Ascent Forge Group | Business Advisory and Implementation Services
COMPANY PROFILE
Ascent Forge Group is a boutique business advisory and implementation
services firm that provides integrated, shared value-add solutions to
corporations globally, predominantly in the extractive sector.
Our experience and service offering stems from over 20 years of on- the-
ground management accountability across the full commercial function, while
employed in large multi-national environments through various economic
cycles and under different business leadership styles.
We take immense pride in our work and have a track record of delivering
bottom-line improvements. We take time to listen to our clients and
understand the operating environment before working closely with them to
address complex business challenges and risks, realize opportunities and
achieve financial and operational efficiencies.
WHO WE ARE WHAT WE DO
We focus on business advisory and implementation services covering the following core areas:
1. | OPERATIONAL ANDSTRATEGIC FINANCE
General financial health checks and process fatal flaw reviews
Organisational structure optimization
Financial accounting and reporting optimization
Management accounting and reporting optimization
Business planning optimization
Development of short and long-term business plans
Capital allocation and project management optimization
Working capital management optimization and funding options
Treasury optimization
Strategic finance management support
Ascent Forge Group | Business Advisory and Implementation Services1
2. |
WHAT WE DO CONTINUED...
Business and investment case development
Identifying business opportunities
Developing and implementing growth strategies
Dataroom management
Due diligence reviews
Structuring option analysis
Working capital analysis
Preparation of financial models for valuations and funding applications
Synergy identification reviews and execution management
Full turnkey business optimization review and project implementation
(diagnostics, deep dive assessments, implementation planning and execution)
Business turnaround strategy development
Cost management and cost saving strategies
Operational readiness and overall impact assessments
Supply chain management optimization
Contractor management optimization
MERGERS AND ACQUISITIONS / CORPORATE DEVELOPMENT2. | 3. | BUSINESS
IMPROVEMENT
Ascent Forge Group | Business Advisory and Implementation Services 2
Audit reviews of various function disciplines
General risk assessments
Development of guidelines, frameworks, processes
and standard operating procedures
Financial impact analysis in support of viability
assesssments
WHAT WE DO CONTINUED...
4. | GOVERNANCE, RISK AND COMPLIANCE MANAGEMENT 5. | FINANCE, TREASURY AND
TAXATION
Funding arrangements and leverage bank relationships
Balance sheet restructuring
Insurance management
Treasury policies and guidelines
Risk management – hedging strategies / options
Tax planning / modelling
Design and implementation of tax governance model
Ascent Forge Group | Business Advisory and Implementation Services3
WHAT WE DO CONTINUED...
6. | OTHER SPECIALTY SERVICES
Skills training and development
Individual specific coaching and mentoring
Project management
Remuneration related services (payroll process reviews and incentive scheme design)
Regulatory advisory services
Technical accounting opinions
Ascent Forge Group | Business Advisory and Implementation Services 4
Founding partner. His career spans more than 20 years in operational finance, strategic finance, business development, business improvement, M&A, synergy execution, project management, stakeholder management, regulatory and governance advisory, and various other commercial aspects, mainly within the resources sector.
Gary has extensive experience advising operational teams, senior management and executives of multi-national listed entities. His competitive advantage is his wide-ranging expertise in the resources sector, on-the-ground practical work experience at mining operations in multiple jurisdictions in Africa for global listed companies, and a broad network of credible contacts in the resources sector globally.
Until February 2014, he was based in Ghana as the Vice President & Regional Head of Finance of MENA & Eurasia region of Gold Fields Limited, one of the world’s largest gold producers with a primary listing on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) and secondary listings on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) and Swiss Exchange (SWX). He also served as CFO for two operating entities in Ghana.
At that stage, Gold Fields Ghana Limited was the largest company within Ghana, biggest private sector employer and operated the largest surface gold mine in Africa by mining volumes.
Previously, Gary was the Financial Manager at Gold Fields Ghana Limited (Tarkwa mine) managing the full commercial aspect of the operation. He also occupied various other financial operational roles in South Africa for Gold Fields Ltd, of which some of the operations have subsequently been spun-off into Sibanye Stillwater.
Prior to that, he was the Capital Reporting Business Analyst for Barrick Gold Corporation for the Africa Region, currently one of the world’s leading gold mining companies with listings on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSE) and NYSE. Barrick’s gold assets in Africa was subsequently spun-off into Acacia Mining Plc.
ASCENT’S CORE MANAGEMENT
Gary Hamann
Ascent Forge Group | Business Advisory and Implementation Services5
Partner. Jaco is a Chartered Accountant and Finance Executive whose career spans more than 22 years in senior and executive financial positions that covered areas of financial reporting, management reporting, treasury, corporate finance, supply chain, information technology, investor relations and numerous M&A activities.
Jaco brings in-depth finance knowledge and experience gained in UK, Canadian, South African and numerous other African jurisdictions having worked for Placer Dome Inc., Barrick Gold Corporation, Acacia Mining plc. and PwC. Whilst CFO for Acacia Plc (Listed on London Stock Exchange with a market cap of US$1.4 billion), Jaco was responsible for all finance activities and closely involved with investor relations and corporate development activities and closely involved at a Board level. Previous roles included Financial Controller, Director Planning & Corporate Finance, Treasurer, VP Finance and CFO.
As Finance Executive, Jaco’s areas of delivery included business turnaround that saw the company unit cost improve from US$1,700 per ounce to under US$900 per ounce, business restructuring with reduction of 50% of central overheads, various large financing transactions, capital allocation framework implementation, taxation negotiations, multiple M&A & exploration asset transactions, supply chain optimization and implementation of management / governance systems.
Jaco has also over the last 10 years negotiated and executed with banks numerous financing transactions including US$150 million revolving credit facility, ECA loan of US$142 million, closure guarantees of US$50 million and a trade facility of US$50 million.
ASCENT’S CORE MANAGEMENT
Jaco Maritz
Ascent Forge Group | Business Advisory and Implementation Services 6
[email protected] [email protected] [email protected] www.ascentforgegroup.com Tel: +1 470 496 1210 Tel: +27 83 651 1892
CONTACT US USA South Africa Website