Ashley McAleese. Image: Cove Kaz Capital.
Cove Kaz Capital Group has announced the appointment of Ashley McAleese as Chief Operating Officer (COO), with immediate effect.
This key leadership appointment comes at a pivotal moment in the development of the Severniy Katpar tungsten project, one of the world’s largest known undeveloped tungsten resources.
As Cove Kaz advances into bankable feasibility, construction planning, construction execution and ultimately production ramp-McAleese’s appointment underscores the company’s commitment to recruiting an experienced team to build out a robust, reliable, and sustainable supply-chain for critical minerals – particularly tungsten – to support US and allied industrial and defense needs.
McAleese will drive the operational and technical workstreams for Cove Kaz, including final feasibility study coordination, construction readiness, downstream processing and refining planning, and early operations for Severniy Katpar and Upper Kairakty.
He will help coordinate cross-functional teams covering engineering, processing, environmental, social and governance (ESG), community/stakeholder engagement, and supply-chain logistics.
McAleese brings over 24 years of international mining and metals industry experience. Most recently, he served as Chief Executive Officer of Masan High‑Tech Materials (MHT), where he led operations at the Nui Phao mine and refinery – the world’s most modern major integrated tungsten mine and refinery – overseeing a workforce of approximately 1,500 employees and 700 contractors.
Under his leadership at MHT, McAleese advanced ESG, safety and community-engagement initiatives alongside operational and production excellence. His technical background, holding a bachelor’s degree in Minerals Processing from the University of Queensland, combined with his track record in the tungsten industry, positions him uniquely to lead Cove Kaz’s operational ambitions in Kazakhstan.
“We are delighted to welcome Ashley into the senior leadership team at Cove Kaz,” CEO Dominic Heaton said in a news release.
“His proven expertise in operating world-class tungsten mining and processing through Nui Phao, combined with his commitment to ESG and sustainable operations, will be instrumental as we transition Severniy Katpar from feasibility into construction and production. Ashley’s appointment signals our readiness to build the right team to deliver a secure and diversified tungsten supply chain for the United States and global markets.”