Co-Founder and Executive Chairman

Mr. Waterfield, is the Chairman of Waterfield Holdings, a diversified holding company that traces its origins to 1928. After selling the largest private mortgage company in the US and largest Indiana based bank (Union Federal Bank) in 2006 and 2007 respectively, Waterfield has diversified into technology, manufacturing and other industries. Mr. Waterfield holds the Chartered Financial Analyst designation, is a member of Mensa, and a graduate of Harvard University. Mr. Waterfield currently serves on the Board of Directors of Red Oak Partners, Waterfield Technologies, GEE Group (NASDAQ: JOB), Linden Research, Inc. and has previously served on the boards of YPO (and was the 2017-2018 Global Chairman of YPO), Asure Software (Nasdaq: ASUR), SMTC Corporation (Nasdaq: SMTX), RF Industries (Nasdaq: RFIL), among others. Previously, Mr. Waterfield was at Goldman Sachs & Co., where he worked as an equity research analyst from 1996 through 1999, responsible for the small capitalization growth portfolios.

Mr. Waterfield supports various education, environmental and community development charitable causes through the nonprofit Waterfield Foundation and J. Randall Waterfield Foundation.

Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer

Mr. Hastie is the fourth generation of a family owned and operated mining and minerals processing company. He still maintains an interest in the company and has served the family in an advisory capacity the past 30 plus years. Mr. Hastie obtained his BS and MS from Murray State University and following graduation started a career in the environmental consulting, engineering, and remediation industry. At the age of 25, Mr. Hastie became co-owner of Environmental Operations, Inc. (EOI) located in St. Louis, MO and at 27 years old became the sole owner of EOI.

Under Mr. Hastie’s leadership EOI and its affiliates have become one of the US leaders in environmental risk management and Brownfield redevelopment services. In addition to possessing over 29 years of corporate management experience, Mr. Hastie is a national leading expert in developing cost-effective remediation solutions for complex Brownfield redevelopment projects. Throughout his career Mr. Hastie has served as principal in charge for Brownfield redevelopment projects exceeding $5B in value. Mr. Hastie supports numerous charities and nonprofits in the St. Louis region. Previously, Mr. Hastie has served on the boards of Young Presidents’ Organization (2013-2015 US Central Region Chairman), Mercy Hospitals St. Louis, MO, and Sunset Country Club St. Louis, MO (past President).

Chief Financial Officer

Prior to USSM, Mr. Boehlert was Executive Director and CFO of RCF Acquisition Corp (NYSE: RCFA), a metals and mining focused acquisition company, where he helped lead the company’s 2021 IPO, and Director of Arizona Sonorian Copper Company (TSX: ASCU), a copper mining development company, where he guided the company through an IPO in 2021 and served as Chair of the audit and compensation committees. Mr. Boehlert also previously served as Executive Vice President and CFO of Bunge Ltd (NYSE: BG), a global agribusiness company with $50 billion in sales.

Mr. Boehlert was also President and CEO of First Nickel Inc (TSX: FNI), a nickel mining company in Sudbury, Ontario, and Executive Vice President and CFO of Kinross Gold Corp (NYSE: KGC, TSX: K), an international gold mining company. Mr. Boehlert also previously served as a director of Harry Winston Diamond Corp (NYSE: HWD, TSX: HW) and TMAC Resources (TSX: TMR), where he was Chair of the audit committee. From 2000 through 2005, Mr. Boehlert was CFO of three companies in the energy, utilities and power generation sectors: Texas Genco in Houston, Direct Energy in Toronto and Sithe Energies, Inc in New York. Mr. Boehlert worked at Credit Suisse for 13 years, ultimately as head of the firm’s London-based project finance business, covering Europe, Africa and the Middle East. Mr. Boehlert began his career as an auditor at KPMG in New York. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in business from Indiana University and a Masters in Business Administration from New York University. Mr Boehlert is a Certified Public Accountant (Indiana, inactive).

Commercial Director

Mr. Hollomon is responsible for Government Affairs, Sales and Marketing, and Commercial matters. Mr. Hollomon was a physical commodities trader for two of the world’s largest commodities trading houses, Glencore International and Gunvor SA and has been in the global mining and metals industry for over 26 years including roles as CEO and Director on multiple mining company Boards. Prior to joining USSM, Mr. Hollomon was the Head of the Coal Department for international trading company Gunvor Group Ltd, based in Geneva, Switzerland. He assisted Gunvor’s transition from a pure oil trader to a diversified mining and trading firm. He helped build the solid energy fuels department from the ground up and oversaw the acquisition of mines in Russia, South Africa and the US, sitting on boards of three Gunvor entities.

