MARC J. ANDREWS
Mr. Andrews brings over 26 years of business experience, highlighted by his extremely successful track record in sales, management, and finance. He started his career as a sales executive in the high tech field where he was quickly promoted to operate an entire division of a Fortune 1000 company. Looking to expand his managerial and financial experience, he ventured out into company start-ups where he was called upon to raise millions of dollars and manage a successful click-and-mortar company; after which he started his own thriving tech business that later sold to a large corporation. Marc then focused his efforts on the metals and mining industry where he has been intimately involved with over 30 mining companies, helping them raise millions of dollars in capital while increasing shareholder value through direct interface with institutional, retail, and high net worth investors throughout the United States. Mr. Andrews received a B.S. in Finance specializing in International Finance along with minors in Accounting and French at Clemson University.
FEISAL SOMJI, BSC, MBA
Mr. Somji has 20 years of experience in mineral exploration and development ranging from grassroots exploration to mine development. Mr. Somji has acted as an officer and director of several public companies involved in diamond, gold, silver, copper, base metal and platinum assets in Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Philippines, Peru and Africa. Most recently Mr. Somji was the founder, President and CEO of Rio Alto Mining Ltd, with its La Arena gold/copper mine in Peru, having achieved commercial production in 2011, with a current annual production rate of approximately 150,000 ounces of gold from 4,000,000 tonnes of ore. Mr. Somji provides expertise in areas of corporate finance and governance where he has raised over $125 million and helped several projects go public on the Canadian Venture Exchange. Mr. Somji has a B.Sc. from the University of British Columbia and an MBA from Queens University.
THOMAS (TOBY) K. MANCUSO – M. SC. GEOLOGY
Mr. Thomas K. (Toby) Mancuso is a well-respected mine development geologist with more than 40 years of experience in exploration, operations and management of various mining companies. Mr. Mancuso previously held the position of President and CEO of Western Goldfields Inc. (now New Gold Inc.) and is credited with purchasing the operating Mesquite Mine in southern California from Newmont. Mr. Mancuso was also Senior Geologist for Freeport Gold Company and Chief Geologist for Kennecott Corporation where he specialized in advancing projects from exploration to production. Mr. Mancuso is presently Vice President and Director for Teras Resources Inc. and operates his own company, Mancuso Resource Development Services, LLC. He received his M.S. Geology at the University of Idaho School of Mines and B.SC. Geology from Bowling Green State University.
LANE A. GRIFFIN
Mr. Griffin has been active in the natural resource business for over 30 years. Beginning in uranium exploration, he worked for Utah Power and Light and Mobil Oil throughout the western United States. As president and founder of Diversified Development Company he managed a successful underground gold mine in the North Cascades of Washington State for over 20 years. Mr. Griffin is the owner of several claim blocks in prospective areas of Nevada and has experience in precious metals exploration throughout the Great Basin. Mr. Griffin is a licensed geologist in the state of Washington, a registered member of the Society of Mining, Metallurgy and Exploration and is a ‘Qualified Person’ according to the definition for Canadian NI 43-101 reports. He was an officer for 4 years in the US Army Corps of Engineers and received a B.S. degree in geology from Washington State University.
KIM NEAL
Ms. Neal has more than 30 years of experience in accounting including 23 years in the gold mining industry. Kim’s experience involves many operating mines including Meridian Gold’s Royal Mountain King Mine, Western Goldfields Inc.’s Mesquite Mine and Pegasus Gold / Apollo Gold / Jipangu International’s Florida Canyon Mine where she recently held the position of Corporate Controller. Ms. Neal has been involved in virtually every aspect of finance in the minerals industry. Ms. Neal also offers substantial expertise in dealing with complex corporate auditing and compliance issues, as well as her superior organizational, management and communication skills.