Our Team
Our Team
Board of Directors
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Paul Smith
Chairperson
Paul Smith is an experienced resources sector executive with a strong track record in capital markets, M&A, and restructurings. He co-founded Energy Reach Partners, which invests in and advises ventures focused on the resources and industrial technology sectors.
Paul was previously the Head of Strategy at Glencore plc and a buy-side analyst at Marshall Wace Asset Management. He has also served as a non-executive director of Lonmin plc, Glencore Agriculture Limited, and Trident Royalties plc. Paul is currently a non-executive director of Echion Technologies and Seadrill.
He is a UK/Swiss national and is based in Switzerland. Paul is a qualified Chartered Accountant and a graduate of Oxford University.
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Scott Caldwell
Non-Executive Director
Mr. Caldwell is a mining engineer with over 40 years of experience in the global mining industry, having held several senior executive roles, including Chief Executive Officer at Guyana Goldfields Inc. and Allied Nevada Gold Corp., as well as Chief Operating Officer at Kinross Gold Corp.
Prior to those roles, Mr. Caldwell held several senior operating positions and has experience building and operating gold and base metal mines worldwide, including in the USA, Canada, Russia, Zimbabwe, Chile, and Indonesia. Mr. Caldwell was previously a Non-Executive Director of SolGold between 2016-17. Mr. Caldwell completed a Bachelor of Science in Mine Engineering at the University of Arizona, USA.
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Nicholas Mather
Non-Executive Director
Shareholding 90,726,710 (3.96%)
Nicholas Mather graduated in 1979 from the University of Queensland with a B.Sc. (Hons, Geology). He has 35 years of experience in exploration and resource company management in various countries. His career has taken him to numerous countries, exploring for precious and base metals and fossil fuels. Nicholas Mather has focused his attention on identifying and investing in large resource exploration projects. He was managing director of BeMaX Resources NL (an ASX-listed company) from 1997 until 2000. He was instrumental in the discovery of the world-class Ginkgo mineral sand deposit in the Murray Basin in 1998. As an executive director of Arrow Energy NL (also ASX-listed) until his resignation in 2004, Nicholas Mather drove the acquisition and business development of Arrow’s large Surat Basin Coal Bed Methane project in south-east Queensland. He was managing director of Auralia Resources NL, a junior gold explorer, before its USD23 million merger with Ross Mining NL in 1995. He was a non-executive director of Ballarat Goldfields NL until 2004, assisting that company in its recapitalisation and requotation on the ASX in 2003. He was also the founder and Chairman of TSX-V-listed Waratah Coal Inc until its $130m takeover by Minerology Pty Ltd in December 2008. Nicholas Mather is also Managing Director of ASX-listed DGR Global Limited. He sits on the Board of the following Companies: Armour Energy (ASX) – Non-Executive Chairman IronRidge Resources (LSE AIM) – Non-Executive Director Dark Horse Resources (ASX) – Non-Executive Chairman AusTin Mining (ASX) – Executive Director Lakes Oil (ASX) – Non-Executive Director.
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Maria Amparo Alban
Non-Executive Director
Mrs Maria Amparo Alban has more than 25 years of experience in international trade and sustainable development, particularly environmental compliance. Maria has worked in a number of countries and was instrumental in the Free Trade Agreement negotiation between Ecuador and the United States on environmental matters. Maria has served as an advisor to Ecuador’s Trade Ministers, the Ministry of Environment, United Nations Environmental Program (among others) and was the founding partner of the Inter-American Institute for Justice and Sustainability (IIJS). She is a lawyer by background and has taught international trade negotiation, sustainable development and environmental law for over a period of ten years. Maria’s Ecuadorean experience and knowledge will provide exceptional value to the SolGold Board during permitting and fiscal agreement negotiations in Ecuador.
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John Liu
Non-Executive Director
Mr. Jian (John) Liu brings over 30 years of private investment advisory experience to the SolGold board, with a diverse background spanning multiple sectors, including mining, energy, technology, consumer, and healthcare. He previously worked as a partner at Valuestone Advisors for mining investments, as a partner at Greenwoods PE Funds, as a director at Mousse Partners and Actis, and as an associate at Merrill Lynch Direct Investment Group. His experience includes assisting portfolio companies in strategy formation, fundraising, investing and corporate governance. Mr. Liu’s academic credentials include an MBA from the University of British Columbia in Canada and a B.Sc. in computer science and engineering from Shanghai Jiaotong University in Shanghai, China, underscore his exceptional qualifications and expertise.
