Alan Franklin, JD (Toronto 1975), LLM (London 1976)
Alan retired from private practice to devote his time to teaching, consulting and writing about international business risk management.
For Athabasca University he developed and is presently teaching 2 courses: International Business: Understanding and Managing Risk and Due Diligence for their distance-learning Executive MBA program. Both courses are inter-disciplinary, combining law, ethics, risk management, corporate governance and international human rights issues.
Through Athabasca University, he has worked with over 350 companies in Canada which has allowed him to develop insights into issues of risk analysis and management on a practical level that are not well known nor discussed in the literature or at conferences. Most recently he has been a consultant to the African Development Bank, ASEAN, Asian Development Bank, and Foreign Affairs Departments of a number of states.
Alan teaches courses on international law and diplomacy to diplomats globally as a faculty member of Diplo Foundation in association with the University of Malta.
Alan has also been a faculty member of Royal University of Law and Economics in Phnom Penh Cambodia teaching courses on international business risk and human rights in their executive master’s program in business law and international law.
In Cambodia he has worked closely with both Non-Governmental Organizations such as Save The Children and World Vision as well as International Organizations such as UNICEF, ILO, IOM, UN OHCHR, UNESCO and World Bank on issues of child labour in South East Asia.
Alan is also an active member of the Columbia University “Teaching Business and Human Rights Forum” and the Global Business and Human Rights Scholars Association.
He writes extensively on international business topics such as anticorruption, business and human rights, political risk insurance, bilateral investment treaties, rule of law, investor state international arbitration, and international risk regarding mergers and acquisitions, and child labour. He has also recorded podcasts for Ethixbase on dealing with corruption risk in international business.
Alan has presented papers and lectured at conferences:
· the International Bar Association in Vienna
· American Branch of the International Law Association
· Transparency International Canada
· Anti-Corruption conference sponsored by Osgoode Hall Law School in Toronto
· NYU Stern School of Business
· Canadian Business Ethics Research Network and Central European University (Budapest) on corruption in Toronto
· Canadian Institute of Mining Metallurgy and Petroleum (CIM)
· Management and Economic Society (MES) of CIM
· OECD CleanGovBiz program
· Alberta International Development Office/Simon Fraser University/MES
Alan has also organized and chaired three conferences on political risk insurance in Toronto and Vancouver in conjunction with World Bank, Export Development Canada, AON, AIG and Grant Thornton.
In the USA, Alan has organized and chaired seminars with:
· Multi-Lateral Investment Guarantee Agency of World Bank
· International Finance Corporation of World Bank
· International Bank for Reconstruction and Development of World Bank
· US Department of State
· Overseas Private Investment Corporation
Publications:
https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/cf_dev/AbsByAuth.cfm?per_id=2535668
Keith Minty, P Eng, MBA
Keith Minty has over 25 years of open pit and underground mine exploration, development, construction and operating experience in the global mining industry primarily in North America, Africa and in the Middle East. Since 1997, Keith has held many senior executive and board positions in public and private mineral resource companies. Currently, he is the President and CEO of Hunter Bay Minerals Plc., a TSX:V listed mineral resource company. In 2014, Keith as a partner co-founded Stope Capital Advisors Inc., a Toronto, Canada based firm that provides technical, commercial and financial advisory and capital sourcing services to the mineral resource industry and select other sectors. Prior to Stope Capital Advisors Inc., Keith was based in Dubai, U.A.E. as the Chief Operating Officer of the mineral resources division of Thani Investments Ltd., a private venture capital group with mineral resource interests primarily in the Middle East and Northern Africa. Keith holds a Master's degree in Business Administration as well as a Bachelor of Applied Science degree in Mining Engineering. Mr. Minty was awarded the “Mining Man of the Year” Award — for outstanding achievement in the Canadian Mining Industry — The Northern Miner- 2000. Other awards received are: “Developer of the Year” Award — for outstanding achievement in North Western Ontario - NWOPA - 2000.
Carolyn Franklin, BA, MLS
A legal researcher, librarian, and manager Carolyn is the organizer, technical, and business editor.
Advisory Board
Dr. Robert W. Schafer, PhD
As an executive, manager and field geologist, he has led teams to the discovery of mines in the western USA and has experience working in more than 70 countries, particularly Russia, Australia, China, central Asia, India, and many countries in Africa and South America.