Mr Hollomon spent the bulk of his career with the world’s largest commodities trading firm Glencore International AG. He started on the trading floor in Baar, Switzerland in 1996 as a Traffic operator working directly under Ivan Glasenberg and eventually moved to Moscow, Russia in 1999 as a Trader. He later became the Head of solid energy fuels department in Russia for Glencore and oversaw the growth of the division from 1 mm metric tons of the energy fuel per annum to the largest single exporter from Russia at 22 mio metric tons per year. Mr. Hollomom was crucial to Russia opening it’s global exports to the largest buyers in the world by instituting world class logistics standards from Siberian and Yakutian mines to ports from the Baltic to the Black Sea to the Far East.

Mr. Hollomon is a graduate of Florida State University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Political Science. Mike finished his degree at FSU while working in the State House of Representatives for State Congressman Dave Thomas who eventually hired Mike as a legislative assistant out of college. Mike further attended Law School at St. Thomas School of Law in Miami, Florida before moving to Europe and beginning a future in commodities.

Executive Director of Operations:

Mr. Cochran has been in the mining, material processing and logistics business for 24 years. Before joining USSM Mr. Cochran was Vice President of Operations – Oil and Gas for U.S. Silica a global leader in minerals and logistics, where he completed numerous capital projects, including plant expansions and new plant startups along with overseeing corporate Operations Excellence and serving on the Risk Committee. Mr. Cochran also served as Vice President of Operations for Mississippi Sand an industry-leading frac sand mining and logistics company that operated the industry's first reliable barge network.

Mr. Cochran earned a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration from Lindenwood University and has completed Rice University’s Advanced Management Program.

Non-Executive Director

Mr. Jeffrey Rogers is also the President & CEO of LiftForward, Inc., a private equity backed software company, which provides brands, merchants and banks with embedded finance software platforms that power global financing programs. While at LiftForward, Mr. Rogers developed one of the largest integrated networks of major OEMs, retailers and banks in over 15 countries. Prior to LiftForward, Mr. Rogers was President of Behalf, a financial technology firm funded by Sequoia Capital and President & COO of Integra Realty Resources, Inc., one the largest professional services firms in the United States. Prior to joining Integra, Mr. Rogers held other operating positions and was in the Financial Sponsors Group at Deutsche Banc Alex Brown where he advised private equity firms and investment funds on leveraged buyouts and mergers & acquisitions. Mr. Rogers began his career in law, as Counsel for NationsBank Corporation (now Bank of America).

Mr. Rogers received his BA from Washington and Lee University, his JD from Washington and Lee University School of Law, and finally, his MBA from the Darden School at the University of Virginia. Mr. Rogersserves on the boards of Sol-REIT, a mortgage REIT in the solar industry, Star Mountain Credit Opportunities Fund, L.P., Strategic Realty Trust, and previously the Young Presidents’ Organization, where he served as Audit Chair. Mr. Rogers received his BA from Washington and Lee University, his JD from Washington and Lee University School of Law, and finally, his MBA from the Darden School at the University of Virginia. Mr. Rogers has been the recipient of numerous awards including regional finalist EY Entrepreneur of the Year, Deloitte Technology Fast 500, Finovate presenter, and Smart CEO Future 50. In his spare time, Mr. Rogers supports various educational and art related nonprofits.

Non-Executive Director

Michael Patterson is a Governing Partner of HPS Investment Partners where he leads the Direct Lending platform. He is the Portfolio Manager for the Specialty Loan Funds and the Core Senior Lending Funds and the CEO and Chairman of the HPS Corporate Lending Fund. Mr. Patterson joined HPS at its inception in 2007, establishing the European business before returning to the United States in 2009. Before joining HPS, Mr. Patterson was with Silver Point Capital in the U.S. and Europe and the Goldman Sachs Principal Investing Area in New York. Prior to his investing career, Mr. Patterson served as an officer in the United States Navy. He serves on the Dean’s Advisory Council for the Radcliffe Institute of Advanced Studies at Harvard. Mr. Patterson holds an AB in Applied Mathematics from Harvard College and an MBA from Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business, where he was an Arjay Miller Scholar.

Non-Executive Director

Mr. Strothotte was Chairman and CEO of Glencore International AG, the world’s largest integrated mining company and commodities trader. Prior to Glencore, from 1961 to 1978 Mr. Strothotte held various positions with responsibility for international trading in metals and minerals in Germany, Belgium and the USA. In 1978, Mr. Strothotte joined Glencore International, taking up the position of Head of Metals and Minerals in 1984. Mr. Strothotte was appointed Chief Executive Officer of Glencore in 1993 and held the combined positions of Chairman and Chief Executive Officer from 1994 until 2001, when the roles of Chairman and Chief Executive were split. Mr. Strothotte was Chairman of Xstrata AG from 1994, and Chairman of Xstrata plc starting in 2002 as well as director of Century Aluminum Corporation, Glencore International AG and Minara Resources Limited. Outside of the commodities industry, Mr. Strothotte served on the Board of KKR Financial Holdings LLC from 2014. Among many qualifications, Mr. Strothotte brings to our Board extensive experience in business strategy, management and energy and commodities as the leader of one of the world’s most successful international businesses.