AKGC Management
Officers
Gary Powers - President
Gary Powers is a Canadian businessman with over 40 years experience working with public and private projects ranging from involvement in start-up developments, to holding executive positions with public and private enterprises.
Mr. Powers' public sector experience includes board positions and senior management positions, as well as an Assistant Deputy Minister appointment with the Yukon Territorial Government. During his career, Mr. Powers has served as a Director and Officer of OTC Bulletin Board listed mining companies and he has been owner and/or executive of several private development companies in the mining, real estate, and energy sectors. He was also a partner in the construction company that created the initial five ski runs on Blackcomb Mountain in British Columbia, Canada.
Mr. Powers currently operates a private management consulting business where he specializes in practical, hands-on development and oversight of complex, large scale projects.
William D.Thomas - CFO
William D. (Bill) Thomas has a lengthy career in finance and accounting for the natural resource sector spanning more than thirty years. Most prominently, Mr. Thomas held various successive management positions with Kerr McGee Corporation’s China operations based in Beijing, China, ending in 2004 with his final position as Business Director of Business Services. He was previously General Manager (1999-2002), and Finance and Administration Manager (1996-1999) of the company’s China operations.
While in China, Mr. Thomas was responsible for Finance including Sarbanes Oxley reporting, Budgeting, Treasury, Procurement, IT, Taxation, Marketing, Insurance, Business Development including commercial negotiations with the Chinese partner, China National Offshore Oil Co (CNOOC) and other Chinese and joint venture partners.
Mr. Thomas focused heavily on supporting exploration and development operations for three operated blocks in Bohai Bay, as well as evaluation and negotiation of new venture blocks in East China Sea and the South China Sea. He was also responsible for the liaison with CNOOC and other Chinese oil companies, Kerr McGee US management and joint venture partners, where his main focus was to ensure cost effective and timely achievement of various approved work programs and budgets. He was also Chief Representative for Kerr McGee on the Joint Management Committee (JMC).
Mr. Thomas previously worked as Manager of Fixed Asset Accounting for Kerr McGee Corporation’s US operations (1996), as Finance Director of Kerr McGee’s UK operations based in London/Aberdeen (1992-1996), and Kerr McGee’s Canadian operations in Calgary, Alberta, Canada (1984-1992), including the company’s predecessor company, Maxus Canada Ltd, which was acquired by Kerr McGee Ltd.
Over the course of his career, he has been involved in all aspects of managing accounting, budgeting, HR, administration, IT, insurance, taxation and other business support aspects surrounding gas properties for Kerr McGee.
Notably, Mr. Thomas was responsible to ensure compliance with COPAS, SEC, FASB and international accounting regulations. He participated on a team that developed the Oracle accounting system application to the Kerr McGee’s worldwide operations. He was involved in the initial entry into the UK North Sea – a startup of local and expatriate personnel that eventually developed into a core area (over $1Billion) for Kerr McGee, including the company’s first operated offshore oil field in the UK (Gryphon).
Directors
Gary Powers - Director
Gary Powers is a Canadian businessman with over 40 years experience working with public and private projects ranging from involvement in start-up developments, to holding executive positions with public and private enterprises.
Mr. Powers' public sector experience includes board positions and senior management positions, as well as an Assistant Deputy Minister appointment with the Yukon Territorial Government. During his career, Mr. Powers has served as a Director and Officer of OTC Bulletin Board listed mining companies and he has been owner and/or executive of several private development companies in the mining, real estate, and energy sectors. He was also a partner in the construction company that created the initial five ski runs on Blackcomb Mountain in British Columbia, Canada.
Mr. Powers currently operates a private management consulting business where he specializes in practical, hands-on development and oversight of complex, large scale projects.
William D.Thomas - Director
William D. (Bill) Thomas has a lengthy career in finance and accounting for the natural resource sector spanning more than thirty years. Most prominently, Mr. Thomas held various successive management positions with Kerr McGee Corporation’s China operations based in Beijing, China, ending in 2004 with his final position as Business Director of Business Services. He was previously General Manager (1999-2002), and Finance and Administration Manager (1996-1999) of the company’s China operations.
While in China, Mr. Thomas was responsible for Finance including Sarbanes Oxley reporting, Budgeting, Treasury, Procurement, IT, Taxation, Marketing, Insurance, Business Development including commercial negotiations with the Chinese partner, China National Offshore Oil Co (CNOOC) and other Chinese and joint venture partners.
Mr. Thomas focused heavily on supporting exploration and development operations for three operated blocks in Bohai Bay, as well as evaluation and negotiation of new venture blocks in East China Sea and the South China Sea. He was also responsible for the liaison with CNOOC and other Chinese oil companies, Kerr McGee US management and joint venture partners, where his main focus was to ensure cost effective and timely achievement of various approved work programs and budgets. He was also Chief Representative for Kerr McGee on the Joint Management Committee (JMC).
Mr. Thomas previously worked as Manager of Fixed Asset Accounting for Kerr McGee Corporation’s US operations (1996), as Finance Director of Kerr McGee’s UK operations based in London/Aberdeen (1992-1996), and Kerr McGee’s Canadian operations in Calgary, Alberta, Canada (1984-1992), including the company’s predecessor company, Maxus Canada Ltd, which was acquired by Kerr McGee Ltd.
Over the course of his career, he has been involved in all aspects of managing accounting, budgeting, HR, administration, IT, insurance, taxation and other business support aspects surrounding gas properties for Kerr McGee.
Notably, Mr. Thomas was responsible to ensure compliance with COPAS, SEC, FASB and international accounting regulations. He participated on a team that developed the Oracle accounting system application to the Kerr McGee’s worldwide operations. He was involved in the initial entry into the UK North Sea – a startup of local and expatriate personnel that eventually developed into a core area (over $1Billion) for Kerr McGee, including the company’s first operated offshore oil field in the UK (Gryphon).
Paul Robert Lindsay, Director
Mr. Lindsay has been a member of our Board of Directors since April 5, 2011. Mr. Lindsay has over 33 years of mineral and mining experience, focused on management and mine development. He has experience in both underground and surface mining and development of flat and decline mining operations. He is a specialist in development and construction and has a long history with Managing Civil & Mechanical Construction on surface and underground, as well as environmental management working towards I.S.O 14001 accreditation. Mr. Lindsay was most recently a mining consultant to Koidu Holdings from January 2010 until present. He was the Mining Manager at the Geita Gold Mine operated by Anglo Gold Ashanti in Tanzania from 2007 to 2010 and was also the Mining Manager at their Yatela Gold Mine in Mali during that time. He was the Senior Mining Engineer for De Beers’ Venetia Mine in South Africa (1997-2007) and the Mine Overseer at De Beers’ Finsch Mine, also located in South Africa (1981 to 1997).
A resident of South Africa, Mr. Lindsay is an Associate Member of the South African Institute of Mining & Metallurgy and Fellow Member of the Institute of Quarrying.
Geoff Carter, P. Eng., Advisor
Geoff is a mining engineer and has been active in the mining industry since the late 1960's and involved with public companies for more than 30 years. He has held positions at Anglo American, Hudson Bay Mining & Smelting, and was Vice-President at Inspiration Coal. He has also been a director and president of Ourominas Minerals, director of Bankers Petroleum and Trans Atlantic Enterprises. Since 1990, Geoff has been involved in independent research, due diligence reports, NI 43-101 reports and valuations, as well as general corporate advisory for the mining industry.
