Under Dev's leadership, FURA has grown from a start-up to one of the world's largest organised colour gemstone mining companies in a few short years. With mines on three continents, it produces all three of the most coveted colour gems, emeralds, rubies and sapphires, and has earned respect and affection from every community with which it partners.
Vision and groundwork go together, as Dev has demonstrated throughout his career. He graduated from Mumbai University and is a qualified chartered accountant. Before moving to London, Dev gained experience in business turnaround and project management. As a young player in a private equity start-up in the City of London, he completed several mergers and acquisitions specific to the mining industry. He was then tasked with the turnaround of a loss-making mining London listed company. Gemfields plc. For Gemfields, he built the world's largest emerald mine in Zambia and the world's largest ruby mine in Mozambique. Dev's success in the colour gemstone sector hinges on three key initiatives: focus on productivity while keeping tight control on cost, the development of a reliable, scientific grading mechanism for colour gemstone roughs and an entirely new narrative for the category that focuses on the emotional significance of colour gems to consumers
With Dev at the helm, FURA has set a record for the fastest turnaround of a mine from exploration to production. His belief in sustainable partnerships enables this, as FURA supports people's empowerment at all its locations through primary schools, vocational training, community newspapers, food relief, local tourism, reforestation and other capacity-building programmes.
Mr. Gupta is an entrepreneur with over 20 years of experience in international trade in the industrial goods, manganese ore and gold. Mr. Gupta holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of Delhi, India and is a Chartered Accountant.
Michael Kuan is the founder and chairman of Kuan Capital, an international investment and asset management firm based in Shanghai, China. Born in China and educated in the United States, Michael’s investment career spans over thirty years – starting in 1986 as a venture capitalist in Silicon Valley. He returned to China in 1992 to become one of the pioneering investors in TMT, Internet, Education, Energy and Biotech Industries. Michael has invested and played key roles in some of China’s most successful ventures, which include Quantech Electronics, China.com, Sina.com, Liming Networks, China Cable Networks, Grandhope Biotech and Hippo Animation. Kuan Capital is also an investor in Anchor Pacific Capital, RedBird Capital, Bold Capital and 16 Singularity University in United States. Michael has served as a board member of several private and publicly traded companies in the US, China and Hong Kong.
Mr. Gupta is an entrepreneur with over 20 years of experience in international trade in the industrial goods, manganese ore and gold. Mr. Gupta holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of Delhi, India and is a Chartered Accountant.
Michael Kuan is the founder and chairman of Kuan Capital, an international investment and asset management firm based in Shanghai, China. Born in China and educated in the United States, Michael’s investment career spans over thirty years – starting in 1986 as a venture capitalist in Silicon Valley. He returned to China in 1992 to become one of the pioneering investors in TMT, Internet, Education, Energy and Biotech Industries. Michael has invested and played key roles in some of China’s most successful ventures, which include Quantech Electronics, China.com, Sina.com, Liming Networks, China Cable Networks, Grandhope Biotech and Hippo Animation. Kuan Capital is also an investor in Anchor Pacific Capital, RedBird Capital, Bold Capital and 16 Singularity University in United States. Michael has served as a board member of several private and publicly traded companies in the US, China and Hong Kong.
Ashim joined FURA in 2017 and is currently responsible for the mining and exploration operations for the African region. Ashim was instrumental in completing the acquisition of the Colombian emerald mine, Coscuez, initiation of operation in the Coscuez project, exploration and drilling and converting the mine into a bulk sampling phase. Ashim then moved to the Mozambican Ruby operation to initiate the operation's exploration, drilling, bulk sampling, and commercial production, including commissioning two wash-plants.
Ashim is a geoscientist with a Master's in Business Administration and has worked in mining and international business development worldwide, particularly in Africa, Australia and Canada. He headed geology and exploration at the Kagem emerald mine in Zambia. He moved to Montepuez Ruby Mining., Gemfields Plc as head of production planning and exploration and subsequently took over as General Manager of the mine. Ashim holds to his credit unlocking the geological resource for ruby deposit in Mozambique which is one of the largest discovery of gemstones in century.
In India, Ashim worked for 20 years as a senior scientist at the Department of Atomic Energy,
Government of India, specialising in atomic and rare-earth minerals.
Rupak joined FURA in 2017 and is responsible for our global marketing, communications and rough gemstone sales. Rupak has set-up the FURA's Rough Auction Platform and is responsible for client management. Rupak also launched the Fura Marketing Council, the platform used to promote the coloured gemstone.
He has worked as acting global director of marketing and polished sales and sales and marketing director for Asia and the Middle East for Gemfields Plc, where he was instrumental in implementing the mine-to-market strategy. Rupak has also worked for the De Beers Group in the Diamond Promotion Service and with the Swatch Group.
With a decade and a half of experience in strategic planning, sales and marketing, business development and channel management. He holds Master’s in Business Administration and bachelor’s in economics.
Sumit Mehta, Chartered Accountant from India, brings over 15 years of diverse industry experience across Manufacturing, Service, Consultancy, and Trading sectors. With an extensive background working with global giants such as Deloitte, Baxter Healthcare, and d.light, Sumit joined Fura in 2020, where he has made significant contributions for transition of the company from publicly listed to a privately owned company and has been instrumental in the transition of finance function from Canada to Dubai. His expertise spans business control, strategic direction, fundraising, corporate governance, and financial leadership. Sumit has a proven track record of establishing and developing finance functions from inception to maturity, driving teams to excel and achieving strategic milestones.
