permitting and bankable feasibility study was delivered

Hamza Baha - Financial Controller

 

  • Over nine years in accounting, Hamza has developed expertise in finance, taxation, and the use of ERP systems, including in the silver producer CMT

  • His career path has allowed him to gain experience across diverse sectors, including accounting firms, transportation, mining, and industry

  • Solid skills in financial analysis, accounting organization, and Excel

Vinesh Karia

CFO

Experienced senior ex-banker and chartered accountant with experience in M&A, ECM, DCM and Ratings

Sebastien De Montessus

Chairman

A renowned mining executive with a proven track record in transformational M&A strategies in various major mining companies

Neil Gawthorpe

Founder

Seasoned mining executive with 30 years in operations and consultancy

Lahcen Alloubane

Manager – Admin & Corporate Affaires

A business enabler with over 12 years’ experience overseeing operational, administrative, and permitting aspects of ming projects in Morocco.

Our Vision

To be a global leader in responsibly sourced critical minerals, powering the clean energy transition while fostering sustainable development and environmental stewardship.

Our Mission

We discover, extract, and process minerals essential for renewable energy, advanced technology, and national security. Through innovation, ethical practices, and community collaboration, we minimize environmental impacts while delivering long-term value to stakeholders.

Why Critical Minerals Matter

Critical minerals are the building blocks of:

– Electric vehicle batteries

– Wind turbines and solar panels

– Defense technologies

– Consumer electronics

– Medical equipment