Elena Castro – Chief Financial Officer

Prior to joining Pala Investments AG in September 2006, Elena was Financial Controller of Mechel’s trading operations in Switzerland, responsible for all aspects of financial reporting, management and control. Elena began her time at Mechel in Moscow, working on US GAAP compliant accounting, and was responsible for the preparation of financial statements, in compliance with US GAAP, for Mechel’s listing on the New York Stock Exchange.

Elena began her career in the assurance practice of PricewaterhouseCoopers in St. Petersburg. Her client base included resource, telecommunication, manufacturing, trading and service companies. Elena left PricewaterhouseCoopers after three years at the level of Senior Auditor.

Elena holds ACCA and MBA degrees.