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SourcingJun 26, 2018
Fura Gems Makes 3 More Appointments
The company hired three former Gemfields executives for technical services, security and geology.
Toronto, Ontario--Fura Gems is still adding to its team.
The colored stone miner announced the appointment of Dibya Baral as director of technical services, Rahul Gopal as director of security and risk control and Amit Sharma as head of geology for its Montepuez operations in Mozambique.
Baral and Gopal will be based at Fura’s administrative headquarters in Dubai and will report to Ashim Roy, vice president of operations.
Baral will be responsible for Fura’s overall technical functions, including mining, geology, processing plants and other technical services, while Gopal will be responsible for the security and risk functions.
Prior to joining Fura, Baral served as the general manager for Gemfields’ Kagem emerald mine in Zambia. He also previously worked with large mining companies like Vedanta Resources and Tata Steel, giving him a total of 20 years of experience in multi-commodity exploration, development and mining in various geological settings and geographical terrains around the world.
He holds a Master of Applied Geology from Indian Institute of Technology in Roorkee, India and also is a Fellow for the Society of Economic Geologists and Competent Person for Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy.
Gopal has more than 15 years of experience in security, previously serving as the head of security for Gemfields’ Montepuez ruby mine Mozambique, where he was responsible for implementing the best security practices by incorporating a mix of technological, structural and operational elements.
RELATED CONTENT: Q&A: Catching Up with Fura GemsHe also worked in Nigeria at a petrochemical plant, formulating and implementing security processes. He previously held roles with Vodafone in India and in the Indian Army as a major, planning and coordinating operations along the line that marks the division of the Kashmir region.
Sharma, meanwhile, will be based in Mozambique and will report to the project manager. In his new role, he will be responsible for the exploration and mining operations of Fura’s Montepuez ruby project.
Sharma has worked with Gemfields’ Montepuez ruby mine since 2013. During his time there, he and his team built the mine from exploration to production.
He has spent more than 15 years working in geology, gaining experience in the mining sector as an exploration geologist for gold and gemstones in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Mozambique. He holds a Master of Geology from University of Baroda.
Fura Gems’ headquarters are located in Toronto, Canada, and its administrative headquarters
are located in the Almas Tower in Dubai. The company currently has two major projects: Colombian emeralds from the Coscuez mine and Mozambican rubies from the Montepuez site.
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