Appian Capital Advisory LLP, the investment advisor to private equity funds that invest solely in mining and mining-related companies, has announced the appointment of Silvio Lima as Head of Corporate Affairs, ESG and Community Engagement.
Based in London and Brazil, Lima will be brought into Appian’s projects to provide the business’ Investment Committee with insights from an ESG and community engagement perspective. Post-investment, he will be heavily involved in developing and implementing a permitting and community strategy for the Company’s local management teams.
As part of his new role, Lima will also spend more time with the Appian Way Charitable Foundation, Appian’s philanthropic vehicle, focused on allocating capital across social initiatives unique to each project. Since 2019, AWCF has prioritised educational projects, including supporting a teacher training programme in the Alagoas region of Brazil. The charity provided a social and community budget of $1.7m at Mineração Vale Verde and Atlantic Nickel for hygiene products and equipment across local communities during the covid-19 pandemic.
With more than 16 years of experience in metals, aeronautics, and mining, Lima has a significant track-record managing complex communication and engagement projects in a multi-stakeholder environment – dealing with governments, public, private and third sector with an effective and sustainable approach. He joins from Appian Capital Brazil, where he was Director of Corporate Affairs and People since September 2019. During his time at the business, Atlantic Nickel and Appian returned the Santa Rita mine into production with the first sale of nickel concentrate being consummated in January 2020.
Before joining Appian Capital Brazil, Lima held executive positions at Accenture Strategy Consulting, served as Head of Social Performance at AngloAmerican for the Minas-Rio system and for the Nickel operations in Brazil, and was part of Kinross, where he served as Director of Corporate Affairs.
Lima graduated from the Federal University of Minas Gerais with a Bachelor of Science in Control and Automation Engineering and gained a master’s degree in Aeronautical Engineering from the Technological Institute of Aeronautics. Lima holds an MBA from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management.
“[Lima’s]deep understanding of our existing projects, and Appian’s ambition to meet our robust ESG commitments, means we are well-positioned to deliver value for our investors and the appointment reinforces the strategic importance of ESG for our future success,” Appian founder Michael W. Scherb said in a statement.