Naven Naiker is a 43-year-old South African man with over 20 years of experience in the mining and chemical industries. He holds a B.Sc. in Chemical Engineering and has worked in various leadership roles for Xstrata Alloys/Chrome, including plant manager, operations manager, and general manager. He has extensive experience commissioning and optimizing ferrochrome production facilities. Most recently, he worked in business development for Xstrata and now owns rental properties and a small mining supply business.

1. Curriculum Vitae of Naven Naiker
P O Box 4222
Dainfern
2055
011 469 0697 (H)
0761519131 (cell)
Personal Information
Sex : Male
Race : Indian
Height : 176cm
Marital status : Married
Dependents : Wife and child (15 years old)
Nationality : South African
Age : 43
Date of Birth : 08/11/72
Place of Birth : Durban
Languages
Home Language : English -Proficiency 10/10
Other Languages : Afrikaans (Derived from Dutch with local influences)
8/10
Education
Highest Standard Passed : Matric
Achievements : A Aggregate in matric. (Top 5% of Matriculants)
Summary of Tertiary qualifications
• B.Sc.(Eng.)(Chemical) -University of Durban – Westville (University
Scholarship in first 2 years of Study)
• University of Durban Westvile was amalgamated with University of Natal to
later form the larger University of Kwa Zulu Natal
• Graduated Class of 1995
• Final year Chem end project: A study on Biochemical Engineering
application of Thiobaccilus bacteria

2. • 6 Distinctions obtained. Considered to be among the top 4 or 5 graduates of
my year.
• From 2004-2005 Continued education with MBL at UNISA… Terminated due
to time constraints as I was transferred to remote location to commission a
Ferrochrome Plant and as I was inducted into the Accelerated Leadership
development Programe of my company
Accelerated leadership development programme of Xstrata Plc.
2005-2008
I was 1 of 2 candidates nominated and selected from Xstrata Coal and Chrome
combined. This was decided at board level and we were evaluated by DDI in
UK. The highlight of this programme was being part of strategic planning
excercises and being exposed to Xstrata PLC leadership and their thought
process. These exercises included CEO Mick Davis, Thras Moriatis (Strategy),
Trevor Reid (CFO) and other young executives and specialists from around the
world . This was followed up by personal coaching by a coach from DDI and
mentorship by MD of Xstrata Alloys South Africa, Deon Dreyer. Aside from my
rapid career path, this acknowledgement is the highlight of my professional life.
Follow up development was conducted in the UK.
This exercise boosted my confidence tremendously and also opened my mind
to the bigger corporate picture.
Another positive personal outcome was that I was included into the Xstrata's
Long Term Incentive Program.
Other Courses Attended
Combustion Technology & Engineering
Risk Management
ISO 9002
Disciplinary course
Finance for Non-financial Managers
Situational Leadership
Pyro metallurgy short course at University of Pretoria
Able to use the following computer programs/Fully computer literate
Excel
Word
ChemCad
Powerpoint
Visio

3. Professional experience
Procter and Gamble (Johannesburg)
Industry: FMCG Pharmaceutics
Period: 05/96 to 10/96
Position: Industrial Engineer
Cost savings projects and new initiative planning and co-ordination. Introduction
of SPC to production lines- which were mainly for the production of cough
syrups, vapour rub, cream emulsions and paper products. Debottlenecking of
production lines. Solving engineering related product quality issues.
A highlight for me was that the cost saving presentation that I did on Vicks
vapour rub resulted in the container being changed from metal to plastic.(After
the sales department tested the market feedback)
I left Proctor and Gamble when the opportunity came up for exposure in heavy
industry, which was my immediate ambition.
Xstrata Alloys
I worked in a variety of roles at the above company whose primary or core
activity was the mining of Chrome ore and the production of high Carbon
Ferrochrome for the international commodities market.
In November 1996, I joined Consolidated Metallurgical Industries (CMI) which
was part of the JCI group which was listed on the Johannesburg Stock
exchange. JCI was in the process of unbundling and CMI was sold off to
ChromeCorp Technologies (CCT). CCT became Xstrata in about 2000 and was
the launching pad for creating Xstrata PLC which was listed in London and
Switzerland.
I worked at the Lydenburg plant from 1996 to 2006; I then moved to the new
Xstrata Lion Smelter to commission plant; and finally, in 2009 I moved to Xstrata
Melrose Arch until end 2011
Xstrata Lydenburg Plant
Period: 11/96 to 6/98
Position: Research and Development Engineer
This phase of my career helped me build my confidence to believe in myself
and my technical accumen, and importantly help me forge professional
relationships with colleagues to achieve a joint goal. I worked for the Technical
Manager who set me a variety of tasks to help me test myself with actual
process problems.
Highlights:

