Resource Advisory Group (RAG)
With an initial focus on Sub-Saharan Africa and Australia, CPP RAG combines deep geological and engineering expertise with practical deal experience and capital-markets insight to help clients de-risk projects, enhance value, and improve outcomes for investors and stakeholders.
CPP Resource Advisory Group (CPP-RAG) provides integrated technical, commercial, and capital-markets advisory services to the natural resources sector. Working with mining and energy companies, institutions, investors, bankers, brokers, and NOMADs, the team supports clients across the full project lifecycle — from opportunity generation and technical evaluation through to jurisdictional risk, governance, and funding strategy.
Key services include:
Project Generation & Targeting
Remote sensing, tenure analysis, data acquisition, deal negotiation with rights holders, and project packaging.
Technical & Economic Evaluation
End-to-end assessment from geology through engineering and development planning.
Tenure & Regulatory Due Diligence
Title review, permitting analysis, and jurisdictional risk assessment and mitigation.
Resources & Reserves
Competent Person Reports under JORC and NI-43-101 standards.
Governance & Management Advisory
Board capability reviews and alignment of skills with remuneration.
Capital Markets Support
Perception analysis, investor messaging, promotional strategy, and introductions to potential funders.
Sector Coverage
Hard-rock exploration and mining
Energy resources (coal, uranium, oil & gas)
Agriculture-linked natural resources
Associates
Andrew Cranswick
Andrew N. Cranswick is an Associate in CPP’s Resource Advisory Group (RAG) with more than 40 years’ experience across mining, natural resources, and international capital markets. As founder and former CEO of African Consolidated Resources plc, he led the raising and deployment of approximately £40 million into Zimbabwean exploration, overseeing the discovery and JORC certification of major gold and PGM resources and playing a central role in the identification of the Marange diamond field. He combines deep on-the-ground experience in frontier jurisdictions with a strong understanding of corporate finance, land and mining title, and regulatory frameworks across Southern and Central Africa. Within CPP RAG, Andrew supports M&A transactions by providing practical, jurisdiction-savvy insight that helps buyers and investors understand asset quality, country risk, and commercial viability, strengthening decision-making throughout deal execution and integration.
Lee W. John
Lee W. John is an Associate in CPP’s Resource Advisory Group (RAG), bringing over 30 years of operational, technical, and commercial experience across the global mining and metals sector. He has a strong track record of leading complex, capital-intensive projects and turning around distressed assets, with deep expertise in hydrometallurgy—particularly SX–EW copper, cobalt, and lithium flowsheets. Lee has advised on and delivered multi-hundred-million-dollar developments, supported bankable feasibility studies, and applied quantitative risk analysis (including Monte Carlo modelling) to strengthen investment cases for lenders, sponsors, and developers. Within CPP RAG, he provides investors, corporates, and financial institutions with independent technical insight, project risk assessment, and value-enhancing strategies across the full mining project lifecycle, from early-stage evaluation through construction, commissioning, and operations.