Board

Meshack Mandlenkosi Mbangula is the national coordinator of Mining Affected Communities United in Action (MACUA), a united front of mining affected communities in South Africa formed in response to the need to protect the integrity and interests of the people impacted by mining.

He started with politics while at high school during the apartheid era fighting for education and freedom. He worked at the Ergo mining operation as an elected shop steward until he left to start Ekurhuleni Environmental Organisation (EEO) fighting against pollution including mine pollution. In 2012 Meshack was part of the group that created MACUA. Meshack is the father of 10.

Mr. Pavel Sulyandziga (PhD in Economics) is Chairperson of the Board of the International Indigenous Fund for Development and Solidarity “BATANI” (Batani Foundation) and is currently a Visiting Scholar at Dartmouth College (US) and University of Maine. He was a member of the Civic Chamber of the Russian Federation (2006 – 2014) and advisor to the president of RAIPON (Russian Association of Indigenous Peoples of the North, Siberia and the Far East). At the beginning of his career he was a school teacher of mathematics in Primorskiy kray, Russia (1984-1987). In 1991 he was elected as Chairman of the Indigenous Peoples Association of the Primorskiy kray. His international activity included participating in the Eurasian Club (Japan) on assistance to the education and preservation of culture of indigenous peoples (1991-1993); and visiting Indian reservations in the USA (California, Oregon, Washington) to study their experience on education, culture and self-governance (1993). From 1993 to 1994, Mr. Sulyandziga participated in the elaboration of a project on the preservation of biodiversity in the Bikin river valley, where he was responsible for project implementation. In 1994-1995 he participated in the project «Traditional Indigenous Crafts» funded by the Eurasian Club (Japan); he was Indigenous curator of the cooperative project on the preservation of the Ussuri Tiger; and in 1997-2000 he was coordinator of the Danish-Greenlandic Initiative for assistance to indigenous peoples of Russia. In addition, Mr. Sulyandziga was a counselor to the Governor of the Primorskiy kray on indigenous issues (1994-1997). In 1997 he was elected Vice-president and then in 2001 First Vice-president of RAIPON. From 2005 to 2010 he was a member of the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues and from 2011 to 2018 he was a member of the United Nations Working Group on Business and Human Rights.

Ashley Claxton is the Head of Responsible Investment for Royal London Asset Management. Ashley joined RLAM in November 2013 following the acquisition of The Co-operative Asset Management (TCAM) by the Royal London Group. Ashley has over 18 years of experience in sustainability and responsible investing and is responsible for our strategy and overseeing RLAM’s approach to responsible investment across our asset classes. Her team is responsible for company engagement, governance and voting, environmental, social and governance (ESG) research, data and analysis, and supporting RLAM’s approach to climate transition. Ashley is RLAM’s key subject matter expert and spokesperson on responsible investing, ESG and corporate governance.

Before joining RLAM, Ashley conducted corporate engagement and ESG analysis for the Local Authority Pension Fund Forum (LAPFF). Prior to that she was a research analyst and corporate engagement consultant for SHARE, a proxy voting and shareholder engagement consultancy based in Vancouver, Canada.  She has a Master of Arts degree (Political Science) and a Bachelor of Arts degree (Political Science and Sociology) from the University of British Columbia. She currently serves as a member of the Responsible Investment Advisory Group for the UK Local Government Pension Scheme Advisory Board, the UK Financial Conduct Authority’s (FCA) Disclosures and Labels Advisory Group, and is a voluntary board member of the Initiative for Responsible Mining Assurance (IRMA).

Jamie Bonham (B.Sc.), FSA Credential Holder is the Head of Stewardship for NEI Investments. Jamie has over twenty years of experience in the responsible investment field. At NEI he oversees the implementation of the Stewardship program across the NEI portfolio. This includes a focus on conducting direct, collaborative dialogues with companies and policy makers on key sustainability issues, ranging from climate change policy and environmental oversight to the duty to respect human rights. Jamie represents NEI across numerous global collaborations and partnerships, including his current roll as a member of the board at the Initiative for Responsible Mining Assurance (IRMA).

Glen Mpufane has 30 years’ experience in the mining sector and is currently the Director of Mining and Diamond, Gems, Ornaments and Jewelry Production (DGOJP) and Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) Lead for IndustriALL Global Union. IndustriALL Global Union is a global union based in Geneva, Switzerland representing 52 million members in 140 countries and across 14 industrial sectors in mining, energy, and manufacturing, comprising 600 national affiliates. Glen leads IndustriALL Global Union’s global mining sector engagement around issues including labor; environmental, social and governance (ESG); supply chain human rights due diligence; climate change, and Industrial Revolution 4.0 impacts, in addition to supporting mining affiliates’ organizing efforts. Glen serves on various ESG standard initiatives, and on the advisory committee “Governance and Policy of Investing in Africa” for Mining Indaba.