Robert Schafer earned his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Geology at Miami University (Ohio) in 1974 and 1976, respectively and completed a Ph.D. in Geology and completed a second Master’s degree in Mineral Economics at the University of Arizona in 1980. He also completed the Executive Business Program at Stanford University. He is a Registered Professional Geologist in the States of Wyoming and Utah.
He is Past-President of the Canadian Institute for Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum (C.I.M.). He is also Incoming President (2016-2018) and a member of the Board of Directors for the Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada (PDAC). He is an active member of the Society for Mining, Metallurgy and Exploration (S.M.E.), where he sat on the Board of Directors for a number of years. He is also a member of the Board of Directors for both the National Mining Hall of Fame in the USA and the Canadian Mining Hall of Fame, where he is also Past-Chairman. In 2002 A.I.M.E. presented him with its William L. Saunders Gold Medal for career distinction and in 2005 he was recognized by S.M.E. as a “Distinguished Member”.
James Cooney
For over 35 years, Jim Cooney has been a mining industry leader and consensus builder in Canada and overseas. He was at the forefront of the mining industry's movement to sustainable development. Initially based at Cominco (now Teck), Jim spent most of his career as VP at Placer Dome (now Barrick), retiring in 2006. His work has focused on the social and political challenges of mining in less developed regions of the world.
In the early 1990s, he was in the minority in the industry in advocating sustainable development as a comprehensive and integrated approach to managing environmental, community and governmental issues. In 1996, Placer Dome became the first mining company to adopt a corporate sustainable development policy and program of action. During the next four years, as chair of the Public Policy Committee of the ICME (now ICMM), Jim led member companies to adopt an Industry Sustainable Development Charter, which became the launch pad for the Global Mining Initiative and MMSD project. He continues to contribute his insights and concepts to the ongoing dialogue between the industry and its stakeholders. James coined the term Social Licence to Operate in 1997, and in a meeting with the World Bank, he used the term to describe the socio-political challenges facing the mining industry at that time. When the World Bank officials then began using the term, it spread throughout the mining industry.
Winner of Syncrude Award for Excellence in Sustainable Development in 2011, he is a past Director of the North South Institute, the Canadian Chamber of Commerce and the Pacific Basin Economic Council. James has been Professor of Practice in Global Governance at McGill University as well as an adjunct professor at Simon Fraser University and University of British Columbia. Representing Placer Dome as a founding member of the United Nations Global Compact with Business, he worked with U.N. agencies and civil society organizations in a project on conflict-sensitive business practices. He was actively engaged in the World Bank’s Extractive Industries Review from 2002 to 2004, during which he served in his personal capacity on the World Bank’s External Advisory Panel for the internal evaluation of its oil, gas and mining projects. From 2004 to 2006, he was advisor on the development of IFC’s Performance Standards on Social and Environmental Sustainability.
James Gowans P. Eng.
Jim is presently President and CEO of Arizona Mining Inc. a Canadian mineral exploration and development company, as well as Chair of the Board of Directors of Dominion Diamond Corporation and a member of the board of directors of Cameco Corporation, all TSE listed corporations. He is also a member of the board of directors of Gedex Inc. an innovative geophysics company. Jim was previously Co-President of Barrick Gold Corporation (the world’s largest gold mining company) after acting as its Executive VP and COO.
Jim has been Managing Director of Debswana Diamond Company (Pty) Ltd., President and CEO of DeBeers Canada, COO and SVP of PT International Nickel Indonesia Tbk and Executive Vice President of Placer Dome Inc. Jim was President of the Canadian Institute for Mining and Metallurgy and a Director of the Conference Board of Canada.
Lewis Megaw
Lewis Megaw leads the International Trade Finance Group at the Allam Advisory Group. Lewis Megaw was previously Group Chief Executive—International Trade and Finance for World Trade Advisors. Mr. Megaw has over 35 years of experience in international trade, trade finance, and business development across multiple sectors around the world. His work has focused on advising C-suite executives on international market entry and expansion, with an emphasis on international finance and insurance deal structuring in support of companies with their direct sales or foreign direct investments.
From 1998 to 2013, Mr. Megaw held several leadership positions with Export Development Canada. Most recently, he served as Regional Vice President responsible for international business development in Africa, Europe and the Middle East.Prior to that, Mr. Megaw served as Vice President, Manufacturing Sector, Regional Vice President for Ontario, and Regional Vice President for Western Canada. Prior to EDC, Mr. Megaw spent 23 years with the Bank of Montreal in a variety of senior positions including management of their commercial and corporate group in Manitoba. He holds a professional accounting designation (CMA) from the University of Manitoba.
