PNG CORE Councilors at the organization’s recent Annual General Meeting.
(From Left to Right) Kepas Wali, Leon Buskens, Richard Kassman (Senior Vice President), Maygen Turliu, Anthony Smaré (President), Karo Maha-Lelai, Assik Tommy Tomscoll (Vice President), Stanley Komunt, Mark McMonagle, and Hitesh Lal. (Absent is Councilor John Lewins)
The Papua New Guinea Chamber of Resources & Energy (PNG CORE) added 2 new female councilors to its council at its annual AGM last week as CORE’s membership renewed its council and leadership.
The AGM confirmed the re-election of President Anthony Smarè as independent President, and Senior Vice President Richard Kassman (TotalEnergies), who will continue in their roles for another term of 12 months. Assik Tommy Tomscoll (Ramu Nico) was elected unopposed as Vice President, succeeding former VP Philip Samar who retired from the position. Mrs. Karo Maha-Lelai, Country Manager for New Porgera Limited in PNG, and Ms. Maygen Turliu, Partner at Deloitte PNG were also elected to the council as 2 new additions, whilst Kepas Wali, General Manager External Relations at Harmony SE, Leon Buskens, Santos Country Chair for PNG, and John Lewins, President & CEO of K92 Mining were re-elected, all to serve a new term as Councilors for 2 years.
President Anthony Smaré expressed thanks to the contributions and leadership of outgoing councilors and executives VP Philip Samar and Councilor Andrew Harris (Deloitte) representing service members. “Both Philip and Andrew have made a tremendous contribution to the Council in their tenure over the last 5 years, and we are very grateful for their leadership, wisdom and expertise they have provided to CORE. Thankfully they will still remain involved as alternates to their company’s reps on the Council and we look forward to their continued involvement and support.”
Pansy Taueni-Sialis, Chief Operating Officer of PNG CORE, expressed confidence in the newly elected Council members, highlighting their collective expertise as crucial for the organization’s future, particularly as the resources sector gears up for key economic developments.
“The Council is instrumental in guiding PNG CORE as we address issues that matter most to our members,” said Taueni-Sialis. “CORE management extend our gratitude to the outgoing Councilors, former Vice President Philip Samar and Councilor Andrew Harris, for their invaluable contributions and wish them nothing but success.”
Taueni-Sialis also welcomed the newly elected Councilors, underscoring the positive momentum under the leadership of re-elected President Anthony Smaré.
“We have seen significant advancements, especially in our partnerships with stakeholders across the private and public sectors, as well as our bilateral and multilateral partners. This progress has elevated PNG CORE’s profile both domestically and internationally.”
The election of both Karo Maha-Lelai and Maygen Turliu to the Council marks a historic and progressive step for PNG CORE. “We are excited and inspired by the opportunity to collaborate with these leaders, whose expertise and fresh perspectives will undoubtedly enrich our work and drive the industry forward,” Taueni-Sialis added.