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Charles Joseland
Senior Independent Director
Mr. Charles Joseland joins SolGold’s board as a highly experienced finance professional with a career focused on the mining, utilities, and energy sectors. With 32 years at PwC and as an audit partner working on large listed international groups, Mr. Joseland brings a wealth of knowledge in financial oversight, governance, and risk management. His extensive career includes working in Spain and the Former Soviet Union and advising many organisations in Africa and North & South America. He currently serves as an independent non-executive director at Kodal Minerals Plc and holds key advisory roles at Southern Housing and Saddle Skedaddle. Mr. Joseland’s experience, pragmatic approach and commitment to integrity and teamwork will enhance SolGold’s corporate governance practices and strategic decision-making processes.
Management and Technical Team
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Dan Vujcic
Chief Executive Officer
Mr. Vujcic is an investment banker and corporate advisor with almost two decades of experience in global capital markets. Over his career, Mr. Vujcic has advised clients in a diverse range of commodities across numerous jurisdictions, including raising capital in equity and debt markets globally, supporting the growth ambitions of emerging miners, and attaining a significant presence in the industry.
Previously, Mr. Vujcic led the effort to expand Jefferies’ global footprint by covering emerging small/mid-caps and family offices. He was instrumental in leading First Quantum Minerals Ltd.’s C$5 billion acquisition of Inmet Mining Corporation. Mr. Vujcic completed a Bachelor of Business with 1st Class Honours at the University of Technology, Sydney and completed his Chartered Accountants qualification at Arthur Andersen.
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Chris Stackhouse
Chief Financial Officer
Chris Stackhouse is a highly accomplished finance professional with over two decades of experience managing exploration and development stage assets through their operations, with a notable focus on South America. His impressive professional track record includes senior finance roles at Guyana Goldfields Inc. (acquired by Zijin Mining Group), Rockcliff Metals, and Generation Mining, where he gained extensive experience in project financing, mine development, and operations.
Chris’ financial expertise was honed during his tenure as an Audit Manager with PwC, where he obtained his CPA and CA before relocating to PwC Chile, where he lived and worked for three years. He also holds an Honours Business Administration BBA degree from Wilfrid Laurier University.
As an integral member of the SolGold team, Chris brings his vast experience and deep understanding of the South American mining industry to the table. His expertise and knowledge will be instrumental in achieving SolGold’s ambitious goals.
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Santiago Vaca
Chief Geologist, Ecuador
Santiago is an Ecuadorian geologist with over 13 years of experience in mineral exploration and research who has worked in Cu-porphyry, epithermal, IOCG and SEDEX deposit types. Santiago has a Masters Degree from The Mineral Deposit Research Unit at the University of British Columbia in Canada, where he studied the proliferous Cu-Au porphyry belt hosted in the Nicola/Takla group. This included the Copper Mountain, Mount Polley and Mount Milligan mines and the Woodjam deposit.
During his career, Santiago has worked for major, intermediate and junior mining companies, with his experience ranging from grassroots regional exploration to project generation and resource infill drilling. He has been involved with mines and projects in Ecuador, Western Canada, Western Australia, South Africa, Mexico, USA and Peru.
Santiago joined SolGold in 2014 as Chief Geologist for the Cascabel project, and his responsibilities include mapping, drill planning, core-logging, data interpretation and operation support with attention to budget and cost control. He generates technical reports and presentations for management, JV partners, investors, regulatory bodies and communities. Santiago holds a Professional Geoscientist Certification (P.Geo) granted by the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Alberta (APEGA) in Canada.
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Hugo Arnal
Director of Sustainability
Hugo Arnal is a biologist with training in tropical ecology, dedicated to biodiversity conservation, protected areas, and sustainable development. He has worked in Andean, Amazonian, marine-coastal, and island ecosystems throughout Latin America and the Caribbean, promoting the participation of multiple stakeholders in conservation programs, climate change adaptation, and equitable benefit-sharing. Hugo recently oversaw a project on biodiversity and artisanal mining in northwestern Colombia. Over the course of his career, he has gained experience in more than 20 countries and is a passionate birdwatcher, nature photographer, and certified diver. He currently serves as the Director of Sustainability at SolGold Ecuador, where he leads initiatives to integrate responsible mining with biodiversity, the environment, and the well-being of local communities.