New Chairman of the Russian Society of Subsoil Use Experts (OERN) appointed

December 08, 2025, Moscow

Vladimir Sergeyevich Komlev, Director of IMET RAS, was appointed Chairman of OERN - Russian Society of Subsoil Use Experts by the order of AOON «NAEN».

Table of contents

• Appointment of the new Chairperson of OERN
• Role of the Chairperson of the OERN in the NAEN-OERN system
• Professional profile of Vladimir Komlev and IMET RAS
• Significance of the designation for the NAEN-OERN system and the NAEN Code
• Next steps and priorities for the work of the Chairperson of the OERN

Appointment of the new Chairperson of OERN

Association of organizations in the field of subsoil use «National Association for Subsurface Expertise» ( «NAEN») decided to appoint a new head of the professional community of experts. Vladimir Sergeyevich Komlev, Director of IMET RAS, was appointed by the order of NAEN Director on December 08, 2025. Chairman of the Russian Society of Subsoil Use Experts (Chairman of OERN).

Russian Society of Subsoil Use Experts (OERN) acts within NAEN as an internal body performing the functions of a Recognized Professional Organization (RPO) in the model NRO-RPO. The Chairperson of the OERN chairs the OERN Board and is personally responsible for the effective work of the professional community of experts and competent persons.

Role of the Chairperson of the OERN in the NAEN-OERN system

Appointment of a new Chairperson of the OERN directly related to the decisions of the NAEN Supervisory Board to develop the NAEN-OERN system and to consolidate the model «national public reporting organization - professional organization (NRO-RPO»).

Key functions of the Chairperson of the OERN

In accordance with the internal regulations of NAEN-OERN, Chairman of the Russian Society of Subsoil Use Experts:

• Carries out general management activities of the Board of OERN and OERN as a whole within the competence established by the Regulations on the Board of OERN and the Regulations on OERN;
• Provides interaction OERN with NAEN bodies on the functioning of the NRO-RPO model, use of of the NAEN Code and representing the interests of the NAEN-OERN system in CRIRSCO and other international structures;
• Organizes the preparation of proposals on the development of experts and competent persons, internal regulations, registers and continuing professional development (CPD);
• Ensures enforcement of decisions NAEN Supervisory Board, NAEN Director, NAEN-OERN Certification Committee, and NAEN Disciplinary Committee as it relates to OERN.

Chairperson of the OERN as NRO-RPO liaison

In the system NAEN-OERN The Chairman of the Russian Society of Subsoil Use Experts acts as a key link between the national public reporting organization (NAEN as NRO) and the professional community of experts (OERN as RPO). The effectiveness of the Chairman's work depends on:

• stability of interaction with state authorities and regulators;
• quality of expert support for subsoil use projects;
• level of confidence in the roster of experts and competent persons NAEN-OERN;
• reputation of the Russian public reporting system in the international professional community.

Professional profile of Vladimir Komlev and IMET RAS

Appointment Chairperson of the OERN of the head of the leading scientific institute emphasizes the orientation of the NAEN-OERN system on the integration of fundamental science, applied research and subsoil use practice.

Vladimir Sergeyevich Komlev is the Director of the Baikov Institute of Metallurgy and Materials Science of the Russian Academy of Sciences (IMET RAS), a key scientific center in the field of metallurgy and modern materials. The «IMET RAS - OERN - NAEN» linkage strengthens the scientific basis of the expert system and allows:

• to take deeper account of technological aspects of mineral processing when making expert decisions;
• to develop approaches to project evaluation taking into account the tasks of technological sovereignty and deep conversion;
• Involve scientific teams in the work in the committees and sections of the OERN.

Significance of the designation for the NAEN-OERN system and the NAEN Code

The change of leadership of the professional community of experts is of strategic importance for the whole architecture NAEN-OERN, including NAEN Code, letters of international recognition и roster of experts and competent persons.

Strengthening the institutional model of NRO-RPO

The appointment of a new Chair of the OERN reaffirms NAEN's commitment to the model NRO-RPO, in which:

• NAEN remains a national public reporting organization under the NAEN Code;
• OERN acts as a recognized professional organization of experts and competent persons;
• Chairperson of OERN is responsible for governability, transparency and discipline within the professional community.

Quality and transparency of the roster of experts and competent persons

One of the practical effects of the appointment is to strengthen the maintenance and development work of the the public register of OERN experts and competent persons of NAEN-OERN. For subsoil users, banks and investors, this means :

• clear criteria for inclusion in the register and maintenance of status;
• a closer link between the level of competence of the expert and his/her participation in the preparation of the NAEN Code reporting documentation;
• increasing confidence in public reporting of reserves and resources.

Development of CPD and internal regulatory frameworks

Taking into account the scientific and organizational experience of the new Chair of the DENR, we can expect further development of the system Continuing Professional Development (CPD), updating internal regulations, rules and methodological recommendations for experts and competent persons of NAEN-OERN.

Next steps and priorities for the work of the Chairperson of the OERN

In the short term, the key tasks of the Chairman of the Russian Society of Subsoil Use Experts will be:

1. mainstreaming the work of the OERN bodies

The interaction of the OERN Board, Executive Committee, industry sections and committees should be organized in such a way as to maintain the whole line of development of the NAEN-OERN system and uniformity of application of the NAEN Code in all market segments.

2. Strengthening communication with the market and regulators

The Chairman of the OERN will be the key person in liaison with government agencies, professional associations, issuers and investors regarding public reporting and qualification of competent persons.

3. international positioning of the NAEN-OERN system

In the block of international cooperation, the priority remains to maintain the status of of the NAEN Code as a CRIRSCO-compliant standard and the development of interaction with foreign professional organizations. The role of the Chair of the OERN here is to ensure professional dialog at the level expected of a national reporting system for reserves and resources.

4. Supporting the ethical and disciplinary circuit

Together with the NAES Disciplinary Committee, the Chairman of the OERN will participate in the formation of uniform standards of professional behavior, ensuring a high reputation of the expert community and protection of the interests of users of reporting.

Appointment of Vladimir Sergeyevich Komlev Chairman of OERN - Russian Society of Subsoil Use Experts strengthens the NAEN-OERN system as a supporting institution of the Russian model of public reporting on reserves and resources and creates additional conditions for its sustainable development in the interests of the state, business and professional community.