COMPANY PROFILE

Ascent Forge Group | Business Advisory and Implementation Services

Ascent Forge Group is a boutique business advisory andimplementation services firm that provides integrated, shared value-add solutions to corporations globally, predominantly in the extractivesector.

Our experience and service offering stems from over 20 years of on-the-ground management accountability across the full commercialfunction, while employed in large multi-national environments throughvarious economic cycles and under different business leadership styles.

We take immense pride in our work and have a track record of deliveringbottom-line improvements. We take time to listen to our clients andunderstand the operating environment before working closely with them toaddress complex business challenges and risks, realise opportunities andachieve financial and operational efficiencies.

General financial health checks and process fatal flaw reviews Organisational structure optimisationFinancial accounting and reporting optimisation Management accounting and reporting optimisation Business planning optimisationDevelopment of short - and long-term business plans with specific focus on life-of-mine plansCapital allocation and project management optimisation Working capital management optimisationTreasury optimisationStrategic finance management support

WHO WE ARE WHAT WE DO

We focus on business advisory and implementation services covering the following core areas:

OPERATIONAL AND1. | STRATEGIC FINANCE

1 Ascent Forge Group | Business Advisory and Implementation Services

2. |

WHAT WE DO CONTINUED...

Business and investment case development Identifying business opportunitiesDeveloping and implementing growth strategies Dataroom managementDue diligence reviewsPreparation of financial models for valuations and funding applications Synergy identification reviews and execution management

Full turnkey business optimisation review and project implementation (diagnostics, deep dive assessments, implementation planning and execution)Business turnaround strategy development Cost management and cost saving strategiesOperational readiness and overall impact assessments Supply chain management optimisationContractor management optimisation

TRANSACTION ADVISORY AND BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT2. | BUSINESS3. | IMPROVEMENT

Ascent Forge Group | Business Advisory and Implementation Services 2

Audit reviews of various function disciplines General risk assessmentsDevelopment of guidelines, frameworks, processes and standard operating proceduresInsurance managementFinancial impact analysis in support of viability assessments

Skills training and developmentIndividual specific coaching and mentoringERP project managementRemuneration related services (payroll process reviews and incentivescheme design) Regulatory advisory servicesTechnical accounting opinionsAnnual financial statement preparation

WHAT WE DO CONTINUED...

GOVERNANCE, RISK AND4. | COMPLIANCE MANAGEMENTOTHER SPECIALITY5. | SERVICES

3 Ascent Forge Group | Business Advisory and Implementation Services

Founding partner. His career spans more than 20years in operational finance, strategic finance, businessdevelopment, business improvement, M&A, synergyexecution, project management, stakeholdermanagement, regulatory and governance advisory,and various other commercial aspects, mainly withinthe resources sector.

Gary has extensive experience advising operationalteams, senior management and executives of multi-national listed entities. His competitive advantage ishis wide-ranging expertise in the resources sector,on-the-ground practical work experience at miningoperations in multiple jurisdictions in Africa for globallisted companies, and a broad network of crediblecontacts in the resources sector globally.

Until February 2014, he was based in Ghana as theVice President & Regional Head of Finance of MENA &Eurasia region of Gold Fields Limited, one of theworld’s largest gold producers with a primary listing onthe Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) andsecondary listings on the New York Stock Exchange(NYSE) and Swiss Exchange (SWX). He also served asCFO for two operating entities in Ghana.

At that stage, Gold Fields Ghana Limited was thelargest company within Ghana, biggest private sectoremployer and operated the largest surface gold minein Africa by mining volumes.

Previously, Gary was the Financial Manager at GoldFields Ghana Limited (Tarkwa mine) managing the fullcommercial aspect of the operation. He also occupiedvarious other financial operational roles in South Africafor Gold Fields Ltd, of which some of the operationshave subsequently been spun-off into SibanyeStillwater Limited.

Prior to that, he was the Capital Reporting BusinessAnalyst for Barrick Gold Corporation for the AfricaRegion, currently one of the world’s leading goldmining companies with listings on the Toronto StockExchange (TSE) and NYSE. Barrick’s gold assets inAfrica was subsequently spun-off into Acacia MiningPlc.

ASCENT’S CORE MANAGEMENT

Gary Hamann

Ascent Forge Group | Business Advisory and Implementation Services 4

Partner. Hardus is a chartered accountant (CA (SA))whose career spans more than 15 years in auditing,transactions services, external reporting, operationalfinance, treasury, tax, financial planning and analysis,strategic finance, shared services, businessimprovement, project management, corporate financeand capital management mainly within the resourcessector, having worked for PricewaterhouseCoopers(PwC), Barrick Gold Corporation and Acacia Mining Plc.

Hardus brings in-depth finance knowledge andexperience having worked in a multi-national listedenvironment across a variety of senior financeexecutive roles within multiple African jurisdictions.

Hardus completed his articles at PwC in 2005 whereafter he spent time as an Assistant Manager inTransactions Services.

He joined Barrick Gold Corporation in August 2006 asSenior Manager – Reporting and Planning for theAfrica Region. Prior to the initial public offering (IPO)of Acacia Mining Plc (previously African Barrick GoldPlc), which was listed on the London Stock Exchange

(LSE) and Dar es Salaam Stock Exchange (DSE), heprogressed to the role of Regional FinancialController. Having been intimately involved in thelisting process he subsequently held roles of GroupFinancial Controller, Group Treasurer and Manager –Financial Planning and Capital Allocation.

Apart from the IPO, major highlights during hiscareer at Acacia Mining Plc included: corporatefinance involvement in various M&A activities; theinitial set up of the independent consolidation andexternal reporting function; project managementresponsibility for Project Kifaru which succeeded togenerate US$185 million in cost savings; seniorfinance staff development; the initial set up of ashared services function; and financial analysis andplanning improvements in both the short - and long-term planning areas.

ASCENT’S CORE MANAGEMENT

Hardus Engelbrecht

5 Ascent Forge Group | Business Advisory and Implementation Services

enquiries@ascentforge.com

CONTACT US USAghamann@ascentforge.com

Tel: +1 470 496 1210

South Africahengelbrecht@ascentforge.com

Tel: +27 82 325 3415

Websitewww.ascentforgegroup.com