Joseph J. Ovsenek, P.ENG., LLB
Chairman & Director
Prior to joining Austin Gold Corp., Mr. Ovsenek was President and CEO of Pretium Resources Inc. where he led the advance of the high-grade gold Brucejack Mine which has been operating profitably since commercial start-up in 2017. Mr. Ovsenek began his nine-year tenure at Pretium in 2011 as Chief Development Officer and led the financing of the company from exploration stage to operations and was subsequently appointed President in 2015 and President and CEO in 2017. Prior to Pretium he served for 15 years in senior management roles for Silver Standard Resources Inc. (now SSR Mining Inc.), where he was responsible for financings, the acquisition and sale of several assets, and was instrumental in developing corporate strategy. Mr. Ovsenek holds a Bachelor of Applied Science degree from the University of British Columbia and a Bachelor of Laws degree from the University of Toronto. Mr. Ovsenek is a registered member of the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of British Columbia.
Dennis L. Higgs, B.COM
President & Director
During his career of over forty years, Mr. Higgs has been involved in the founding, financing, initial public listing, and building of several companies, four of which have been the subject of successful takeover bids. He was the founding Director and Executive Chairman of Uranerz Energy Corporation for ten years, listing that company’s shares on the NYSE with options called to trade on the Chicago Board Options Exchange. During his tenure at Uranerz he was instrumental in the acquisition, financing, development, and production start-up of Uranerz’s Nichols Ranch in-situ recovery uranium production facility, located in the Powder River Basin of Wyoming. Uranerz was acquired by Energy Fuels Inc. in 2015 in a $320 million business combination. Mr. Higgs currently serves on the board of TSX and NYSE-listed Energy Fuels, which is now the leading U.S. producer of uranium and vanadium. Mr. Higgs holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of British Columbia.
Kenneth C. McNaughton, M.A. SC., P.ENG.
Director
Mr. McNaughton is a professional geological engineer with over 30 years of global experience developing and leading mineral exploration programs. Mr. McNaughton was previously the Chief Exploration Officer at Pretium Resources Inc. Prior to joining Pretium in 2011, he was Vice President, Exploration for Silver Standard Resources Inc. (now SSR Mining Inc.) where he had been responsible for all exploration programs since 1991. Prior to joining Silver Standard, he was employed by Corona Corporation and its affiliate Mascot Gold Mines Ltd. as a project geologist and engineer for projects in British Columbia. Mr. McNaughton holds a Bachelor of Applied Science degree and a Master of Applied Science degree in geological engineering from the University of Windsor.
Barbara A. Filas, P.E., Q.P.
Director
Ms. Filas is internationally recognized in the mining sector in the disciplines of management, environmental and social responsibility, and sustainability. She has hands-on experience at operating gold and coal mining and processing facilities; executive experience in consulting, public companies, and non-profits; and project experience on six continents. She was the first female President of the Society for Mining, Metallurgy and Exploration Inc. in 2005, the world’s largest mining technical society, and currently volunteers as the Nominations Chair and Chair of the Board of Governors for the National Mining Hall of Fame and Museum. Ms. Filas is a graduate of the University of Arizona and is a licensed professional Mining Engineer and Qualified Person. She currently serves on the Board of Energy Fuels Inc. (NYSE American: UUUU; TSX: EFR).
Guillermo Lozano-Chávez, M.Sc., MBA
Director
Mr. Lozano is a Professional Geologist with over 40 years of experience in mineral exploration in Latin America and he manages his own geological consulting firm. Previously, he was Vice President of Exploration for First Majestic Silver Corp., where he was responsible for all exploration programs in and around five operating mines. Before joining First Majestic Silver, he was Director of Exploration for Silver Standard Resources Inc., where he managed their Mexico exploration and overviewed their Peruvian and Argentinian exploration activities from 2002 through 2012. Prior to coming to Silver Standard and since 1990, he worked as a consultant for several international major and junior companies in Central and South America, while consulting and managing his own personal consulting firm in Mexico. Before that, he worked for the Penoles Group since 1979 as an exploration geologist and mine manager.
