Directors

ROBERT FRIEDLAND

image of Robert Friedland

Chairman

Mr. Friedland is the founder and currently Executive Co-Chairman of Ivanhoe Mines, which is developing three world-scale mines in Southern Africa ─ Kamoa-Kakula, Platreef and Kipushi. He also is Chairman and Co-Founder of I-Pulse, a private technology company; the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, High Power Exploration, a private mineral exploration company; Co-Chairman, Clean TeQ, an ASX listed developer of the Sunrise Nickel-Cobalt-Scandium deposit in Australia, and Co-Chairman, SK Global Entertainment as well as Co-Founder and Chairman of Ivanhoe Pictures.

For more than 25 years, Mr. Friedland has been recognized by leaders of the international financial sector and mineral resource industries as an entrepreneurial explorer, technology innovator and company builder. He has successfully developed a portfolio of respected public and private companies whose initiatives have led to several of the world’s most significant mineral discoveries and mine developments. Under Mr. Friedland’s leadership, his portfolio companies have raised more than $25 billion of capital that has been invested in more than 30 nations, and led to the discovery and development of some of world’s most significant mineral deposits.

 

paul-matysek-

PAUL MATYSEK

CEO, Director

Mr. Matysek is a geologist/geochemist by training, a successful alpha entrepreneur and creator of shareholder value with over 40 years of experience in the mining industry. Since 2004 as either CEO or Executive Chairman, Mr. Matysek has sold five publicly listed exploration and development companies, in aggregate worth over $2 billion. Most recently, he was Executive Chairman of Lithium X Energy Corp., which was sold to Nextview New Energy Lion Hong Kong Limited for $265 million in cash. Mr. Matysek was President and CEO of Goldrock Mines Corp., which sold to Fortuna Silver Mines in July 2016. He was previously CEO of Lithium One, which merged with Galaxy Resources of Australia to create a multi-billion-dollar integrated lithium company. He served as CEO of Potash One, which was acquired by K+S Ag for $434-million cash in a friendly takeover in 2011. Mr. Matysek was also the co-founder and CEO of Energy Metals Corp., a uranium company that grew from a market capitalization of $10 million in 2004 to approximately $1.8 billion when sold in 2007.

Bassam-Moubarak

BASSAM MOUBARAK

CFO, Executive Vice President, Director

Mr. Moubarak is a seasoned senior executive with over 10 years of experience in the mining industry. Most recently, Mr. Moubarak was chief financial officer of Lithium X Energy Corp., where he played a key role in its sale to NextView New Energy Lion Hong Kong Ltd. for $265-million. Prior to this, Mr. Moubarak was chief financial officer of Goldrock Mines Corp., where he played a key role in its sale to Fortuna Silver Mines Inc. for $180-million. He was chief financial officer of Petaquilla Minerals Ltd., where he was instrumental in raising in excess of $120-million to develop and bring into production the Molejon gold mine. He also played a key role in the sale of Petaquilla Copper Ltd. to Inmet Mining Corp. for $400-million and negotiated the sale of Golden Arrow Resources Corp.’s 1-per-cent net smelter return royalty on the Gualcamayo gold mine to Premier Royalty Inc. for $17.75-million. Mr. Moubarak is a chartered professional accountant and was previously a senior manager with the international accounting firm Deloitte LLP, where he led audits of public companies and oversaw SOX 404 implementations, with specific emphasis on the mining industry.

s-beharry

SURESH BEHARRY

Independent Director

Suresh Beharry, Independent DirectorMr. Beharry is the Vice Chairman of the Edward B. Beharry & Company Ltd. (the “Beharry Group”), a business conglomerate active in a number of industries throughout Guyana and the Caribbean. The Beharry Group’s interests in the Guyanese insurance and finance sectors include an engagement with the Guyana Americas Merchant Bank, which started as a joint venture with the International Finance Corporation, a member of the World Bank Group. The Beharry Group operates a major food manufacturing and distribution business in Guyana, and is the exclusive distributor of Toyota in Guyana through Beharry Automotive Ltd.

frederico

FEDERICO RESTREPO-SOLANO

Independent Director

Federico Restrepo-Solano is a Colombian business executive with more than 27 years of experience in the mining, oil and infrastructure industries. Currently he is a Partner and Corporate Director of Qvartz Capital Partners, a strategic advisory firm, and has served as Senior Vice-President of Corporate Affairs with Frontera Energy and its predecessor, Pacific Exploration and Production, President of Promotora del Puerto Integrado-Propuerto S.A., President of the National Federation of Coal Producers (Fenalcarbón), Corporate Affairs Manager for Coalcorp Mining Inc., and Special Advisor on Environmental and Port Affairs for the City of Santa Marta. Mr. Restrepo holds a degree in Social Communications Sciences from Universidad Jorge Tadeo Lozano in Bogota, and a Diploma in Corporate Finance from Universidad del Rosario.

foto-LPA

LOMBARDO PARADES

Independent Director

Lombardo Parades, Independent DirectorLombardo Paredes-Arenas serves as Chief Executive Officer of Gran Colombia Gold and brings over 20 years of corporate leadership and operations management experience in the resource sector in Latin America. Before becoming an independent consultant on energy and environmental project development, Mr. Paredes held several roles with within Petroleos de Venezuela (PDVSA). He was responsible for regional planning of investments and social development for Eastern Venezuela and was Managing Director and a Board Member of Maraven S.A. (an affiliate of PDVSA), with responsibility for the construction and commissioning of the Cardon Refinery Conversion Project in Venezuela, a US$2.6 billion project. He was also General Manager of its Production Operations – 2 – Division, with 5,000 employees and oil production of 800,000 barrels per day. Mr. Paredes holds Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering and Master of Economic Analysis and Financial Economics degrees.

BTO

BRIAN O’NEILL

Independent Director

Mr. O’Neill is Vice President, Merchant Banking at SAF Group, a leading structured credit and merchant banking firm that builds, finances, and advises high growth companies. He spent nearly a decade in the practice of law with leading Canadian law firm, McCarthy Tétrault LLP. His practice began in the areas of corporate and commercial law, with a focus on mergers and acquisitions, corporate reorganizations, corporate finance, intellectual property, and commercial transactions. He then shifted his practice to focus on corporate tax matters, with a particular emphasis on the tax-related aspects of mergers and acquisitions and corporate reorganizations. Mr. O’Neill received his B.Sc. Honors in Molecular Genetics, with first-class standing, and his LL.B., with distinction, from the University of Alberta. He is a member of the Law Society of British Columbia and has completed CPA Canada’s In-Depth Tax