Leadership
Board & Management
Rex Turkington | Non-Executive Chairman
Rex Turkington is a highly experienced director and corporate advisor whose career is fundamentally based in corporate finance, stockbroking, and economics. He specializes heavily in the mining sector, bringing extensive expertise to both exploration and development projects. With a strong track record at the board level for ASX-listed companies, Rex has actively initiated and participated in numerous successful IPOs, capital raisings, and sophisticated investor placements. He leverages a comprehensive network within the financial and broker sectors across Australia, the UK, Hong Kong, and New Zealand to drive corporate growth. Rex holds a Bachelor of Commerce with First Class Honours in Economics and is a graduate of the Australian Company Directors Association.
Kent Balas | Managing Director
Kent Balas is an Australian exploration geologist having graduated from the University of Melbourne with a Bachelor of Science in 2010. Since then, Kent has worked in Australia, Africa, North America and Central Asia gaining experience in Coal Seam Gas, Iron Ore, Mineral Sands, Gold and Base Metals. Kent moved to Kazakhstan in 2013 and was the first boots-on-the-ground geologist for IIuka Resources in Kazakhstan that led to IIuka gaining tenure over 60,000 sq km in North Kazakhstan. Subsequent to this Kent was co-founder and Chief Geologist of Aurora Minerals Group in Kazakhstan. Aurora Minerals Group is a full-service consultancy and was the agent of SkyTEM in the former Soviet Union. In 2017 Kent returned to Australia and founded Gippsland Prospecting which was sold in a cash and share transaction to Battery Minerals (ASX:BAT) in 2020.
Dr. Jeff Keetley | Executive Director / Chief Technical Officer
Dr Jeff Keetley has a proven track record of building and leading high-growth geoscience companies across multiple commodities and jurisdictions for over 20 years. As MD/CEO of Intrepid Geophysics, he has overseen the development and application of advanced exploration services and technologies to support mineral exploration programs worldwide. Dr Keetley’s deep expertise in multidisciplinary geoscience interpretation, uncertainty quantification, and undercover targeting strategies has driven the development of proprietary exploration technologies deployed across Australia, Asia, Africa, and the Middle East. Dr Keetley has completed successful exploration and technology projects globally, co-authored numerous scientific publications, and contributed to the advancement of modern mineral targeting methodologies.
Murray Orr | Non-Executive Director
With over 15 years of commercial and investing experience spanning multiple industries including manufacturing, healthcare, commercial property and capital markets; Murray has developed and contributed to businesses as an activist HNW individual with a focus on strategy, financing, and genuine value creation. His background in managing diverse assets and teams provides a strong contribution to Crustal Dynamics as the company looks to unlock value in the critical minerals and precious metals sector.
Ian Gregory | Company Secretary
Ian Gregory has over 30 years’ experience in the provision of company secretarial and business administration services to listed and unlisted companies. Companies for which Ian has acted as Company Secretary include Iluka Resources Limited, IBJ Australia Bank Limited and the Griffin Coal Mining Group of companies. He currently consults on secretarial and governance matters to a number of listed and unlisted companies. Ian is a past member and Chairman of the Western Australian Branch Council of Governance Institute of Australia (GIA) and has also served on the National Council of GIA.
Mark McInnes | External CFO
A Chartered Accountant with more than 25 years of experience advising privately owned businesses and growth-focused enterprises, Mark brings extensive expertise across financial reporting, taxation and business structures. He works closely with the leadership team to provide commercial insights, support informed decision-making and ensure the company’s financial strategy is aligned with its broader objectives. Mark has been involved with Crustal Dynamics since its inception, contributing to the company’s establishment and ongoing development. He has played a key role in overseeing the accounting treatment and recording of mining tenement costs, providing financial oversight of exploration activities and assisting in the development of appropriate financial systems and processes. As the company continues to progress, Mark works closely with management, legal advisers, auditors and other professional advisers to support strategic initiatives and ensure the business is well positioned for its next stage of growth.
Malek Ghantous | Head of Research & Development
Dr Malek Ghantous is an applied mathematician, geophysicist and data scientist with expertise in machine learning, numerical modelling and geospatial data analysis. He has held research and development roles in Australia and Europe, including work in satellite data, ocean modelling and large-scale data assimilation systems. His experience includes the application of machine learning and statistical techniques to geoscience datasets, including geophysical and geochemical data interpretation. At Crustal Dynamics, he is responsible for the development of AI-assisted exploration workflows and data-driven targeting methodologies.
Geoff Reed | Independent Geologist
Geoff Reed is an experienced independent geologist with more than 30 years of international exploration and mining industry experience across base metals, precious metals, uranium, and industrial minerals. He has held senior technical and management roles in both major and junior resource companies, with extensive expertise in exploration strategy, target generation, project evaluation, and resource development Reed has worked across Australia, Africa, Asia, and the Americas, contributing to the discovery, advancement, and technical assessment of multiple mineral projects. His experience spans greenfields exploration through to development-stage evaluation, with a strong focus on integrating geological interpretation with geophysical and geochemical datasets to reduce exploration risk and improve targeting outcomes.
Airee Glenis Labad | Executive / Media
Bringing ten years of government administration experience to the team, Airee Glenis Labad serves as Executive Assistant at Crustal Dynamics. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in English, complemented by advanced graduate studies in Public Administration. At Crustal Dynamics, Airee provides practical, remote support for the leadership team by maintaining the company website, managing asset-tracking tools, and preparing newsletters. Outside of her work, Airee is a self-published author for an in-depth lyrical analysis book and meditational guide for mindfulness.