Management & Board

Management & Board
  • John Williamson, P.Geol.
    President, CEO & Director

    Mr. Williamson has a Bachelor of Science, Specialization in Geology, (1988) from the University of Alberta. He is an independent consultant and entrepreneur with more than 23 years experience, including 16 years in the management, development and governance of public companies conducting worldwide mineral exploration and mining. He is a founder of ten junior resource and or mining companies with gold, nickel and diamond-based operations in Canada, Western Australia, South America and Africa.

    He has served as Chairman, President, CEO, CFO and or Director of TSX Venture listed companies; North Country Gold Corp., (since April 2010), Niblack Mineral Developments Inc., (since April 2010), CBR Gold Corp. (since August 1998), Brilliant Resources Inc (since September 2003); Indicator Minerals Inc (since April 2001); Kaminak Gold Corporation (since November 2005); and Cedar Mountain Exploration Inc (since March 2006). Of these, Brilliant Resources Inc was named to the 2007 TSX Venture 50TM, a ranking of Canada's top emerging public companies listed on TSX Venture Exchange, as a "Top 10 Mining Company" based on a formula that includes revenue, return on investment, market cap growth, and trading volume. During his tenure John has helped raise over $100 million in equity or debt financing, conducted over $70 million in exploration and has grossed over $95 million in metal sales.

    Mr. Williamson is a professional geologist registered with the Association of Professional Engineers, Geologists and Geophysicists of Alberta (APEGGA). He is also a Fellow of the Geological Association of Canada and Member of the Society of Economic Geologists.
     
  • Sean Mager, B.Comm.
    Vice-President, CFO & Director

    Mr. Mager has a Bachelor of Commerce (1989) from the University of Alberta and more than twenty years of experience in management and governance of private and public enterprise. Since 1998, Mr. Mager has co-founded and developed several public companies conducting exploration and mining worldwide, with precious metal, base metal and diamond interests in North and South America, Australia and Africa. He currently serves as Vice President, Director and/or Chief Financial Officer for North Country Gold Corp, Brilliant Resources Inc, Cedar Mountain Exploration Inc, Kaminak Gold Corporation and Grizzly Diamonds Inc, all of which are listed on the TSXV. Of these, Brilliant Resources Inc was named in 2007 and 2008 to the "TSX Venture 50TM", a ranking of Canada's top emerging public companies listed on TSX Venture Exchange, as a "Top 10 Mining Company" based on a formula that includes revenue, return on investment, market cap growth, and trading volume.
     
  • Peter Kleespies, M.Sc, P.Geol. 
    Vice President of Exploration

    Mr. Kleespies is a professional geologist registered with the Association of Professional Engineers, Geologists and Geophysicists of Alberta (APEGGA) and has 22 years experience in exploration geology for both precious and base metals in the Americas and Australia. He worked for both junior and senior companies, including BHP Minerals Canada Limited, Metallic Resources and Miramar Mining Corporation on a broad range of exploration projects including the High Lake and Hope Bay Greenstone Belts in the Slave Province, Archean - Proterozoic aged greenstones both in Canada, Venezuela, and Australia and younger intrusion related deposits within poly-deformed carbonate terrains in Mexico and Canada. His expertise ranges from conceptual project generation, grassroots exploration, large-scale surface and underground drill programs, deposit modeling and resource estimation. Mr. Kleespies has demonstrated the application of sound technical principles and ability to integrate complex geological, geochemical and geophysical datasets in the search for, and delineation of economically viable mineral deposits. Most recently he was a Senior Exploration Geologist with Committee Bay Resources Ltd. and formerly managed exploration projects at Hope Bay for Miramar Mining Corporation.

    Mr. Kleespies has a Bachelor of Science (Hon. Geology) and Master of Science (Geology) from the University of Alberta.
     
  • Brian Budd
    Corporate Secretary & Vice President of Corporate Development

    Mr. Budd has an extensive management background with over 17 years of entrepreneurial and sales leadership experience having owned companies in real estate development and managed sales teams for two major software companies: Business Objects and SAP. He has developed and executed comprehensive business plans, corporate communication programs and strategies for both the resource and high-tech sectors. For the past two years Mr. Budd has been with North Country Gold in the role of Director of Corporate Development and has been intimately involved in the company's public relations, financing and corporate development duties.

  • Kerry Curtis, P.Geo.
    Director

    Mr. Curtis has 28 years of experience in mineral exploration, feasibility, development and financing as well as corporate development and general corporate affairs.  He is the former President, CEO and Director of Cumberland Resources Ltd. (TSX, NYSE-AMEX), a Nunavut gold company which he led from resource discovery stage, through bankable feasibility and initial construction, until its $730 million acquisition in 2007.  Mr. Curtis is also a former Director of Meliadine Resources Ltd, a privately owned Nunavut gold explorer, which was acquired in 2010 in a transaction valued at approximately $100 million.

    Mr. Curtis has completed over $1 billion in mining transactions in his career including:  corporate transactions, equity financing for exploration and development; and syndicated bank financing for development. He is a graduate of the University of British Columbia with a Bachelors of Science in Geology and a Professional Geoscientist registered with the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of British Columbia. He is currently President and CEO of South Arm Resources Ltd., a private company based in Richmond, British Columbia.  Mr. Curtis is an independent Director.   
  • Charles Chebry, B.Sc., CMA
    Director

    Mr. Chebry is the President, CEO, Chairman and Director of both Cedar Mountain Exploration Inc. (TSXV:CED) and Altiplano Minerals Ltd. (TSXV:APN). Mr. Chebry is also involved in the following mineral exploration companies: Director of Argonaut Exploration Inc. (TSXV:AGA), Director of Happy Creek Minerals Ltd. (TSXV:HPY) and Director of North Country Gold Corp. (TSXV:NCG). Previously Mr. Chebry served as a Director of CBR Gold Corp., (TSXV:CBG), from inception and served as President and founder of its predecessor company Arta Enterprises Inc. Mr. Chebry is the past Chief Financial Officer of Kaminak Gold Corporation (TSXV:KAM) and Kivalliq Energy Corporation (TSXV:KIV). Mr. Chebry is the past Chief Financial Officer, Vice President of Finance and Director of both Olympia Trust Company and Olympia Financial Group Inc. (TSXV:OLY), and remains a Director. Mr. Chebry has a Bachelor of Science from the University of Alberta and is a Certified Management Accountant.
     
  • Craig Bentham, LLB
    Director

    Mr. Bentham is a lawyer residing in Calgary, Alberta, practicing corporate, commercial and securities law. He has been a member of the Alberta Bar since 1992. His current and former positions include: Secretary of Cedar Mountain Exploration Inc. since 2007 (TXSV:CED), Director of Multiplied Media Corporation (formerly illumiCell Corporation) (TSXV:MMC) (2006 - present), President and CEO of Z28 Capital Corp., a TSXV listed company (2004 - 2006), Director of Corporate Development for Pinnacle Private Capital Corporation, a Calgary, Alberta based venture capital firm (2003-2005); Director of Indicator Minerals Inc. (TSXV: IME), (2004 - present); Director of North Country Gold Corp. (TSXV:NCG), (2010 to present); Director of Lexoil Inc., a TSXV listed company, 2002 - 2003); President and Chief Executive Officer of Carvelle Capital Inc., a TSXV listed company (2001 - 2002).