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.

Dr. Hawkins is an economic geologist with over 20 years of experience in copper and critical-minerals exploration, integrating structural geology, geochemistry, and geophysics to develop testable models and prioritize high-value drill targets. He has led multi-disciplinary teams across northern Canada and internationally, with work spanning early-stage generative programs to resource definition drilling. He holds a PhD in geology and is a registered Professional Geologist with Engineers and Geoscientists BC.

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.

Ms. Forster is an experienced corporate secretary that has worked with various companies ranging from start-up private companies to mid-tier market cap public companies in the mining, bio-tech, technology and agricultural industries. She is President of Forster Corporate Consulting Inc., a privately held consulting company offering corporate secretarial services to publicly listed companies. Ms. Forster previously served as Corporate Secretary of Elevation Gold Mining Corp. (TSXV), Corporate Secretary of Eclipse Gold Mining Corp. (TSXV) until it merged with Northern Vertex Mining Corp. to form Elevation Gold Mining Corp. in February 2021 and as Corporate Secretary of Northern Empire Resources Corp. (TSXV), from February 2017 until October 2018, when it was acquired by Coeur Mining.  She also currently serves as Corporate Secretary of Viva Gold Corp. (TSXV).

Mr. Dixon is the Global Head of Institutional Coverage at Jett Capital, with over 20 years of experience in capital markets. He has previously held roles including Managing Director – Dundee Goodman Merchant Partners, Partner, VP Institutional Sales at Clarus Securities Inc and VP Equity Sales at Dundee Securities. In addition, Robert lived in London (UK) working for Bryan Garnier & Co, and Standard & Poor’s. He also serves as an Independent Director for private company, Willeson Metals.  Robert Holds a Bachelor of Arts (BA) from the University of Victoria, British Columbia, and a Kellogg-Schulich MBA.

Dr. West-Sells brings a wealth of experience from a distinguished career spanning nearly three decades in the mining industry. He previously held various technical and senior executive roles at Western Copper and Gold Corporation between 2006 and 2024, including Chief Operating Officer, Chief Executive Officer, and President. During his tenure, Dr. West-Sells led the advancement of the Casino Project through multiple feasibility studies, environmental assessment and permitting efforts, and extensive engagement with First Nations and key governmental, strategic, and financial stakeholders. Earlier in his career, Dr. West-Sells worked with major mining companies such as BHP, Placer Dome, and Barrick in senior technical roles focused on Research & Development and Project Development. He holds a Ph.D. in Metallurgical Engineering from the University of British Columbia.

Mr. Johnson has over 35 years experience in the mineral exploration industry ranging from grassroots prospecting to consulting company operation and public company management. He was founder and CEO of Granite Creek Copper before the company was merged with Cascadia Minerals Ltd.   Mr. Johnson is COO of CSE listed Element One Hydrogen, a new company embarking on exploration in the exciting new field of geologic hydrogen.

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.

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. 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.

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.

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 Cascadia Minerals Ltd., ATAC Resources Ltd. and Archer, Cathro & Associates, a geological consulting company.

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.