Dibya Jyoti joined FURA in 2018 and is responsible for all the technical aspects of exploration, mining and processing, including gemstone prospect appraisal, resource assessment and mine feasibility. He guides process automation at our mines to improve productivity, efficiency and resource utilisation while protecting the environment. Dibya also worked on several mergers and acquisition projects for FURA, mainly on the Mozambican ruby, Australian Sapphire and Madagascar sapphire.
A geologist with 20 years of global experience in multi-commodity mining, Dibya Jyoti has served as general manager at Gemfields Plc's Kagem emerald mine in Zambia and as a senior geologist with Vedanta Resources, Electrum USA and Tata Steel. He studied at the Indian Institute of Technology, Roorkee.
Rahul joined FURA in 2018. His service as an infantry officer in the Indian Army, particularly in active conflict areas, underpins his second career as a security strategist. He is responsible for security and risk management for FURA's operations worldwide.
Rahul entered the private sector as a senior law-enforcement liaison and security officer for the telecoms major Vodafone in India. He worked in Nigeria, managing security for petrochemicals company Indorama Synthetics, an assignment that included intelligence-gathering and analysis and coordination with government agencies at every level. In Mozambique, he handled security for half a decade at Gemfields Plc's, Montepuez ruby mine.
Yogita joined FURA in 2017 and is responsible for identifying business goals and establishing a long-term direction and growth pathway for the company. Yogita has been involved in the capital raise for FURA since its inception, new management hiring, mergers and acquisitions, setting up the global headquarters in Dubai, privatisation and delisting of Fura Gems Inc from the Toronto Stock exchange and redomiciling in Dubai, brand building, social media and marketing and sales strategies for product promotion and revenue generation.
She has helped to guide regulatory strategy and risk management for a decade for several financial majors in London, including Morgan Stanley, Nomura International, Barclays Investment Bank, the Royal Bank of Scotland and Goldman Sachs.
Yogita has an MBA from Leeds University, UK, and is a chartered accountant. Yogita is a strong advocate of sustainability and inclusion of women in mining industry.
Minati joined FURA in 2018 and is responsible for our R&D and manages the laboratory in Dubai, UAE. She guides our exploration and mining by analysing geological, geochemical, and mineralogical data and reviews new gemstone projects.
For over 30 years, Minati has worked for the Department of Atomic Energy, Government of India, most recently as the head of the Petrology Laboratory of the Atomic Minerals Directorate. She also undertook geological exploration, including at Tummalapalle in Andhra Pradesh, India, possibly the largest uranium deposit in the world, and established high-end research units.
Minati has a PhD in geology and over 50 publications to her credit and is recognised for mentoring young research scholars.
Chandra Shekhar joined FURA in 2018 and is responsible for Fura's operations in Mozambique. Chandra Shekhar is instrumental in setting up Fura's Mozambican Ruby operation, including acquiring and consolidating several Mozambican Ruby licenses, tax clearance, and initiating commercial ruby production.
With years of experience in the mining industry across India and West Africa, Chandra Shekhar has served as the country head for the Jindal group (mining, power, steel) in Mozambique and Mauritius.
He studied at the Indian School of Mines of the Indian Institute of Technology, Dhanbad.
Sanjay joined FURA as Managing Director - Colombia in 2020. Sanjay is responsible for converting the Coscuez mine from a bulk sampling phase to a large-scale underground mine. Since he arrived in FURA, Sanjay has taken on various projects to mechanise the Cosceuz mine, including initiating the project for the construction of a 4m x 4m decline with a total development of 6km. Keeping the Fura principle of taking the community on board, Sanjay has initiated various CSR projects, including the flagship project of Coscuez Training Academy, which supports around 2,000 community members
In his previous role, Sanjay worked as a Country Head and Project Manager for Gemfields Plc, Montepuez Ruby Mine in Mozambique. Sanjay led the conversion of the greenfield project into the world's largest ruby mine before moving back to his home country, India.
In his career spanning more than 25 years, he worked in senior roles in the mining and cement industry, including MSPL Limited, Hindustan Salts Limited, Hindalco Industries Limited, Lafarge Cement and Gujrat Ambuja Cements Ltd.
Sanjay is a mining engineer from Bangalore University and holds a post-graduate diploma in management.
KMG Stephen, HR leader of Fura is passionate about creating long-lasting value by combining business acumen, creativity and insights into human behavior and has been recognized as someone who has thought integrity and believes in creating fair, transparent and honest people processes.
With a deep understanding of the unique challenges faced by the industry, Stephen is committed to implementing best-in-class HR solutions that contribute to the operational excellence and resilience of the organization. Stephen plays a pivotal role in shaping Fura’s human capital strategy worldwide.
Stephen is Law Graduate, Master’s in Human Resources from XISS and Certified from IIM, Calcutta in Leadership & Management, with two decades of extensive experience with General Electrics, Baker Hughes, Alstom, Nokia Siemens, LG Electronics, Envision Energy & ETG.
Stephen was responsible for overseeing all aspects of the global HR function, including talent acquisition, employee engagement, leadership development, performance management, and compliance with local labor laws and global HR standards by driving initiatives that enhance employee well-being.
Stephen has fostered a culture of inclusivity, diversity, and innovation across the global workforce & managed HR operations across multiple regions. He earned rich diverse experience in Oil & Gas, Renewable Energy, Thermal Power, Water, Telecom, Agri Trading & FMCD Industries providing expertise as HR leader for business profitability. He led a diverse team, ensuring alignment of HR practices with the organization’s core values and strategic goals. Stephen is dedicated to building a high-performance environment that supports the organization’s long-term growth and sustainability in the highly competitive market.
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