Mr. Lozano holds a Bachelor of Science in Geological Engineering from the National Polytechnical Institute of Mexico City, a Master of Science degree in Geology from the University of Missouri at Columbia, and a Master of Business Administration in Finance, from the University of Texas at El Paso.
Tom S.Q. Yip, CPA, CA
Director
Mr. Yip has over 30 years of financial management experience in the mining industry for exploration and development companies and producers. He was most recently Chief Financial Officer for Pretium Resources Inc, after being a member of its Board of Directors (2011-2020) and previously CFO for Silver Standard Resources Inc. (now SSR Mining Inc.), serving as a key member of the leadership team when each company transitioned from exploration and development to production. He began his mining career at Echo Bay Mines Ltd. where he served as its CFO before the company merged with Kinross Gold Corporation in 2003. Mr. Yip is a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA, CA) and holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree in Business Administration from the University of Alberta.
Sandra MacKay
Director
Sandra MacKay brings over 30 years of corporate commercial legal experience to the Company. She has acted as a board member and been an advisor on governance and legal matters to the boards of several public companies. Sandra is Global Vice President, Legal for Copperleaf Technologies Inc., a global supplier of AI-empowered asset investment planning software; Copperleaf was recently acquired in an acquisition valued at $1 billion.
Previously, Sandra was Senior Vice President, Legal of Uranerz Energy Corporation, a leading integrated producer of uranium in the United States, and Vice President, Legal of Chemetics Inc., an international engineering technology company. She held senior legal counsel positions with QLT Inc., a dual-listed biotechnology company, and Chevron Canada Limited. Sandra has a wealth of legal experience including securities law, employment law, and intellectual property law matters. She holds a Juris Doctor from the University of British Columbia and is a member of the Law Society of British Columbia.
Darcy A. Higgs, B.COM
Vice President, Business Development
Darcy Higgs has over forty years of experience in capital markets. He was registered in Canada and the United States and acted as a consultant to one of the largest private equity firms in China, including guiding its $75 million investment in Pretium Resources Inc. Mr. Higgs has a Bachelor of Commerce (Finance) from the University of British Columbia.
Robert (Bob) Hatch
Vice President, Exploration
Bob Hatch is a seasoned Exploration Geologist with over forty-five years of experience in exploration, management, permitting, and marketing. His primary focus has been on gold and silver projects throughout the United States, Australia, and New Zealand.
Focusing on earlier stage exploration, he believes that understanding both the regional geological controls on deposit location and the concepts of deposit genesis are essential to enhance the opportunity for success and reduce the risks associated with exploration at this stage.
Mr. Hatch started his career with twelve years at Homestake Mining Company as an Exploration Geologist and Project Manager. While at Homestake he was involved with the McLaughlin Mine discovery in California and was the first geologist to explore the Almaden Mine in Idaho for gold. Over the years he has consulted for several major mining companies and publicly listed juniors in various positions including Exploration Vice President and Chief Geologist. In recent years he has concentrated on advancing three successful private gold/silver exploration companies that he founded or co-founded.
Grant Bond
Chief Financial Officer
Mr. Bond is a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA, CA) with more than 12 years of financial management experience in the mining industry. He has an extensive background in financial and risk management, financial reporting and SOX compliance. He currently serves as the Chief Financial Officer of P2 Gold Inc., an exploration mining company listed on the TSX Venture Exchange. Before this, he was the Corporate Controller at Pretium Resources Inc., responsible for managing the accounting and financial reporting functions as Pretium evolved from an explorer to a profitable intermediate gold producer. Mr. Bond began his career in the assurance group at PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, primarily focusing on operating and exploration mining clients. He holds a Diploma in Accounting and Bachelor of Science from the University of British Columbia.
Donna Moroney
Corporate Secretary
Donna Moroney is President of Wiklow Corporate Services Inc., a Vancouver company that provides corporate secretarial services and other services to public companies. She has over 30 years of extensive experience in regulatory and corporate compliance in both Canada and the United States, and as a senior officer for various public companies, and has instructed and provided training in regulatory compliance.