Our People
Andrew Barr-Sim – Managing Director, DRUM Resources Limited, UK
After 6 years in the British Army, Andrew has spent 20 years dealing in commodities, mainly sugar. He was a sugar broker for C Czarnikow in London, the Commercial Director for Tate & Lyle Sugar’s trading division and spent 6 years in Durban as Export Manager for the South African’s Sugar Association running the exports of $400 million per annum. He was part of the start up team for the sugar information web portal and e-commerce site ‘www.sugaronline.com.
Andrew first worked for DRUM as a consultant in 1998 on a customs’ reform programme in Georgia. In May 2006, Andrew formally set up DRUM Resources Limited in South Africa as a representative office.
On 16th December 2008, the new DRUM Resources Limited was started, solely focused on African logistics and supply chain management. Andrew was appointed Managing Director and became a minority shareholder.
Don Oliphant – Director, DRUM Resources Limited UK and Managing Director, DRUM Resources South Africa
Don has 36 years experience in road and rail transport management throughout Southern Africa and neighbouring SADEC countries, as well as East Africa, moving and managing cargo on behalf of customers through providing warehousing and transport solutions. Don joined DRUM in 2006 to manage the African operations.
The main thrust at that stage was the management of the RMB copper pipeline that was established to move copper products from DRC and Zambia to the port of Durban. Under Don’s direct control and guidance, these operations have expanded dramatically in that DRUM now has a footprint in central, west and east coasts of Africa managing cargoes ranging from fish, grains, coffee, cocoa, sugar and cement to minerals.
Don is a director and minority shareholder of DRUM Resources Limited and the Managing Director of DRUM Resources Limited South Africa.
Peter Aplin – Director, Drum Resources Limited UK
After studying languages at Bristol University, Peter joined the wine trade in London. Gaining 4 years experience in this sector, Peter next spent 15 years in the food retailing industry, latterly as Trading Director for Somerfield stores (840 stores in UK). His commercial disciplines include purchasing, logistics and marketing. Peter has worked as an independent consultant for the last 12 years providing support to management in various industries including, retail, manufacturing, IT, logistics and media.
Peter Hopkins – Director, Drum Resources Limited UK
After 8 years in the British Army, Peter has spent the past 14 years in emerging markets. From 1996 to 2001, he lived in Moscow and established Drum’s operations throughout the CIS.
Peter is the Managing Director of Drum Risk Management, a totally separate company focused on supply chain solutions in the CIS.
Richard Sykes – Operations Manager
Richard served for 23 years in the British Army as a Petroleum Logistics Specialist, serving across Europe, the South Atlantic and the Middle East.
On leaving the Army, he worked as a civilian contractor in Iraq for 2 years. Next he moved to Chad where he worked for the UN managing the fuel supplies into the north of the country. From there, Richard moved on to become the Operations Manager for a turnkey UN fuel contract in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Whilst working on this contract he travelled extensively through East Africa covering projects across Kenya, Burundi, Uganda and Rwanda. Richard joined Drum Commodities in July 2011.
Emmanuel Ijewere FCA, FCIT, FIOD – Chairman, Drum Resources Nigeria Limited
Emmanuel is one of Nigeria’s most eminent businessmen with very extensive connections across the banking, finance and political spectrums. He is currently working closely with President Goodluck Jonathan on the power requirements for country. He is head of the finance committee for the privatisation of the telecoms industry, shares conference platforms with the Governor of the Reserve Bank and represents Nigeria on overseas delegations to such countries as the United States.
Emmanuel was born in 1946 and his education took him from Lagos to Ijebu Ode, Cameroon and the UK. He started his accounting career in 1965 with Coopers & Lybrand and set up his own company as a chartered accountant in 1979.
His Chairmanships are numerous: Best Foods Global (Nigeria) Limited, Longman Nigeria PLC, Petra Microfinance Bank, Salus Health Trust Management and CSN Investment Concepts Limited being the leading ones.
He has been, amongst many, the past President of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria, Institute of Directors and the West African Sub-Region of the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.
His National Assignments have included Chairmanships of the Agriculture and Food Security Commission the Modified Value Added Tax Committee and.
He is a member of the National Economic Forum, the International Investment Council and the Technical Committee on the Privatisation of Federal Government Companies and Parastatals.
We are very honoured to have such a highly respected individual as the Chairman of Drum Resources Nigeria Limited.
Dave Robinson GCGI – Chief Executive Officer, Drum Resources Nigeria Limited & In-Country Manager, Nigeria
Dave spent over 20 years in the British Army, principally in communications and signals units and concluded his service as a stores and logistics manager. On completion of his military service he moved into the oil and gas industry working on various projects worldwide, again in a logistics’ capacity. Several years in the supply of pipe and fittings to the Petrochemical Industry followed. Joining Drum in January 2011 as the In-Country Manager Nigeria, Dave has also been appointed to the role of Chief Executive Officer Drum Resources Nigeria Limited to manage the considerable expansion of projects in the country.
Stanley Unioh – Operations Manager, Nigeria
Stanley’s background covered training as a journalist at the Nigerian Institute of Journalism, a two-year course studying law at the University of Ibadan and a Business Administration course at the Lagos State University.
