Management & Directors

Graham Downs began his career in the mineral exploration industry over 25 years ago with Archer, Cathro & Associates (1981) Limited, a consulting geological engineering firm focused in Yukon. He held a number of positions within Archer, Cathro ranging from prospecting to managing early and advanced stage exploration programs. He transitioned his field experience into marketing and communications for a number of junior resource companies before focusing on business development including financing and property transactions. In 2007, he was appointed CEO of ATAC Resources Ltd., in 2015 he was made President and in 2022, he was appointed Director. Over his career, he has raised over $100 million for mineral exploration and has completed numerous transactions with junior to major mining companies.

Mr. Coulter is a Professional Geoscientist registered in British Columbia and holds a Masters of Science in Geology and a Bachelor of Science (Honours) in Geology from the University of Western Ontario. Adam has worked as an exploration geologist in Canada and the United States since 2012, concentrating in precious metals, base metals and diamonds from grassroots exploration through to production. Adam previously worked in exploration in Yukon with ATAC Resources Ltd. and Archer, Cathro & Associates, a geological consulting company.

Mr. Carne is a Professional Engineer registered in British Columbia and holds a Masters of Engineering in Project and Construction Management and a Bachelor of Applied Science in Materials Engineering from the University of British Columbia. Andrew has worked in the mineral exploration and development industry in Canada continuously since 2012. Andrew previously worked for ATAC Resources Ltd. and Archer Cathro & Associates (1981), a geological consulting firm. Andrew also currently sits as the Vice President of the Yukon Chamber of Mines.

Ms. Lau is a member of the Chartered Professional Accountants of British Columbia and has an extensive background in the resource sector. Jasmine has served as CFO and controller of several public exploration companies with projects throughout the world. In addition to her experience working with junior resource companies, Jasmine worked at Teck Resources Ltd. as a SOX Auditor. Prior to Teck Resources Ltd., Jasmine worked for Deloitte & Touche LLP’s Vancouver Assurance & Advisory group where she focused on audits of public mining and resource companies. Jasmine earned a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of British Columbia.

Glenn Yeadon is a barrister and solicitor practicing primarily in the field of securities law. He has been a partner with Tupper Jonsson & Yeadon or an associate of the firm (through a personal law corporation controlled by him) from 1983 to the present. He obtained a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of British Columbia in 1975, and a Bachelor of Laws degree from the University of British Columbia in 1976.

Kurt D. Allen is the Vice President – Exploration for Hecla. Mr. Allen has held various geology positions with Hecla in both exploration and operations including Director of Exploration, Director of New Projects, Chief Geologist and Exploration Manager at Hecla’s San Sebastian Mine in Durango, Mexico. Mr. Allen has over 35 years of exploration and operations experience in the mining industry. Mr. Allen is registered as Certified Professional Geologist (CPG) with the American Institute of Professional Geologists (AIPG).

Mr. Carne obtained a Bachelor of Science (Geology) degree from the University of British Columbia in 1974, and a Master of Science (Geology) degree from the University of British Columbia in 1979. He has been a geologist with Archer, Cathro & Associates (1981) Limited since 1977 and a principal from 1981 to 2002. Rob has been actively involved in mineral exploration, principally in the Yukon since 1972, and he has authored or co-authored a number of technical papers on Yukon mineral deposits. He has served as a director and officer of numerous public companies on the TSX Venture Exchange since the mid-1980’s.

Graham Downs began his career in the mineral exploration industry over 25 years ago with Archer, Cathro & Associates (1981) Limited, a consulting geological engineering firm focused in Yukon. He held a number of positions within Archer, Cathro ranging from prospecting to managing early and advanced stage exploration programs. He transitioned his field experience into marketing and communications for a number of junior resource companies before focusing on business development including financing and property transactions. In 2007, he was appointed CEO of ATAC Resources Ltd., in 2015 he was made President and in 2022, he was appointed Director. Over his career, he has raised over $100 million for mineral exploration and has completed numerous transactions with junior to major mining companies.

Mr. James (Jim) Gray is the managing partner of De Visser Gray LLP located in Vancouver, BC. Mr. Gray practices as a personal and corporate tax generalist and has extensive experience in accounting and audit engagements involving junior resource issuers and not-for-profit organizations. Mr. Gray is also the firm’s representative on the CPABC’s Public Company Technical Forum, which liaises with and advises senior staff of the BC Securities Commission.