Meg Gingrich is the Assistant to the National Director at the United Steelworkers Canadian National Office. She is the senior administrative and policy advisor to the USW in Canada with lead responsibility on issues relating to trade, industrial policy, and the green economy. She also acts as the central liaison on these issues with the leadership of the union in the United States. She also serves as president of Blue Green Canada, an organization co-founded by the Steelworkers bringing together labour and environmental groups to advocate for clean, sustainable jobs. She has also worked on issues related to supply chain due diligence.

Meg studied political science and history at McGill University and then went on to Stockholm University in Sweden, where she wrote her master’s thesis on unions and environmental action. Prior to her current role, Meg worked in USW Canada’s research department for eight years, assisting in collective bargaining and policy in sectors ranging from mining and steel to healthcare.

Tricia Wilhelm has more than 20 years of experience in the social performance, human rights and socio-economic development aspects of the extractive industries. She is currently the Group Head of Social Impact for Anglo American PLC and has been with the business for more than 12 years. Tricia oversees the Group-wide social impact strategy, including social performance, socio-economic, and social development programs. She also leads the Anglo American Social Way framework, aligning the company’s standards with international best practices in social performance and human rights. Previously, Tricia spent 10 years at Export Development Canada as a Political and Human Rights Analyst for Sub-Saharan Africa and Lead Social & Human Rights Specialist, both roles primarily focused on extractive projects in mining and oil and gas.

She has a Bachelor of international business degree and a Master’s of international affairs.

Alpha Ntayomba is the Founder and Executive Director of Population and Development Initiative (PDI) Tanzania. He is an active responsible mining ambassador in Tanzania with natural resources background from Sokoine University of Agriculture. He has worked with various NGOs in natural resources management for the last 15 years.

Alpha is experienced in evidence-based advocacy for addressing the challenges most affected communities face in major mining regions in Tanzania. He utilises research reports, lessons and suggestions related with Socio-Economic and Human Rights Impact of Mining among underserved regions in Tanzania.

He is experienced in designing of digital maps used to monitor and report the navigation to better social services such as water and sanitation, decent wages, grievance mechanisms and local employment among affected mining communities in Tanzania. Alpha and agents of change also monitor and report the matters of other undereported minerals such as salt, limestone and gemstones in Africa.

These efforts receive good attention by authorities, mining associations and mining companies especially in gold-rich Geita region in Tanzania. The mentioned partners work with agents of change for an inclusive and gender sensitive ASM formalization and responsible mining.

Alpha is also serving as a board member (CSO pillar) at the European Partnership for Responsible Minerals where he shares experiences of responsible mining issues in Africa.

Alpha is experienced in board roles and responsibilities. He will also add value by sharing experiences in social accountability monitoring tools and innovative responsible mining community radar among producing contries for inclusive responsible sourcing initiatives.

Jim Wormington is a senior researcher and advocate in the Economic Justice and Rights Division, where he works on extractive industries, supply chains, and other issues related to corporate accountability. He was previously a researcher in the Africa Division, covering human rights issues in West Africa. He has also practiced as an attorney at the American Bar Association Rule of Law Initiative, where he conducted research to inform rule of law and human rights development programs in West and Central Africa. Wormington has also worked at the International Crisis Group and the War Crimes Chamber of the State Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina. He is an English-trained barrister, a past member of QEB Hollis Whiteman Chambers, and was educated at Cambridge University (MA) and New York University School of Law (LLM). He is fluent in French.

Leslie Esparza  is a seasoned leader with over 25 years of experience in the fields of ethical sourcing, sustainability, and human rights. Currently, she is the head of the Governance & Ethics team for Microsoft Devices, where she leads a team of subject matter experts dedicated to addressing critical human rights and sustainability challenges in the end-to-end supply chain. Prior to joining Microsoft, she spent a decade on Levi’s Strauss Social and Environmental Sustainability team and another decade in an advisory role to leaders of some of the world’s largest companies. Her early career as a social auditor, assessing factories and farms in numerous countries, fueled her excitement for serving on the IRMA board.

Alan M. Young is the Director of the Materials Efficiency Research Group.

Since 1990, Alan has worked as a facilitator and strategist for a wide range of conservation groups, Indigenous organizations, communities, foundations, progressive companies, and governments across Canada and internationally. His primary focus has been on designing and helping to implement social and environmental sustainability and leadership strategies. His work has included projects throughout North America, Latin America, Europe and Nordic nations.

Alan has expertise in cross sector collaboration design and facilitation, non-profit organizational resilience, ethical practices certification programs in the forestry and mining sectors, large-scale conservation strategy development, as well as various legislative reform processes in the extractive sectors. A primary focus of his work is on accelerating transformative circular economy strategies that address critical minerals needs associated with the green energy transition.

He has served on a variety of nonprofit boards. He was Chairperson of the International Institute for Sustainable Development from 2015-2021 where he has been appointed a Distinguished Fellow, is currently Chair of the Centre for Science in Public Participation, founding Board member of the Initiative for Responsible Mining Assurance, member of Council of Canadian Academy’s Expert Panel on Circular Economy in Canada, and is past Chair of the Forest Stewardship Council of Canada.