The Ocean Partners senior team is comprised of former “Producers” with strong academic grounding in the technical and economic aspects of the business.  Brief summaries of their careers prior to the management buy-out and the formation of Ocean Partners are as follows:


Jeffrey Beck , Managing Director (USA)

Jeff is a graduate of Queen’s University (1980) with a degree in Mining Engineering. After university, he worked in various management positions in ASARCO’s Tennessee Mines Division from 1980 to 1983. It was during this time that Jeff received his MBA degree from the University of Tennessee. The following 4 years were spent in ASARCO’s New York offices in the Ore Department where Jeff oversaw the Lead/Zinc concentrate desk.

In 1987 Jeff transferred to Elders Raw Material Ltd. to begin his trading career, concentrating on lead, zinc, tin and copper concentrates. He left for Pechiney World Trade (PWT) in 1990 as the Lead/Zinc trader and took over responsibility for PWT’s Ores and Concentrate Department in 1992 through to the management buyout from Alcan.

Upon completion of the MBO, Jeff assumed the role of Chairman and Managing Director of Ocean Partners Holdings Limited in October 2004.

Jeff is married with three children.

Paul Smith , Finance Director (UK)

After graduating from Oxford University in 1976 (MA, Metallurgy and the Science of Materials), Paul joined Rio Tinto Zinc as a graduate management trainee.  After an initial twelve months, he ended up in the concentrates purchasing department of RTZ subsidiary AM&S Europe Limited who had smelting interests in both the UK and the Netherlands and has spent the rest of his career to date involved with concentrates in one way or another.

By 1993, he was General Manager – Commercial for the UK zinc/lead ISF smelter in Avonmouth which by then was owned by Mt Isa Mines of Australia.  In 1996, he left to join Pechiney World Trade (PWT) in Connecticut as head of lead concentrates trading.  After returning to the UK in 1999, he developed PWT’s involvement with structured trade finance transactions and was Managing Director of the UK entity, Pechiney Trading Limited.

Paul is currently Finance Director of Ocean Partners, married, and has three children.

Al Paterson, Director (USA)

Al is a graduate of Queen’s University (1985) with a degree in Mining Engineering. After spending time in operations with Lafarge Corporation, Al joined the Noranda Sales team in 1987 helping to coordinate zinc and lead concentrate purchases and sales for the Noranda group.

Al left for Pechiney World Trade (PWT) in 1993 as the zinc/lead trader, a role he maintains at Ocean Partners.

Al is married with two children.

Ad van Halder, Director (UK)

After graduating from the Rotterdam School of Management (MBA), Ad joint Billiton in 1980 as a graduate management trainee. Over the next 13 years, Ad worked for Billiton in the Netherlands, USA and Germany primarily in finance functions then on to various commercial capacities.

During 1993, Ad left Billiton and joined Euromin SA in London as Vice President - Metal Trading and becoming President – Metal Trading during 1997. In 2002, Pechiney World Trade (PWT) bought Euromin’s zinc metal business, and at PWT Ad assumed the role of Trading Director focusing on zinc, lead and copper metal trading, as well as regional responsibility for the CIS, Central Asia and Middle East.

Ad is married with two children.


Walter Cimowsky, Director (Canada)

Walter is a graduate of the University of Toronto, with degrees in geology (B.Sc., 1978) and business (MBA, 1980).

From 1980 until 1994 he worked in the sales and marketing division of Noranda Inc., initially posted to the Lead/Zinc Concentrate department before being appointed head of the Precious Metals Recycling and then Copper Concentrate departments.  In 1994 he joined Pechiney World Trade (PWT) as head of Copper Concentrate and Blister trading, a position he still holds with Ocean Partners.

Walter is married with two children.



Siva Pillay, Chief Financial Officer (UK)

Siva graduated from Southampton University in 1984, with a BSc Joint Honours in Accounting and Law. 

After 15 years experience with various banks (The Bank of New York, Fortis and Standard Bank) working in the commodity finance and related fields, Siva established his own boutique advisory company arranging Trade Project Finance.  In 2004, Siva assisted with the Ocean Partners MBO and subsequently in 2005 joined the company.

Siva is married with two children.

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