Alan retired from private practice to devote his time to teaching, consulting and writing about international business risk management.
For Athabasca University he developed and is presently teaching 2 courses: International Business: Understanding and Managing Risk and Due Diligence for their distance-learning Executive MBA program. Both courses are inter-disciplinary, combining law, ethics, risk management, corporate governance and international human rights issues.
Through Athabasca University, he has worked with over 350 companies in Canada which has allowed him to develop insights into issues of risk analysis and management on a practical level that are not well known nor discussed in the literature or at conferences. Most recently he has been a consultant to the African Development Bank, ASEAN, Asian Development Bank, and Foreign Affairs Departments of a number of states.
Alan teaches courses on international law and diplomacy to diplomats globally as a faculty member of Diplo Foundation in association with the University of Malta.
Alan has also been a faculty member of Royal University of Law and Economics in Phnom Penh Cambodia teaching courses on international business risk and human rights in their executive master’s program in business law and international law.
In Cambodia he has worked closely with both Non-Governmental Organizations such as Save The Children and World Vision as well as International Organizations such as UNICEF, ILO, IOM, UN OHCHR, UNESCO and World Bank on issues of child labour in South East Asia.
Alan is also an active member of the Columbia University “Teaching Business and Human Rights Forum” and the Global Business and Human Rights Scholars Association.
He writes extensively on international business topics such as anticorruption, business and human rights, political risk insurance, bilateral investment treaties, rule of law, investor state international arbitration, and international risk regarding mergers and acquisitions, and child labour. He has also recorded podcasts for Ethixbase on dealing with corruption risk in international business.
Alan has presented papers and lectured at conferences:
· the International Bar Association in Vienna
· American Branch of the International Law Association
· Transparency International Canada
· Anti-Corruption conference sponsored by Osgoode Hall Law School in Toronto
· NYU Stern School of Business
· Canadian Business Ethics Research Network and Central European University (Budapest) on corruption in Toronto
· Canadian Institute of Mining Metallurgy and Petroleum (CIM)
· Management and Economic Society (MES) of CIM
· OECD CleanGovBiz program
· Alberta International Development Office/Simon Fraser University/MES
Alan has also organized and chaired three conferences on political risk insurance in Toronto and Vancouver in conjunction with World Bank, Export Development Canada, AON, AIG and Grant Thornton.
In the USA, Alan has organized and chaired seminars with:
· Multi-Lateral Investment Guarantee Agency of World Bank
· International Finance Corporation of World Bank
· International Bank for Reconstruction and Development of World Bank
· US Department of State
· Overseas Private Investment Corporation
Publications:
https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/cf_dev/AbsByAuth.cfm?per_id=2535668
Keith Minty, P Eng, MBA
Keith Minty has over 25 years of open pit and underground mine exploration, development, construction and operating experience in the global mining industry primarily in North America, Africa and in the Middle East. Since 1997, Keith has held many senior executive and board positions in public and private mineral resource companies. Currently, he is the President and CEO of Hunter Bay Minerals Plc., a TSX:V listed mineral resource company. In 2014, Keith as a partner co-founded Stope Capital Advisors Inc., a Toronto, Canada based firm that provides technical, commercial and financial advisory and capital sourcing services to the mineral resource industry and select other sectors. Prior to Stope Capital Advisors Inc., Keith was based in Dubai, U.A.E. as the Chief Operating Officer of the mineral resources division of Thani Investments Ltd., a private venture capital group with mineral resource interests primarily in the Middle East and Northern Africa. Keith holds a Master's degree in Business Administration as well as a Bachelor of Applied Science degree in Mining Engineering. Mr. Minty was awarded the “Mining Man of the Year” Award — for outstanding achievement in the Canadian Mining Industry — The Northern Miner- 2000. Other awards received are: “Developer of the Year” Award — for outstanding achievement in North Western Ontario - NWOPA - 2000.
Carolyn Franklin, BA, MLS
A legal researcher, librarian, and manager Carolyn is the organizer, technical, and business editor.
Advisory Board
Dr. Robert W. Schafer, PhD
As an executive, manager and field geologist, he has led teams to the discovery of mines in the western USA and has experience working in more than 70 countries, particularly Russia, Australia, China, central Asia, India, and many countries in Africa and South America.
Robert Schafer earned his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Geology at Miami University (Ohio) in 1974 and 1976, respectively and completed a Ph.D. in Geology and completed a second Master’s degree in Mineral Economics at the University of Arizona in 1980. He also completed the Executive Business Program at Stanford University. He is a Registered Professional Geologist in the States of Wyoming and Utah.
