Our Team > Mark Sumner

Over 25 years of experience in the natural resources sector ranging from production to financing and advisory, specialising in the mining sector. Mark commenced his career as a mining engineer working in production and mine planning and, more recently, in senior executive roles responsible for project finance and advisory, and business development in the mining sector.

Mark was formerly a Managing Director, and Global Co-Head of Mining and Metals Corporate Finance at Standard Chartered Bank where he was responsible for the advising, structuring, execution and syndication of large project finance transactions for natural resources projects.

Key roles include:

• Standard Chartered – Global Co-Head of Mining and Metals Corporate Finance
• Gold Fields – mining engineer

Key transactions include:

• Prairie Creek Zinc, Lead, and Silver Project, Canada: Mark is leading the team acting as financial adviser to the sponsor in the sourcing of more than USD 240 million of debt financing for the development of their zinc and lead project (ongoing)
• Platreef PGM, Nickel, Copper and Gold Project, South Africa: Mark is leading the team acting as sole financial adviser to Ivanhoe Mines in the sourcing of up to USD 1.0 billion project finance for the development of its underground mining project in South Africa (ongoing)
• Oyu Tolgoi Copper-Gold Project, Mongolia – Mark led the team acting as initial mandated lead arrangers to Turquoise Hills Resources (previously Ivanhoe Mines) in the USD 4.0 billion project financing of the 28 mtpa copper-gold mining project located in the South Gobi region, Mongolia (2010-2014)
• Konkola Copper Mines, Zambia – Mark led the team acting as mandated lead arranger to KCM in the sourcing of USD 700m  financing, working with the Export Credit Insurance Corporation of South Africa (“ECIC”) to provide non-recourse financing solutions for the Konkola Deep Mining Project (2013)
• Bulyanhulu Gold Mine, Tanzania – Mark was lead banker in the structuring of a USD 142m project expansion facility (2013)
• DSO Iron Ore Project, Canada – Mark headed up the team  appointed as mandated led arranger for the financing of the USD 450m facility for the 6Mtpa integrated iron ore and rail project (2013)
• Yukon Zinc, Canada – Mark was the lead banker in the structuring of USD 150m project finance facilities and hedge structure associated with the development of the Wolverine poly-metallic project in Yukon (2012)
• Optimum Coal, South Africa – Mark led the team in structuring multiple  general corporate facilities for Optimum, each structured so as to enable the company to meet its capital requirements through its growth strategy (2009, 2010)

Education and citizenship:

• GDE in Mining , University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa
• BSc Eng (Hons) in Mining , University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa
• South African citizen