HB&A CAPITAL PROJECT DEVELOPERS (PTY) LIMITED (HB&A)

Hugh E. G Brown was born in Johannesburg, attended preparatory school and college at St John’s Preparatory School and College in Houghton. He completed his compulsory national service (18 months) in the SA Navy in 1975 and 1976, and then signed on for a further 3 years, attaining the rank of Sub Lieutenant and completing his executive branch watch keeping certificates, serving aboard the flag ship SAS President Pretorius until mid 1981. In 1982 and 1983 he established the company Intepro in which he and Industrial Engineer Yakov Kedem (Msc) undertook productivity improvements in industry in the Western Cape, whilst he was studying part time at the University of Stellenbosch at post graduate level. He moved to Johannesburg in1984 as Training and Development Manager, later General Manager Marketing and Strategic Planning, for the Steinmüller Africa Group of companies, in 1989 he moved to become the Strategic Business Advisor to the Chairman at IMS, thus forging a career in the engineering sector, developing know how and managing projects and developing business in the power and mining industry. In 1991 he formed Hugh Brown & Associates, a project development company specializing in management of new technology at full scale, employing the techniques of Tuppeny Associates Inc. from Connecticut USA, developed at MIT, utilizing top specialists in their fields from around the globe. HB&A undertook work for SASOL, ESKOM, ISCOR, Chase Manhattan Petroleum Group, The World Bank, Arthur D Little, KPMG, Anglo American, Norconsult, Soekor, CEF, Mossgas, De Beers and others. In 1996 he sold HB&A to JCI Ltd and Hugh and his team contracted to the mining group as Venture Projects, seeking and evaluating new business opportunities. Between 1997 and 1999 the HB&A team undertook the design and development of the Beira Iron project, the Moatize Coal project and the Caribbean Nickel project. As a result of JCI’s sale to new shareholders in 1998, in 1999 Hugh resigned his contract with the JCI Group, and re-established HB&A as his independent wholly owned company, which continued to advise companies on capital project development concentrating on the energy and mining sectors. Aspects of the Corridor Sands project in Mozambique, the El Palmar Bauxite mine in Venezuela, Gas to power, and coal mining projects have been undertaken by HB&A in 2000 and 2001. The company has comprehensive data on gas, coal, base metals, energy and industrial opportunities within SADC and has successfully designed and developed further mining and energy projects in SADC since 2002. In 2005 and 2014 respectively 2 further shareholders acquired a stake in HB&A (Koos Smit and William Tuppeny III) providing added expertise in the equipment, project, and energy industries. Currently HB&A are engaged in developing more than US$6.5bn worth of energy projects. Hugh Brown is also known for his sailing achievements in the mini-maxi class and holds several SA sailing records, as well as achieving 5th place in the 2001 Rolex Fastnet race in his 67 ft racing yacht Merlin (see more at www.yachtmerlin.com). He is a member of the Royal Ocean Racing Club in London, also a member of the Naval Officers Association of South Africa, has 5 children and lives in Bryanston South Africa, where HB&A’s offices are located. 

Koos Smit joined HB&A as Managing Director in 2006. Koos has a Masters Degree in Electrical Engineering    with extensive project experience in the mining, power and industrial sectors. Koos was born in the Eastern Cape into the family of the dean of Zoology Professor A Smit at the University of Durban Westville. Koos attended the Gelofte High School in Pinetown, Natal. He graduated from the University of Pretoria with a B Eng (Elec) in 1983. This was followed by an honours degree in 1988 and then a masters in Electrical Engineering in 1991. Koos also completed two senior management development programs, one in 1996 at the University of South Africa (MDP), and one at Duke University NC USA. Koos has had an extremely impressive career at Siemens Africa, joining them in 1984 as a commissioning engineer, and steadily working his way up through department head to Divisional manager of the industrial Division in 1995. Koos was able to see grass roots projects out of the ground and completed work in the fields of electrical engineering, equipment and plant, and industrial electronics or business automation. He has experience in the steel making, aluminium smelting, oil and gas, mining, power, pulp, paper and processing industries. In 1996 Koos was promoted to divisional managing director (energy and automation) and to the board of Siemens as alternate director in 1997. In 2001 Koos became an executive director of Siemens, responsible for operations which included management, administration, new business, project development, group logistics, health and safety, sales and sales training. In 2005 Koos became a specialist consultant to the company in large project development in Africa, and also branched out into consultancy for Rand Merchant Bank, in technical matters. He also joined the board of Elgas (a Mozambique energy utility), using natural gas from its local fields to develop industrial projects) and the African Legend power group, as well as various BEE initiatives. Koos brings a wide variety of solid successes in projects to bear on HB&A work varying from power generation, to power transmission, pulp and paper mills, steel mills, materials handling and petrochemical projects, and has built up a credible network of contacts throughout Africa in high places. Koos is married to Jenny and they have three children. They live on a small holding in Midrand, South Africa, raising their family in a country atmosphere with an up-market B&B. 

