Deap Capital Management & Trust Plc has announced the appointment of Dutch national Lamon Rutten as chairman of its board, following the company’s 12th Annual General Meeting and subsequent inaugural board meeting held on March 12, 2026.

According to the company’s statement on the Nigerian Exchange Group on Wednesday, the appointment comes as the company positions itself to deepen its role in financing Africa’s critical minerals sector and strengthen its global investor linkages.

Rutten, a globally recognised expert in commodity markets, structured commodity finance, and exchange development, brings over three decades of international experience spanning Europe, Asia, the Middle East, and Africa.

He holds a master’s degree with honours in international economic management from Tilburg University, Netherlands, and is widely regarded as a pioneer in modern commodity trading and financing infrastructure. He previously served in senior roles at the United Nations, including as chief of energy.

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Rutten is best known for his tenure as the pioneering chief executive officer of the Multi-Commodity Exchange of India (MCX), where he led the exchange through a period of rapid growth, transforming it into one of the world’s largest commodity exchanges. Under his leadership, MCX achieved a landmark public listing valued at about $1.5 billion.

His global footprint also includes serving as founding CEO of the Indonesia Commodity & Derivatives Exchange (ICDX) and contributing to the development of the Saudi Mining Exchange initiative. Earlier in his career, he worked with the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), leading international programmes focused on commodity risk management and structured trade finance.

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Rutten is also a respected author and policy expert, with numerous publications on commodity markets, trade finance, and risk management. He has advised governments, multilateral institutions, and financial organisations on commodity market development.

Commenting on the appointment, Israel Ovirih, president of the company, said Rutten’s wealth of global experience would be critical in shaping the company’s strategic direction.

“We are pleased to welcome Lamon Rutten as chairman of Deap Capital Management and Trust Plc. His extensive global experience in commodity markets and financial infrastructure development will be instrumental in guiding the company as we build a world-class platform to finance and support the growth of the critical minerals sector across continental Africa,” Ovirih said.

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He added that Rutten’s expertise would help unlock new opportunities in Africa’s metals and minerals space, including introducing innovative approaches to modernising and formalising artisanal mining, particularly in Nigeria.

In his acceptance remarks, Rutten referred to his appointment as a pivotal moment for the sector.

“It marks a fresh beginning for the financing of African metals and minerals. ” I appreciate my colleagues’ unanimous decision asking me to chair the new board. The future starts now,” he said.