He is Past-President of the Canadian Institute for Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum (C.I.M.). He is also Incoming President (2016-2018) and a member of the Board of Directors for the Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada (PDAC). He is an active member of the Society for Mining, Metallurgy and Exploration (S.M.E.), where he sat on the Board of Directors for a number of years. He is also a member of the Board of Directors for both the National Mining Hall of Fame in the USA and the Canadian Mining Hall of Fame, where he is also Past-Chairman. In 2002 A.I.M.E. presented him with its William L. Saunders Gold Medal for career distinction and in 2005 he was recognized by S.M.E. as a “Distinguished Member”.
James Cooney
For over 35 years, Jim Cooney has been a mining industry leader and consensus builder in Canada and overseas. He was at the forefront of the mining industry's movement to sustainable development. Initially based at Cominco (now Teck), Jim spent most of his career as VP at Placer Dome (now Barrick), retiring in 2006. His work has focused on the social and political challenges of mining in less developed regions of the world.
In the early 1990s, he was in the minority in the industry in advocating sustainable development as a comprehensive and integrated approach to managing environmental, community and governmental issues. In 1996, Placer Dome became the first mining company to adopt a corporate sustainable development policy and program of action. During the next four years, as chair of the Public Policy Committee of the ICME (now ICMM), Jim led member companies to adopt an Industry Sustainable Development Charter, which became the launch pad for the Global Mining Initiative and MMSD project. He continues to contribute his insights and concepts to the ongoing dialogue between the industry and its stakeholders. James coined the term Social Licence to Operate in 1997, and in a meeting with the World Bank, he used the term to describe the socio-political challenges facing the mining industry at that time. When the World Bank officials then began using the term, it spread throughout the mining industry.
Winner of Syncrude Award for Excellence in Sustainable Development in 2011, he is a past Director of the North South Institute, the Canadian Chamber of Commerce and the Pacific Basin Economic Council. James has been Professor of Practice in Global Governance at McGill University as well as an adjunct professor at Simon Fraser University and University of British Columbia. Representing Placer Dome as a founding member of the United Nations Global Compact with Business, he worked with U.N. agencies and civil society organizations in a project on conflict-sensitive business practices. He was actively engaged in the World Bank’s Extractive Industries Review from 2002 to 2004, during which he served in his personal capacity on the World Bank’s External Advisory Panel for the internal evaluation of its oil, gas and mining projects. From 2004 to 2006, he was advisor on the development of IFC’s Performance Standards on Social and Environmental Sustainability.
James Gowans P. Eng.
Jim is presently President and CEO of Arizona Mining Inc. a Canadian mineral exploration and development company, as well as Chair of the Board of Directors of Dominion Diamond Corporation and a member of the board of directors of Cameco Corporation, all TSE listed corporations. He is also a member of the board of directors of Gedex Inc. an innovative geophysics company. Jim was previously Co-President of Barrick Gold Corporation (the world’s largest gold mining company) after acting as its Executive VP and COO.
Jim has been Managing Director of Debswana Diamond Company (Pty) Ltd., President and CEO of DeBeers Canada, COO and SVP of PT International Nickel Indonesia Tbk and Executive Vice President of Placer Dome Inc. Jim was President of the Canadian Institute for Mining and Metallurgy and a Director of the Conference Board of Canada.
Lewis Megaw
Lewis Megaw leads the International Trade Finance Group at the Allam Advisory Group. Lewis Megaw was previously Group Chief Executive—International Trade and Finance for World Trade Advisors. Mr. Megaw has over 35 years of experience in international trade, trade finance, and business development across multiple sectors around the world. His work has focused on advising C-suite executives on international market entry and expansion, with an emphasis on international finance and insurance deal structuring in support of companies with their direct sales or foreign direct investments.
From 1998 to 2013, Mr. Megaw held several leadership positions with Export Development Canada. Most recently, he served as Regional Vice President responsible for international business development in Africa, Europe and the Middle East.Prior to that, Mr. Megaw served as Vice President, Manufacturing Sector, Regional Vice President for Ontario, and Regional Vice President for Western Canada. Prior to EDC, Mr. Megaw spent 23 years with the Bank of Montreal in a variety of senior positions including management of their commercial and corporate group in Manitoba. He holds a professional accounting designation (CMA) from the University of Manitoba.