4. I commissioned a Sodium Silicate Plant and after standardising process, set up
the safe working procedures and trained the operation plant. This plant halved
the cost of our binder that was used in the slag runners. About a year later we
actually made do with no binder and the plant was then mothballed.
Optimizing Raw Material Drier operation: My first on-the-job training assignment
was athe the Raw material drying/milling and pelletising section of plant.
Operation was stop-start due to high RM moistures and high temperatures at
the baghouses. I traced the route to the PLC control algorythm settings and
after liaising with Plant manager and Instrumentation personnel, we checked
safety aspect of change and implemented solution. A personal learning for
myself was that I saw how a seemingly small gremlin can cause chaos for
process personnel, interrupt production, create unsafe work situations and leave
staff in fire-fighting mode and demoralised. This small correction stabilised the
operation and allowed us to look for other gremlins. I also learnt that you can
gleen the most valuable information from operational staff.
Solving Cr (VI) dosing operation problems: CrVI is a known carcinogen. In
Ferrochrome Plants with semi open furnaces, CrVI is captured with baghouse
dust and then slurried and treated with Ferrous Chloride. I had to visit sister
plants with the Chemical sales reps and eventually determine that the position
of the dosing had to be changed to effctively mix with slurry.
Period: 6/98 to 10/01
Position: Process Superintendent (North Plant - Furnaces)
Highlights: Achieving relative stable operation of 2 ‘difficult’ furnaces; learnt to
achieve success through teamwork and the importance of proper procedures,
training, inspections, random checks, clear communication and finally discipline.
I also developed intimate knowledge of the smelting process.
An important learning was that when things go wrong, it is important to pause
and take deliberate calculated steps in the direction of stability.
This was my first leadership role at work and after struggling at first, I gained the
respect of my team by listening, making work processes easier and ultimately
getting results. At this stage, I had confidence dealing with my operators and
process foreman, but I had diffculty in getting Maintenance staff to play along.
It helped a lot that I had a great Plant Manager to mentor me at this time. We
are friends to this day.

5. Period: 10/01 to 10/02
Position: Plant Manager (South Plant)
Responsible for planning, organisation and control of all aspects of
management of 2 electric arc furnaces. This includes departmental budgeting
and cost control, ensuring of stable operational outputs, and development of
personnel, technical assistance, problem solving, project management,
engineering planning and ensuring that equipment is in good state of repair. I
was pleasantly surprised that the Maintenance staff were part of the team. This
was probably a perspective change on my side.
Mentorship of young engineers became a priority.
As a team we achieved record breaking production during my tenure and these
records still stand to this day.
Period: 10/2002 to 02/2004
Position: Operations Manager
Promoted on 01/10/2002 to Operations manager with 3 operating departments,
each with 1 Plant manager and 3 Superintendents under my direct
management.
Responsibilities included interfacing with Services and Engineering and
production to ensure that the Budget is met, co-ordinating the drawing up of the
budget, balancing the plant such that the operation was stabililised and
importantly, debottlenecking sections of the plant. This was in fact a training
position for the next position in the organisational hierarchy.
Period: 02/2004 to 09/2005
Position: Works Manager Xstrata Lydenburg
Promoted to Works Manager upon the re-assignment of the previous Works
manager to a Major project in February 2004. Responsibility now encompassed
the entire organisation, including the engineering and services department.
Main focus in this position was technically similar to that of the Operations
manager.
Being in charge of whole operation I took the opportunity to reconfigure 2
departments to eradicate blameshifting and improve stability.
Highlight: The years 2003 and 2004 were record production years for the
Lydenburg plant. These records still stand to this day.
A special assignment: During this time, our bulk materials handling service
provider pleaded non profit. They agreed to a cost plus structure and I was
assigned by my General Manager to nurse them back to profitability; This was
an interesting exercise for me, and although we did reduce operation costs to
allow for marginal profitability, ultimately we could not overcome their own Head
office fees which were excessive. It was not a wasted excercise and it allowed
me to understand the business and costing model well. And we then decided to
utilise a smaller owner-operator who made a substantial profit as he did not
have the overhead costs.

6. Period: 09/2005 to 07/2007
Position: Works Manager Xstrata Lion Ferrochrome/ Commissioning
Manager
Re-deployed to take responsibility for the commissioning of Lion Ferrochrome in
Sept 2005. My first directive was to assist the project team to get the plant
commissioned on time (as already published in the media). Unfortunately, it was
a full 6 months behind schedule at this point.
I directed the ebb and flow of activities during the commissioning phase
including in certain cases completion of construction and simultaneously
commissioning sections of the plant
Setting up the full data capturing system and material accounting system.
Ramping up plant to 75% of capacity and proving design capacity of plant.
A highlight for me was assisting to bring in the project on time by early take-over
of certain parts of the project to pre-commission and test. The end result was
the project was commissioned on schedule.
Period 07/2007 to 10/2009
Position: General Works Manager Xstrata Lion Ferrochrome
Promoted to position of General Works Manager at the age of 35 which is one
of my major accomplishments. Assumed complete responsibility of plant,
including operations, finance, human resources and health and safety. Main
difference is direct reporting and accountability of plant performance to head
office and to BEE partner.
Major learnings included:
-managing a volatile and highly unionized workforce
-ramping up of a brand new plant with an inexperienced workforce
-mentorship of managers and future leaders
-creating teams that worked well together
- I also created a process optimising team that focussed on stabilising
operations and applying themself fully to assist the process team to achieve
results.
11/2009 – 11/2011
Position: General Manager Chrome Strategy & Business Development
Joined the Business development team in 2009 at Melrose Arch.
This was the culmination of the development path that I was on and I could also
practically apply the theory learnt during the MBL course.

7. I left Xstrata at the end of 2011 to pursue personal interests, one of which was
to accomplish the lifelong wish to build up my own Overland 4x4 and travel from
Cape Town to Cairo
2012
Prepared for an completed overland trip from Cape to Cairo.
2013
Climbed to the highest point of Mount Kilimanjaro in 2013.
2013 To date:
Currently busy with property development: I have a portforlio of 8 rental units
that I own and manage. In addition I built my own house in 2014-2015. From
2014 to date I have completed 4 medium sized renovations for clients.
Additional learnings. Your best laid plans can be scuppered by factors outside
you control (such as the R/$ exchange rate) and running a small business, I
now have a healthy respect for cashflow control.
Other business:
I have bought into a small mining supply business in Lichtenburg that services
the cement industry. Non executive director.
Interests and activities:
Gardening, DIY, classic vehicles, car restoration, hiking, architecture,
construction, reading, gym, swimming, diving, business reading, Travel-
experiencing different cultures and cuisines