Hamak Strategy Limited appointed Karl Smithson as Executive Director. Karl Smithson is a qualified geologist, MBA and fellow of the Institute of Materials, Minerals & Mining. He will be responsible for the gold exploration and development activities and the general day to day management of the Company, and will be working closely with Mike Murphy on the broader corporate strategy, IR and PR.
He has over 30 years of resources experience in Africa, with the last 20 years in West Africa. Hamak Strategy Limited appointed Mike Murphy as Executive Director and Chief Strategy Officer, effective February 4, 2026. Mike Murphy is a seasoned City of London veteran with over 35 years' experience of working in a plethora of financial services firms. He worked at Citigroup, Robert Flemings, Barclays de Zoete Wedd and Lehman Brothers as a Global Equity Trader before going on to create and run several brokerages including Eden Financial and Novus Capital Markets.
He was then Vice-Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Varengold Bank AG for four years before helping a number of companies across a variety of industry sectors in a senior advisory and consulting capacity. He is the co-founder of Hamak Strategy Ltd. and the founder of Ethtry Plc. Hamak Strategy Limited appointed James Cable as Company Secretary, effective February 4, 2026.
James Cable is a chartered accountant and highly experienced corporate executive in the junior resources sector. He has been Corporate Secretary of Hamak since the Company's IPO and is now taking a broader role in the financial management and reporting of the Company. Nicola Horlick and Martin Lampshire to remain as interim Non-Executive Chair and Non-Executive Director respectively.
Hamak Strategy Limited appointed Steven Poulton as Gold Strategy Advisor, effective February 4, 2026. Steven Poulton is an economic geologist with over 25 years' experience in the mining sector with a focus on Africa. He brings expertise in strategy, governance, and capital markets, having co-founded and led multiple listed and private companies as well as investment vehicles.
Most recently he was Executive Chairman and co-founder of Elemental Altus Royalties (now Nasdaq-listed Elemental Royalties). Steven is the founder of Adit Capital, an investor and advisor to high-growth potential companies on critical transactions, capital strategy, and risk management. Steven holds an MSc in Mining Geology from the Camborne School of Mines (University of Exeter).
He is a co-founder of the Oxford Mining Club and a fellow of the Institute of Materials, Minerals & Mining and of the Geological Society of London. Hamak Strategy Limited appointed Tim Franks as Treasury Strategy Advisor, effective February 4, 2026. Tim Franks is an experienced finance and digital asset professional with over 25 years' experience in investment banking and over 6 years' in digital assets.
He has been involved in hundreds of placements and IPOs globally. He has held various roles in London and Hong Kong across equities, fixed income, FX, and derivatives, working for firms including Citigroup, HSBC, and Bank of China. Currently CFO and COO at Altenburg Capital which focuses on crypto lending, derivatives and other strategies.
Tim holds a BSc Hons from Imperial College at Wye College and is a member of the CFA Institute.
