Board of Directors

Dr. Bizzi holds a Ph.D. in geology from the University of Cape Town, South Africa and was with De Beers for 15 years, from 1985 to 2000, reaching the position of Technical Director for South America.  Following his time at De Beers, Dr. Bizzi held the position of Executive Director of the Brazilian Geological Survey from 2000 to 2003. From 2003 to 2005, Dr Bizzi held executive positions in TSX listed companies and consulted for the Brazilian Development Bank.  He then held the position of Regional Exploration Manager for BHP Billiton from 2005 to 2009, where he was responsible for mineral exploration in South America.  Since 2011, Luiz has held the position of Chief Executive Officer of Rio Grande Mineração S.A., which is developing heavy mineral deposits in southern Brazil and northern Uruguay. Since 2019, Luiz has been the controlling shareholder and held the position of Chairman of SOPEMI in Angola, which is now a subsidiary of Lipari. Dr. Bizzi is fluent in both Portuguese (native) and English.

Mr. Almeida is President of Lipari’s subsidiary in Angola Tchitengo Mining.  Paulino holds a degree in Mining Engineering and a degree in Business Administration.  He has over 35 years of mining industry experience in Angola, where he has held senior positions with both private and public entities. Paulino started his career in 1982 as a mining technician for the National Department of Geology of Angola, and moved to the business sector in 1986 as a production supervisor for a dimensional stone mine.  In 1989 he was appointed as the Managing Director of the Technical Cabinet for Mining Development under the Ministry of Industry of Angola where he was responsible for promoting investment in the mining sector.  In 1991, he was appointed to the position of Manager of the Planning Department in the Ministry of Geology and Mines, where he remained until 1995 when he assumed the position of General Manager and Managing Director of ENDIAMA, Angola’s state-owned diamond mining company.   In 1999, Paulino started his own civil construction company called Almeida & Associados Lda, which he operated until 2005.  During this period (2002 to 2004), he also consulted to De Beers in Angola, assisting with their negotiations with Angolan authorities.  In 2005, he was appointed to the position of Country Manager of BHP Billiton’s Angolan subsidiary (2005 to 2009) during the time that they discovered the Tchegi kimberlites, which are now part of Lipari’s Tchitengo project. When BHP left Angola in 2009, Mr. Almedia assumed the role of Vice-President of ESCOM, BHP’s joint venture partner in Angola where he remained until 2013. Since August 1, 2024, he has held the position of Chairman of SOMIPA SARL, having previously served as the Executive Director (2013-2024). Mr. Almeida has also taken on Remuneration Committee positions with the Angolan Investment Bank (BAI) (2014 to 2020) and was the Chairman and Non-Executive Director of the Standard Chartered Bank of Angola (2020-2023). Mr. Almeida is fluent in both Portuguese (native) and English.

Mr. Borges is a seasoned finance and accounting executive with over 25 years of experience, including more than a decade in leadership roles within the mining industry. He currently serves as Finance Manager for Centaurus Metals Ltd., where he oversees financial and accounting operations for the Jaguar Nickel Project in Brazil.  He previously served as Finance Director and a Board member at Lipari Mineração Ltd., where he was a key contributor in the development of the Braúna diamond mine from exploration through construction, commissioning and operation.

His career includes senior finance positions at Mirabela Mineração, Sears Canada, and the American Harsco Group. Mr. Borges holds an MBA in Finance from IBMEC Business School, a postgraduate specialization in Strategic Financial Management, and bachelor’s degrees in both Accounting Sciences and Business Administration.  Mr. Borges is fluent in both Portuguese (native) and English.

Martin worked in diamond exploration for over 35 years in the De Beers Group and was the Managing Director of De Beers Brazil.   After six years in Brazil, he was transferred to De Beers Canada as Exploration Manager and was responsible for the major diamond deposit evaluations of the Victor, Gahcho Kué and Fort A La Corne kimberlites.