Corporate

Mr. Torres is a partner and the co-founder of Mello, Torres law firm, a leading Brazilian law firm specializing in M&A, debt restructuring, crisis management, power, mining and environmental law matters. Mr. Torres had previously been a director, president and Chief Executive Officer of Furnas Centrais Electricas S.A., a wind farm and hydrogen power plan operator, general counsel of Vale S.A., director of Petrobras S.A. and chairman of the board of BR Distribuidora S.A. Mr. Torres holds a LLM, with specialization in international law, trade and finance from Tulane Law School and a J.D. from Universidade Católica de Salvador, Law School. Mr. Torres is fluent in English, Spanish and Portugese.

Mr. Espechit is a widely respected executive in the Brazilian mining sector and joins the company from Brazil Potash, where he successfully led the permitting process for the company's flagship project. With more than 35 years of experience in mine development and operations -- including active engagement with indigenous and regulatory stakeholders -- he brings the leadership and credibility required to advance Volta Grande responsibly and efficiently.

His previous roles include executive director at J. Mendo Consultoria, operations director at Mirabela Nickel, general manager at BHP Billiton's Mount Keith operations in Australia, project leader at Shell Canada and general manager of Vale's Sossego copper project in Para state, Brazil.

Mr. Espechit is a member of the Society for Mining, Metallurgy and Exploration, the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum, and the Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy. He holds a BSc in mining engineering from the Federal University of Minas Gerais and an MBA from the University of Sao Paulo.

Rodrigo Costa has over 30 years of technical and operational experience in the Brazilian mining industry, specifically in the mining and processing of gold ore, hydrometallurgical processes and occupational safety. During his professional career, he has been responsible for the implementation, management, construction, commissioning and operation of projects of renowned mining companies such as Mineração Morro Velho, Votorantim, Desert Sun Mining, Yamana Gold, Jacobina Mineração, Vanadium de Maracás and Serabi Mineração in Pará. Mr. Costa is a graduate from the Federal University of Bahia (UFBA), and also holds a Master of Engineering degree from Queen's University.

Ian Pritchard boasts over 30 years of mining industry expertise, with a focus on project and operations management in North America and Brazil. His experience includes overseeing pre-feasibility and feasibility studies, as well as engineering, procurement, and construction management projects. Mr. Pritchard has held pivotal roles in several prominent engineering and mining firms such as SNC-Lavalin and De Beers Canada. He currently serves as the Chief Operating Officer at Belo Sun Mining Corp., Senior Vice President-Technical Services at Troilus Gold Corp., and is also a director with Lithium Ionic.

Ryan Ptolemy is a CPA, CGA and CFA charter holder and obtained a B.A. from Western University. He serves as CFO to a number of public and private companies in the mining sector, specializing in South American exploration and development stage companies. He formerly served as CFO for an independent investment dealer in Toronto where he was responsible for financial reporting, auditing, budgeting and internal controls.

Stéphane Amireault, MASc, P.Eng., holds a Master of Applied Sciences degree from École Polytechnique at the Université de Montréal and is a member in good standing of the Ordre des Ingénieurs du Québec. Mr. Amireault has over 30 years of experience in mineral exploration, particularly in Central and South America. He was formerly the Vice President of Exploration for Sulliden Gold Corporation Ltd. until its acquisition by Rio Alto Mining in 2014. 

Neil Said is a seasoned corporate securities lawyer with significant experience in the mining, oil & gas, and technology sectors. His experience includes directorships with Bluelake Mineral AB, Euro Sun Mining, Inc., Vilhelmina Mineral AB, O2Gold, Inc., and more. Mr. Said served in key leadership roles for corporations like ARHT Media, Inc., Forbes & Manhattan, Inc., and Medivolve, Inc. He began his legal career with a prominent Toronto corporate law firm and earned a Juris Doctor from the University of Toronto and a Bachelor of Business Administration (Honours) with a minor in Economics from Wilfrid Laurier University.