Management
President and CEO, Director
Kerem
Usenmez
Mr. Usenmez is a Geological Engineer and a mining entrepreneur with over 20 years of global experience and has worked in various technical and leadership roles. After working with various VMS deposits and discoveries while working with Inco, Vale and Amec, he managed a drilling company, where the company grew during the downturn. He worked in numerous VMS deposits in Canada, such as Duck Pond NFLD, Bathurst in New Brunswick, and in Northern Manitoba, mainly in base metals, such as Zinc. He co-owns Atom Bits, a rapidly growing diamond drilling bit manufacturer in Canada. He is a member of the Board of Directors of the PDAC and is the Co-Chair of Public Affairs Committee.
Chief Financial Offficer
Kevin
Bales
Mr. Bales has over 20 years of financial reporting experience in mining and information technology industries. He currently serves as CFO for several public junior exploration companies with operations in Canada, the U.S,. Latin America, and Europe. Mr. Bales holds a Bachelor of Management degree with a major in accounting.
Exploration Manager
Robert
Middleton
Mr. Middleton is an exploration geoscientist with over 50 years of experience in mining and exploration industry in more than 40 countries through Canada, United States, Central America, Europe and Africa. He was involved in VMS deposit discoveries and expansion of significant deposits such as Hemlo, Flin Flon, and Bell Creek. He worked as Exploration manager with junior and major companies such as Newmont. He holds a mining diploma from the Provincial Institute of Mining in Haileybury, a B.Sc. and M.Sc. in Applied Geophysics from Michigan Technological University. He was named The Prospector fo the year in 2008 by the Ontario Prospectors Association and MNDM, won the “Discovery of the year” awards in 2004 and 2001, and holds Lifetime Achievement Award from NWOPA.
Technical Advisor
Dr.Mark
Cruise
Dr. Mark Cruise is an exploration and mining professional with in excess of 25-years global experience. Having discovered, developed or operated mines in Europe, South America, Canada and Africa. Most recently Mark founded Trevali Mining where he grew the company from an initial discovery to a global top-ten zinc producer. Mark has held a variety of professional and executive positions with Anglo American and various TSX / TSX-V listed exploration and development companies. Mark holds a Bachelor of Geology and a Doctorate of Geology from the University of Dublin, Trinity College. He is a professional member of the Institute of Geologists of Ireland and the European Federation of Geologists. He is currently the CEO of New Pacific Metals and the Chairman of Whitehorse Gold Corp.
Technical Advisor
David
Laing
Mr. Laing is a mining engineer and independent mining executive with global experience. He was formerly Chief Operating Officer for Equinox Gold, True Gold Mining, and COO and EVP of Quintana Resources Capital. David was an original executive of Endeavour Mining, a gold producer in West Africa. He is the chairman of Fortuna Silver Mines and has previously held senior positions in mining investment banking and debt advisory at Endeavour Financial, Standard Bank, MRDI, Bema Gold Corp.
Consulting Geologist
James R.
Pickell
Mr. Pickell is a professional geoscientist and President of Orca Geosciences Ltd., which provides
technical consulting services to the global mining industry. Mr. Pickell has over 45 years of exploration
and mining experience primarily with Anglo American plc and Orca Geosciences Ltd internationally,
throughout North America, Africa, Europe and South America. Mr. Pickell has initiated and directed the
work responsible for the discovery of several economic and near economic volcanogenic massive
sulphide (VMS) and magmatic Ni-Cu-PGE deposits within Canada. Mr. Pickell is a recipient of the PDAC Bill Dennis Prospector of the Year Award (2001) for the discovery of VMS deposits in the Flin Flon-Snow Lake Greenstone Belt, Manitoba, Canada.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Board Chairman
Simon
Ridgway
Mr. Ridgway is a mining entrepreneur and financier who has had significant success in precious metal exploration, financing and leading teams that have gone from grassroots discoveries through to production. Simon is a founder of Fortuna Silver Mines, Radius Gold, Volcanic Gold Inc and is the founder and Chairman of Metallum Resources.
Director
Gordon Tainton
Mr. Tainton has over 25 years of experience in senior management levels in variety of sectors. He has financed and developed port/terminal projects for bulk liquid and solid products in the Americas, Asia and Oceania. Mr. Tainton has held various executive and non-executive board positions in both public and private companies.
Director
David
Cass
Mr. Cass is a geologist with over 25 years of international experience in mineral exploration and mining for precious and base metals. He is the Vice President of Exploration for Bluestone Resources and is a board and audit committee member for two public companies. David was a key member and Exploration Manager of Anglo American Plc, where he was responsible for Zinc and other metal projects in the Americas, Eastern Europe and the Middle East. He is a practicing member Professional Geoscientist in British Columbia and a Fellow of the Society of Economic Geologists.
Director
Ralph
Rushton
Mr. Rushton holds a B.Sc. in Geology and M.Sc. in Economic Geology, and a university certificate in business communications. He has significant exploration and mining experience in a number of geological settings with Anglo American PLC and Rio Tinto. He is the President and CEO of Aftermath Silver Ltd., and a director or advisor of several other publicly traded companies.
President and CEO, Director
Kerem
Usenmez
Mr. Usenmez is a Geological Engineer and a mining entrepreneur with over 20 years of global experience and has worked in various technical and leadership roles. After working with various VMS deposits and discoveries while working with Inco, Vale and Amec, he managed a drilling company, where the company grew during the downturn. He worked in numerous VMS deposits in Canada, such as Duck Pond NFLD, Bathurst in New Brunswick, and in Northern Manitoba, mainly in base metals, such as Zinc. He co-owns Atom Bits, a rapidly growing diamond drilling bit manufacturer in Canada. He is a member of the Board of Directors of the PDAC and is the Co-Chair of Public Affairs Committee.