CIIC Seabed Resources Limited is pleased to announce the appointment of Mr Eusenio Fatialofa as its General Manager. Mr Kris Van Nijen, Director of CIIC Seabed Resources Limited and Managing Director of Global Sea Mineral Resources (GSR), is pleased to welcome Eusenio Fatialofa to the role. Mr Van Nijen said that the vacancy attracted over 100 applicants, with a large pool of candidates with impressive credentials for the Board to consider. Mr Van Nijen extended his thanks to Mr Francois Charlet, from the DEME Group, who has been interim General Manager for the last two years and will continue to support the entity into the future.
Mr Michael Henry, Director of CIIC Seabed Resources Limited and Chair of the Cook Islands Investment Corporation, said that “Eusenio is a Cook Islander and was an outstanding appointee for the role, with his participation on three seabed mineral expeditions, in both our Cook Islands Exclusive Economic Zone and International Waters, within the Clarion Clipperton Zone. Eusenio has been a Project Manager with the Cook Islands Investment Corporation for over 15 years, and has been part of the project management teams on many projects on behalf of the Corporation, including Tereora College, Nukutere College and Apii Nikao redevelopment projects. We are happy Eusenio put his hand up for this role, with the skills and experience he brings to the role and the development of this entity and the wider seabed minerals sector for the Cook Islands people.”
Mr Fatialofa said he is “excited about taking up the role and one of the key priorities is engaging and fully informing the public on the wider seabed minerals sector and the aspirations of the joint venture company. I am very privileged to be working alongside our partner GSR who are global leaders in the sector. I also look forward to working closely with the various stakeholders, including Government organisations and other NGOs, to sustainably and responsibly develop the sector further, for and by the Cook Islands.”
About CIIC Seabed Resources Limited: While the steps taken in the formation of this Joint Venture Company were publicised through the media at the time the steps were taken, an outline of those steps follow. The Cook Islands Government, through the Cook Islands Investment Corporation (CIIC), and Global Sea Mineral Resources (GSR) entered into a Framework Agreement in 2013 with regards exploration for and possibly harvesting of Polymetallic Nodules in the Cook Islands licensed International Seabed Authority (ISA) area and the Cook Islands Exclusive Economic Zone. Further dialogue ensued while GSR incorporated a branch in the Cook Islands (GSR-CI), and a formal JV Agreement (between CIIC, GSR and GSR CI) was entered into in July 2016. The JVC’s vision is to undertake science based exploration for deep sea minerals in an environmentally responsible way, where this creates a transformational shift to the Cook Islands economy, sound returns are returned to the shareholders, innovative technology is utilised and capacity is built within the sector for the future.