He worked briefly in the news and current affairs department of the FM wing of the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria before switching to the security services of Chevron Nigeria Limited where he 5 years taking part in various security operations across Nigeria. He has also served as a security consultant to respected security organizations and companies in Nigeria.
Stanley joined Drum Resources Nigeria Limited in 2004 managing cocoa shipments in Lagos. He was transferred to Cameroon in 2006 as to run a major frozen fish project in Douala. In June 2009 he was promoted to Managing Director, Drum Resources Cameroon Limited.
Then in December 2009 Stanley was transferred back to Nigeria as the Operations Manager and is instrumental in running all our operations in Nigeria.
Daniel Beaudat – Director, Drum Resources Senegal Limited – Francophone West Africa
Daniel is French and been living in Dakar for 3 years. By training he is a cartographer engineer and a graduate in international trade.
For 20 years he managed a publishing company specialising in the publication of text books for Africa. He has worked across Francophone West Africa set up subsidiaries in Cameroon, Mali, Niger, Cote D’Ivoire, Senegal and Guinea.
In 2005, he created his own publishing company focusing on Cameroon and Senegal. He has also set up a Senegalese company involved in tourism.
Daniel has huge experience in African Francophone countries and his expertise in the region is of immense benefit to the company. He joined and formally established Drum Resources Senegal Limited in July 2010 as the first base from which to expand into other Francophone countries.
Jamie Shearer – Accountant, Drum Resources Limited UK
Jamie spent 8 years in the Royal Australian Navy as a radio operator on-board patrol boats. This initial career path opened his eyes to the world of travel spending much time around South East Asia and the small, remote islands of the South West Pacific. Upon completion of his naval career he obtained a Bachelor of Business from Edith Cowan University, Perth, Australia.
After graduating with a major in accounting, Jamie has gained extensive accounting and finance experience in companies ranging from a small soft-drinks and confectionery wholesaler, Kresta (a national curtains and blinds company in Australia) and large multinational companies such as Matthew Clark (wine and beverages) and Norske Skog Paper Mills.
Jamie joined Drum on the 23rd July 2010 heading to Dakar, Senegal for a 3 week operations management role in Dakar, Senegal prior to assuming full accounting duties.
BAREND VAN BRAKEL – IN-COUNTRY MANAGER, TANZANIA – FUELS’ SPECIALIST
Barend’s career started in 2001 as South Africa’s representative in a 1 year international management program in the United States involving hospitality and stock control for Disney World. Next Barend moved to Europe to expand his US experience as part of a management programme for in a 5 start hotel. In 2005 a dramatic career change led to involvement in petroleum products. This started as a trainee technician in fuel installations in the Democratic Republic of Congo and progressed directly to management. And then on to Drum Resources Limited in Tanzania in 2009 managing one of the biggest tank farm installations in Dar Es Salaam, an operation managing the fuel and related products imported by vessel, discharge into and despatch from a tank farm.
Kenny Steele – In-Country Manager, Uganda
Kenny served for 25 years in the British Army across the South Atlantic, Europe and the Middle East. The latter part of his career concentrated on Logistics and Emergency Operational Management. On leaving the Army, he moved to Uganda to run development programmes. In 2010, he worked with a Canadian NGO in self sufficiency and rehabilitation projects in the rural areas before joining Drum Resources Limited as In-Country Manager Uganda, principally involved with a coffee project in Kampala.
Mondial Logistics Services Limited – Ghana
www.mondialghana.com On 1st February 2011, Drum Resources Limited was delighted to outsource all its operations in Ghana to Mondial, all of whose staff had worked for many years for us previously.
Adam Salifu – Managing Director
Adam had been the head of operations for Drum Resources Limited (Ghana) for five years.
His extensive experience covers stock control and logistics management and, in addition,
information processing, harmonization of relationships between working parties and an aptitude
for risk management.
With his strong fluency in French, English and Hausa, Adam Salifu has engaged in several
international operations including being a mediator between Fadoul Agricole and Commerce
International in Mali (2004), being an Inspector of Port Operations for Drum Resources Limited
in Ivory Coast (2006- 2007) and also the Operations Manager for in Togo in 2008.
Adam Salifu also has a sound knowledge of Forex Bureau operations and the agro chemical
trade.
Kwesi Essel – Contracts Manager
Kwesi has ten years of experience in logistics including time spent during his university days as
the Stocks’ Controller for a Coca Cola depot in Bogoso, a town in the Western part of Ghana.
Kwesi was an integral member of the team that started Drum’s operations in Takoradi for
frozen fish. He then was transferred to Accra, spending time at both sugar warehouses to
understudy the dynamics in that trade. He was then moved to the Drum head office in Accra
to serve a pivotal role of communicating to Drum main offices all of the stocks movements in
Ghana.
Kwesi Essel has a Bachelors Degree in the Humanities from the University of Ghana.
Solomon Essel – Business Development Manager
Solomon Essel has a degree in Economics and Philosophy from the University of Ghana and is
currently studying to become a certified Auditor. Solomon Essel is also a research analyst with
the Centre for Research Studies.
Solomon has worked as a marketing officer with a leading Coca-Cola distribution outlet in
the Western Region of Ghana and also as a Senior Supervisor for Drum Resources Limited
(Ghana).
Solomon’s drive is to project the corporate image of Mondial in both the domestic and
international structured trade market.