Great Basin Lithium Brine Team
Sidney Alderman
Alderman, Slothower & Associates
Sidney Alderman started his mining career as a project geologist for the American Metal Company Ltd. (Parent of AMAX), on the development of the Southwest Potash ore body near Carlsbad, New Mexico. He was one of the founding partners of Agricultural & Industrial Minerals Inc. (AIM), an international consulting firm specializing in potash and other evaporites, including solar salt, borates, and trona. AIM acquired the Owens Lake trona operation from Morrison & Weatherly Chemical Co. in 1975, and developed it into a successful trona producer, which was sold to COMINCO in 1980. As AIM's Vice President and chief geologist, Alderman was involved in the early development and start-up of the Lake McCleod solar salt project in Western Australia, now one of the world's largest salt producers. Mr. Alderman has been associated with numerous major evaporite projects.
Dr. Anthony P. Taylor
Dr. Taylor brings over 40 years of international minerals exploration experience to the group, with hands-on experience and management in discovery of nickel, platinum, copper-zinc, and gold deposits. He has managed projects in Australia, South Africa, and the United States with Cominco, Selection Trust, BP Minerals, Kennecott, and Gencor. He currently is President, Chief Executive Officer and Director of Gold Summit Exploration and a Director of Hecla Mining Company.
Ruth A. Carraher
Ms. Carraher has 28 years of experience exploring for gold, silver, and base metals in the United States, Mexico, Bolivia, Argentina, and China. She has worked for Hanna Mining Co., Freeport Exploration, Amselco, Coeur Exploration, and Barrick Gold Corp. She is one of the founders of the Women’s Mining Coalition, a grass-roots group who lobby on behalf of the US mining industry, and Vice President - Project Development for Gold Summit Exploration.
Management Team
Peter Secker, Chief Executive Officer and Director
Mr. Secker was Chief Executive Officer of JMS Civil and Mining, located in Brisbane, Australia. JMS is a civil and mining engineering firm with revenues of $300 million. Previous to that he was Chief Executive Officer of Michelago Ltd., which is now part of Sino Gold. Under his stewardship, Michelago built a 150,000 oz gold mine in Shandong province, China. Mr. Secker was also Vice-president, Operations for Sino Gold, at the time it was a joint venture between the Chinese Government and Macquarie Bank and during which time he directed the construction of the Jianchaling Gold Mine. His career also includes periods as Mine Manager of Emperor Mines Ltd. in Fiji, Operations Manager of the Youanmi Gold Mine in Australia, and Mine Captain at the Rand Mine in South Africa.
Mark N. J. Ashcroft, M.Sc., P.Eng - Executive Vice-President, Corporate Development
Mark is the Executive Vice-President, Corporate Development of the corporation. Mark has been involved in various capacities in the global mining and finance industries since 1990. From 2007 to 2008, Mark worked at Versant Partners, where he was responsible for successfully developing a mining finance business for that firm in sales, trading and corporate finance. Prior to joining Versant, Mark had been employed with Toll Cross Securities, a boutique institutional firm in Toronto where he became Managing Director and Head of Investment Banking. >From 1999 to 2003, Mark worked in mining project finance in London and New York. From 1996 to 1998 he worked in Mines Technical Services at Inco Limited's Ontario Division, where he qualified as a Professional Engineer in Ontario. From 1990 to 1996, through his undergraduate studies, Mark worked in various operating roles in North and South America and Australia. Mark holds his Bachelor of Engineering (Mining) from Laurentian University and a Master of Science (Finance, Regulation and Risk Management) from the ISMA Centre of the University of Reading. Mark is also currently President and Chief Executive Officer of Stonegate Agricom Ltd., a private company engaged in the acquisition, exploration and development of agricultural nutrient projects.
Gary Pearse, Chief Operating Officer
Mr. Pearse is an engineer, economic geologist, and mineral economist with over 40 years experience including geological survey work in Canada and Nigeria, exploration and development in North America and Africa, government mineral economist and consulting. For much of his career he has worked as a rare metals and industrial minerals consultant, in project management, feasibility, and development. He is recognized for his thorough, unequivocal market studies, based on in-depth knowledge of the mineral-based manufacturing industry.
Andres Tinajero, Chief Financial Officer
Andres Tinajero has been CFO for Black Pearl Mineral Consolidated Inc. since March 2008. Mr. Tinajero is a Certified Management Accountant and holds an MBA and a BA in Finance. He has more than 13 years experience in financial
management focused on the areas of cost accounting, cost analysis, budgeting and financial strategy. He has worked for major organizations in North America, including LaFarge Canada, International Monetary Fund, United Nations and
currently as CFO for Vena Resources Inc, and CFO for Trelawney Resources Inc.
Charles Merivale, Consultant
Senior Vice President, Amalgamet Canada, Division Premetalco Inc.
Mr. Merivale has been with Amalgamet, a global metal trader, for over 30 years serving both metal and industrial mineral segment clients around the world including securing product, international banking, shipping and bulk chartering arrangements. Charles is a specialist in the lithium market having acted as a sales agent for TANCO, as well as written numerous industry journal articles and delivered many presentations to industry groups and conferences on the merits of lithium. Charles has a track record of market development for new industrial minerals projects and is known for developing long-term customer relationships.