In a volunteer capacity, Jim served as Treasurer of the Association for Mineral Exploration British Columbia (“AME”) from 2004 to 2019 and for a total of 11 years was a founding director and Secretary-Treasurer of Geoscience BC. For his service to AME, Jim received that organization’s Gold Pan Award for 2008. Mr. Gray is also a director of Arcus Development Group Inc.

Mr. James (Jim) Sabala is an experienced mining professional. Over his 40 year career, Mr. Sabala held the positions of Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Hecla, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Coeur d’Alene Mines Corporation, as well as the Vice President-Chief Financial Officer of Stillwater Mining Company. Mr. Sabala also serves as a
director of Dolly Varden Silver and Thunder Mountain Gold and has previously served as a director of Arch Coal and Coeur d’Alene Mines Corporation. Mr. Sabala graduated from the University of Idaho with a B.S. Business, Summa Cum Laude in 1978.

Ms. Upton is an expert in environmental, social and governance (“ESG”) practices, working for over 20 years with multinational mining corporations and financial institutions on ESG strategy, implementation, and measurement. Since 2017 she has been a member of Women Corporate Directors, the world’s largest membership organization of women corporate board directors. Ms. Upton continues to advise executive management on ESG strategies, and is an independent director for the exchange-traded funds (ETFs) of Janus Henderson Investors. In addition to her ESG consulting, she has served as Sustainability Advisor to the World Gold Council, Director of Public Affairs and Communications at Newmont Mining Corporation and Principal Consultant for Sustainability & Economics at SRK Consulting. She holds both an MBA in
Finance and a Master of International Affairs in Economic Policy from Columbia University.

Mr. Youngman has over 35 years of experience in the minerals industry. From 2008 to 2010, he was President and Chief Operating Officer of Canplats Resources Corporation, during which time the four-million-ounce Camino Rojo deposit in Mexico was outlined and the company was acquired by Goldcorp for $300 million. He previously held senior positions with Northern Dynasty Minerals Ltd., including President, Vice President and Director, and was closely involved in the acquisition and expansion of the Pebble gold-copper-porphyry project in Alaska. Mr. Youngman graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in geology from the University of British Columbia.

Mr. Poirier worked as an exploration geologist before becoming a sell-side mining analyst at several Canadian investment firms over a 20 year period. Most recently, he was the Vice President of Corporate Development for Hecla Mining Company. He is also a graduate of the Institute of Corporate Directors – Director Education Program at the University of Toronto, Rotman School of Management and a member of the Institute of Corporate Directors. Mr. Poirier has a geology degree from the University of Toronto.

Prior to his retirement at the end of 2016, Mr. Cope spent 21 years with Barrick Gold Corporation. At the time of his retirement, Mr. Cope was Barrick’s Vice President of Exploration for North America. During his tenure with Barrick, Mr. Cope helped build and guide the technical teams responsible for defining some of Barrick’s largest gold deposits within the Carlin and Cortez trends in Nevada. Most notably, Mr. Cope and his team were co-recipients of the Prospectors & Developers Association of Canada’s “Thayer Lindsley International Mineral Discovery of the Year” award for the discovery of the +10 million ounce Goldrush deposit on the Cortez Trend which is scheduled to be Barrick’s next producing mine in Nevada in 2021. Mr. Cope holds a B.Sc. in Geology from the University of Windsor and a M.S. in Economic Geology from Colorado State University. He is a member of the Society of Economic Geologists (SEG), the Society of Mining Engineers (SME), the Geological Society of Nevada (GSN) and the American Exploration and Mining Association (AEMA).

Mr. Wengzynowski is a registered professional engineer in British Columbia and holds a bachelor of applied sciences degree in geological engineering from the University of British Columbia. He spent most of his professional career in Yukon mineral exploration with the geological consulting firm of Archer, Cathro & Associates (1981) Limited where he started with the company in 1983 and was President from 2000 to 2011. He was part of the team that led ATAC Resources to the discovery of the Tiger Gold Deposit and then Carlin-type mineralization at the Rackla Gold Project. He is a two-time recipient of the Yukon Prospector of the Year Award, once in 2000 and again in 2011. He was also co-recipient of the H.H. Spud Huestis Award for excellence in prospecting in exploration in 2013.