10 Oct 2016 07:00
Metal Tiger Plc
10 October 2016
Metal Tiger Plc
("Metal Tiger" or the "Company")
Strategic Update and Board Restructuring
Metal Tiger plc (LON:MTR) the London Stock Exchange AIM listed investor in strategic natural resource projects is pleased to announce an update with regard to the Company’s strategic plans and an associated board restructuring.
Highlights:
Metal Tiger’s core strategic plan is centred around the acquisition of high potential mineral exploration and development opportunities through its Metal Projects division. The Company’s ultimate objective is to distribute the material value created to shareholders through cash and equity distributions; Metal Tiger is applying to the High Court for, subject to shareholders ratification at a General Meeting, a cancellation of the existing Share Premium Account (termed a Capital Reduction) enabling the Company to undertake a distribution of cash or equity holdings to shareholders should circumstances present an opportunity to do so. By way of example this could arise if a current or future interest in the Metal Project division is sold for cash or equity, or if an interest is spun-out into an IPO or reverse-takeover vehicle. Shareholders should be aware that until a distribution is formally announced there is no certainty that any such distribution will occur; Details of the General Meeting to ratify the application to the High Court above will be provided to the market shortly. This General Meeting will also include a resolution allowing the Company to buy back its own shares with the intention of taking such shares into treasury or for cancellation as the Company’s board deems appropriate; The Company further intends to accelerate efforts to crystallise value from its new project pipeline that may also generate additional value for shareholders. This will be achieved by applying a dedicated portion of Company management and financial resources, in conjunction with that of external consultants, to efficiently investigate new opportunities for inclusion within the Metal Tiger portfolio or to be held through third party vehicles, including but not restricted to investee companies; To undertake the latter, the Metal Tiger Asset Trading division is to expand and will from today’s date encompass the following activities: management of existing Asset Trading division equity, warrant and royalty investment activities; continuation of initiatives to secure value crystallisation from existing Metal Project interests with any value crystallised to initially sit with Asset Trading pending a decision to distribute to shareholders; and implementation of measures to secure value from new project pipeline with projects considered for inclusion within the Company’s Metal Projects division, or third party vehicles including investee companies. Metal Tiger is to restructure its board with Alex Borrelli, current Non-executive director to become Chief Executive Officer with effect from 17 October 2016 and holding responsibility for overall management and administration of the Company; Concurrently, Paul Johnson to step down from the board with effect from 17 October 2016 to undertake a senior consultancy role for Metal Tiger assisting with management of the Asset Trading division. The role will be specifically focused on new project pipeline development and the crystallisation of value from current and pipeline interests, enabling distributions to shareholders to be considered. In addition Mr Johnson will also assist the Company with regard to public and investor relations to ensure the communications strategy employed by the Company to date is maintained; and Metal Tiger intends to appoint an additional Non-executive director in the near term.Paul Johnson, outgoing Chief Executive Officer of Metal Tiger commented “I am very pleased to announce this restructuring. Given the progress achieved, it is the view of the Board that it is paramount to have the CEO role undertaken by someone with the management skills, discipline and market recognition needed to pursue significant growth of the Company’s valuation and increase the extent of institutional engagement with the Company.
Alex Borrelli has the right mix of leadership skills and market presence and I am delighted he is willing and able to take on this role. I say this having worked with Alex for two years and with my family holding 9,600,000 MTR shares and 15,830,000 options.
I am delighted to move into this senior consultancy role for the company, assisting with the new project pipeline, value crystallisation and asset trading which is where I wish to spend my time, generating value for shareholders. I will also be working with Alex for at least a further 12 months, assisting with public and investor relations.
I believe we are entering into a particularly exciting phase for the Company and I intend to devote considerable personal time to develop Company interests where to date, with the heavy administrative and managerial responsibilities of running the public company, I have not been able to focus.”
Alex Borrelli, incoming Chief Executive Officer of Metal Tiger plc commented: “I am delighted to take the position of Chief Executive Officer of Metal Tiger and am honoured by the trust the Company has placed in me as I take on this role.
Metal Tiger is a unique company, having been brought to its current strong position by a team of energetic management drivers, who have worked with the incisive project knowledge demonstrated by our Chairman Terry Grammer, to access highly valuable opportunities in Botswana, Spain and Thailand each of which offers, in the view of the board, considerable upside potential.
With the key business interests now in place the Company needs to focus and drive the value in each separately. This is a considerable management commitment and the Board recognise that to maximise the return for shareholders there must be a focused management approach. This restructuring provides that focus for Metal Tiger plc.”
For further information on the Company, visit: www.metaltigerplc.com:
| Paul Johnson (Chief Executive Officer) | Tel: +44 (0)7766 465617 | |||||
| Terry Grammer (Non- Executive Chairman) | ||||||
| Sean Wyndham-Quin | Spark Advisory Partners Limited | Tel: +44 (0) 2033 683 555 | ||||
| Neil Baldwin | (Nominated Adviser) | www.sparkadvisorypartners.com | ||||
| Nick Emerson | SI Capital | Tel: +44 (0) 1483 413 500 | ||||
| Andy Thacker | (Sole Broker) | |||||
Notes to Editors:
Metal Tiger plc is listed on the London Stock Exchange AIM Market (“AIM”) with the trading code MTR and invests in high potential mineral projects with a precious and strategic metals focus.
The Company’s target is to deliver a very high return for shareholders by investing in significantly undervalued and/or high potential opportunities in the mineral exploration and development sector timed to coincide, where possible, with a cyclical recovery in the exploration and mining markets. The Company’s key strategic objective is to ensure the distribution to shareholders of major returns achieved from disposals.
Metal Tiger’s Metal Projects Division is focused on the development of its key project interests in Botswana, Spain and Thailand. In Botswana Metal Tiger has a growing interest in the large and highly prospective Kalahari copper/silver belt. In Spain Metal Tiger the Company has tungsten and gold interests in the highly mineralised Extremadura region. In Thailand Metal Tiger has expanding interests over licences, applications and critical historical data covering antimony, copper, gold, silver, lead and zinc opportunities.
The Company has access to a diverse pipeline of new opportunities focused on the natural resource sector including physical resource projects, new natural resource centred technologies and resource sector related fintech opportunities. Pipeline projects deemed commercially viable may be undertaken by Metal Tiger or by an ISDX or AIM partner with whom the Company is engaged.
Metal Tiger also has an Asset Trading Division that holds various financial instruments for trading purposes including equities, warrants and royalty income. The aim of the division is to generate profits to reinvest into the Company’s project based activities.
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