TEAM DEVBoard
Our People
DEVELOP is led by a highly respected resource board with a strong track record of value creation.
We’ve built our team with notable industry players who’ve demonstrated impeccable entrepreneurial leadership. We believe their learnings and successes, compounded across decades working in their respective specialisations, will amplify our ability to reliably deliver outstanding outcomes for clients, employees, partners and shareholders.
Bill Beament
Managing Director
Appointed 01 July 2021Bill Beament is a mining engineer from the Western Australian School of Mines and has more than 25 years of operational and senior management experience in the resources sector.
During this time, Mr Beament has earned a reputation as a highly talented mining entrepreneur and senior executive. He has extensive experience in executive and operational management built on a strong technical background across both gold and base metals operations, including copper, nickel, zinc and tin.
Mr Beament led the growth of Northern Star Resources from a 1¢ shell to an ASX50 company with a market cap of over A$15 billion. At the time of his resignation as Northern Star Resources Executive Chair, the Company was the second-biggest ASX-listed gold producer. This growth stemmed from a combination of highly successful exploration and operating excellence as well as project acquisitions.
Northern Star also has a long track record of generating one of the highest returns on equity of any ASX-listed company, including the industrial sector. This reflects Mr Beament’s strong view that mining companies should focus on being a business first, maximising returns for shareholders and creating shared value for all stakeholders.
Michael Blakiston
Non-Executive Chairman
Appointed 09 June 2021Michael Blakiston is a partner in Gilbert + Tobin’s Energy and Resources group. He has over 30 years experience gained across a range of jurisdictions.
Mr Blakiston advises in relation to asset acquisition and disposal, project structuring, joint ventures and strategic alliances, development agreements and project commercialisation, capital raisings and company merger and acquisitions.
Mr Blakiston has served on numerous ASX listed companies and not-for-profit boards and is currently the Chairman of Precision Opportunities Fund Ltd, a specialist small to medium cap fund. Mr Blakiston was formerly a non-executive director of BCI Minerals Ltd.
Shirley In’t Veld
Non-Executive Director
Appointed 26 July 2021Shirley In’t Veld is a director of Karora Resources (TSX), Alumina Ltd, APA Group, and has been a board member of the CSIRO and a non- executive director of Northern Star Resources Ltd, Duet Group, Perth Airport Pty Ltd and Asciano Ltd.
She has also been a Council member of the SMART Infrastructure Facility (University of Wollongong), the Australian Institute of Company Directors (WA), and a board member of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry (WA).
In 2014, Ms In’t Veld was a member of the Renewable Energy Target Review Expert Panel. Ms In’t Veld was also a member of the Takeovers Panel, having served for a period of 6 years.
Ms In’t Veld was the Managing Director of Verve Energy for five years, relinquishing her position in April 2012. Prior to her position at Verve Energy, Ms In’t Veld was Vice President Primary Business Development with Alcoa, and from 2001–2004 she was the Managing Director of Alcoa Australia Rolled Products. Ms In’t Veld commenced her career as a commercial lawyer with Mallesons and has also held senior legal, commercial and marketing positions with WMC Resources Ltd, Bond Corporation and BankWest.
Ms In’t Veld has held industry group representation positions with the Energy Supply Association of Australia, the Packaging Council of Australia and the Aluminium Council of Australia, and has been a board member with the Co-operative Research Centre for Landscape Evolution in Mineral Exploration (CSIRO) and the Association of Mining and Exploration Companies in WA (AMEC).
Ms In’t Veld received her Bachelor of Laws (Hons) and Bachelor of Commerce in 1978 from Melbourne University.
Justine Magee
Non-Executive Director
Appointed 09 May 2023Justine Magee is the Chief Executive Officer of RTG Mining Inc. with a commercial background in M&A and Finance, with over 30 years experience in the mining sector
Ms Magee is a Chartered Accountant by background having originally worked with Arthur Andersen and later joining the corporate world with Resolute Mining Limited and CGA Mining Limited. She has significant experience in Board engagement and considerable exposure to merger and acquisition activity, debt and equity financings, permitting and regulatory reporting and offtake agreements.
Ben MacKinnon
Chief Financial Officer
Appointed 23 January 2023Ben MacKinnon has been a Chartered Accountant since 2005 and has 18 years of finance experience in the construction and mining services industries.
Mr MacKinnon graduated from the University of Western Australia in 2001, with a Bachelor of Commerce majoring in accounting and finance. He then commenced his professional career with EY Perth. Mr MacKinnon was previously CFO of Force Equipment for five years, which was eventually sold to ASX listed Emeco Holdings for +$70m in 2017.
Prior to starting at Develop, Mr MacKinnon had been, for 5 years, the CFO and Company Secretary of ASX listed drilling business DDH1 Limited. He was intimately involved in taking DDH1 from a privately held business with 48 rigs through 3 acquisitions and an ASX listing to end up a drilling business of global significance, with 4 operating units and over 190 rigs.
Mr MacKinnon brings to Develop a strong ability to drive systems, process and accounting excellence across the business while delivering operational and analytical insights to the senior leadership team. He also has experience in debt and equity financing, risk management, governance, and regulatory requirements.
Elle Farris
General Counsel and Company Secretary
Appointed 12 June 2023Elle Farris is a highly experienced legal practitioner who has advised major resources companies in a range of areas.
Ms Farris commenced her legal career at top-tier international commercial law firm Allens.
In 2019, Ms Farris transitioned from private practice to Newmont the world’s largest gold mining company. Ms Farris was employed at Newmont for a period of 4 years and most recently held the position of Senior Corporate Counsel and External Relations. In this role, Ms Farris advised on global strategies for the electrification and automation of both surface and underground mining ecosystems, major M&A transactions and various other corporate matters.
Ms Farris was named the Minerals Council of Australia Exceptional Young Woman in Australian Resources and the Chamber of Minerals and Energy of Western Australia Young Outstanding Women in Resources in 2022. These awards recognise an outstanding professional who has achieved significant milestones in their career at both a state and national level.
Ms Farris graduated from the University of Western Australia with a Bachelor of Laws and Bachelor of Arts.
Guy Singleton
Chief External Affairs Officer
Appointed 01 January 2023Guy Singleton is an experienced multidisciplinary leader and strategic thinker with practical applications across the resource sector, Indigenous people’s development, environmental management, sustainability, and political engagement.
He brings 20 years of senior professional experience across academic, not for profit and corporate sectors, including ASX50 and S&P 500 resource companies.
In the early 2000’s, Dr Singleton worked for a decade with and for a range of Aboriginal corporations on community development projects across remote Australia, and as a university researcher. In 2012, he transitioned across to the resources sector and has held various leadership roles across the sustainability and external relations portfolios, having worked extensively across Australia and Alaska US for Newmont and Northern Star Resources Limited.
Dr Singleton has a PhD in Indigenous people’s development and a first-class honours degree in biological science from Curtin University.
Dr Singleton is currently the Chairman of Central Desert Native Title Services, a Non-executive Director of Asthma WA and the Director of Lotterywest.