W.H. (Brock) Tuppeny III was born in 1961, and grew up on the north-eastern seaboard of the United States. He read Chemistry at Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire receiving an AB in 1983, and later obtaining a Masters Degree in Petroleum Engineering from Heriot Watt University, Edinburgh, Scotland.  He commenced his career at Combustion Engineering Inc. where between 1983 and 1987 was involved in nuclear waste management system design  and clean up in nuclear power plants,  and in field service and sales activities in the fossil arena.  In 1987, he joined Martin Simonds Associates as one of two lead consultants for this 10-person firm that provided management consulting services to engineering and architectural consultancies, activities included: • Facilitation of strategic business planning processes and business plan implementation. • Development of marketing strategies and tactics. • Analysis of business operations and project management systems for efficiency, profitability, client satisfaction and risk minimization. In 1990, Brock formed his own company, Raadsman Consulting, and provided training in project management skills and techniques. Brock worked closely with a variety of associates (in South Africa with Hugh Brown & Associates (Pty) Ltd under license of Tuppeny Associates Inc USA from 1991 until today, to facilitate designs and risk reviews of large capital projects in SADC countries), to provide technical and techno-economic performance risk evaluation services as well as project management evaluation and training in the energy and petrochemical fields. (See HB&A Project list) In 1996, Brock joined Edinburgh Petroleum Services – Edinburgh, Scotland, as a consulting reservoir engineer. Activities included: participation in the development and execution of a management strategy to move EPS into equity positions in producing assets. Evaluation of Incremental Production Deal in Kyrgyzstan. Litigation support for Gas/Condensate stripping dispute using compositional simulation to determine recoveries. Development of reservoir management strategies for two mature oil fields under the management of EPS. From 1997 to 2000, Brock was appointed General Manager - Sishen and Beira Iron Project Manager at JCI Limited in Johannesburg association with HB&A. Brock was responsible for co-ordination, management and execution of the Beira and Sishen Direct Reduced Iron Project Feasibility Studies and all associated studies, legal, political, partnership, finance and marketing issues. In 2002, Brock joined Petrofac Resources as business development manager responsible for BD activities in international locations including Algeria, Tunisia, Russia, Sudan, Chad, and various other countries. Key activities involved financial modelling, reservoir and process plant technical assessments, negotiations with partners and bidding authorities. Highlights include formation of Gassi-Touil bidding consortium with Marathon, Woodside and Centrica; bidding of 4 additional Algerian projects in conjunction with various partners. vice president business delivery- Africa and America, responsible for the identification, negotiation and closure of business opportunities, and establishment of teams to ensure delivery of opportunities. In 2006, he acted as  Petrofac’ Resources business development manager and as- subsurface manager Cendor project responsible for ongoing BD in Africa and SE Asia, as well as leading the subsurface aspects of the Cendor field development from acquisition to first oil. Preparation and approval of FDP was completed in 6 months, and the field was brought online in 20 months from purchase. From 2007 -2009, he acted as Petrofac’s Director Africa responsible for the negotiation and closure of acquisition of the Chergui project interest from ETAP (Tunisian national oil company) and leading the negotiations with local contractors to complete the facilities. As regional director, lead the client interface with ETAP and negotiations of Gas Sales and liquids sales and transport for the project, and alongside the project General Manager, was responsible for the completion of the project and first 6 months of operation.  He negotiated partner approvals of significant budget increases required resulting from abdication of local contractor. From 2009 -2104 Brock was appointed Petrofac IES’s Vice President Business Delivery Africa and America. Brock established the Nigerian business for the company, including leading the acquisition of a $175 m minority stake in local gas and pipeline development company; negotiation of a quasi equity contract for field development with estimated capex ranges from $500 - $750 m with NPDC (Nigerian national oil company) on behalf of Petrofac and another local company, and additional support and side agreements needed to implement the contracts.  He located and negotiated initial office locations and made several key local hires.  He left Petrofac in 2014. Brock is currently Chief Operating Officer for Taleveras Exploration and Production. Taleveras is involved in the oil trading business as well as upstream oil and gas exploration and development business in Africa. Brock is based in Dubai, but calls Seattle home.  He has one son and is a keen fisherman, cook and sailor, (see www.yachtmerlin.com).