Our People

Discovery Group companies are independently managed by teams strategically created to ensure the right people are in place to advance our projects. They leverage their experience and knowledge in specific commodities and geology to maximize the opportunity for exploration success. They are as diverse as the commodities we explore for and come from a variety of backgrounds BUT they all share a common purpose - to apply sound science, innovative practices and thinking to the art of discovery.

We are committed to delivering results to our shareholders, to our partners and to each other. That is the power of the group.

Company Presidents & CEOs


John Robins, P.Geo. Chairman - Kivalliq Energy Corporation, Niblack Mineral Development Inc., Kaminak Gold
Corporation

Mr. Robins is a professional geologist based in Vancouver, BC, with over 25 years of experience as an independent exploration geologist and entrepreneur. A 1984 graduate of the University of British Columbia with a Bachelor of Science in Geology, Mr. Robins initially worked as a self employed prospector and geologist in BC and Northern Canada. In 1988, he founded Hunter Exploration Group, one of Canada's most successful private exploration companies. Mr. Robins has also been active in starting several successful public exploration and development companies culminating in 2005 with his co-founding of the Discovery Group of Companies. In addition to his role with the Discovery Group, Mr. Robins also sits on the Boards of several successful publically traded exploration companies.

His experience in everything from grass roots exploration to production is complemented by his success in the capital markets and financing activities.  In 2008, Mr. Robins was recognized for his achievements in mining exploration by the Association for Mineral Exploration British Columbia with the H.H. "Spud" Huestis Award. This is recognized as the highest award given for mineral exploration and is awarded to those who have made "a significant contribution… to enhance the mineral resources of British Columbia and/or the Yukon Territory, through the original application of prospecting techniques or other geoscience technology".

John Williamson, P.Geol., President, CEO & Director - North Country Gold Corp. & Niblack Mineral Development Inc.

Mr. Williamson has a Bachelor of Science, Specialization in Geology, (1988) from the University of Alberta. He is an independent consultant and entrepreneur with more than twenty years experience, including fourteen years in the management, development and governance of public companies conducting worldwide mineral exploration and mining. He is a founder of ten junior resource and or mining companies with gold, nickel and diamond-based operations in Canada, Western Australia, South America and Africa.

He has served as Chairman, President, CEO, CFO and or Director of TSX Venture listed companies; North Country Gold Corp., (since April 2010), Niblack Mineral Developments Inc., (since April 2010), CBR Gold Corp. (since August 1998), Brilliant Resources Inc. (since September 2003); Indicator Minerals Inc (since April 2001); Kaminak Gold Corporation (since November 2005); and Cedar Mountain Exploration Inc. (since March 2006). Of these, Brilliant Resources Inc. was named to the 2007 TSX Venture 50TM, a ranking of Canada's top emerging public companies listed on TSX Venture Exchange, as a "Top 10 Mining Company" based on a formula that includes revenue, return on investment, market cap growth, and trading volume. During his tenure John has helped raise over $100 million in equity or debt financing, conducted over $70 million in exploration and has grossed over $95 million in metal sales.

Mr. Williamson is a professional geologist registered with the Association of Professional Engineers, Geologists and Geophysicists of Alberta (APEGGA). He is also a Fellow of the Geological Association of Canada and Member of the Society of Economic Geologists.

Robert L. Carpenter, Ph.D., P. Geo., President & CEO - Kaminak Gold Corporation

Dr. Robert L. Carpenter is the co-founder of Kaminak Gold Corporation (KAM: TSX-V), a mineral exploration company publicly listed in 2005 employing a prospect generator business model.  This business model led to the acquisition of the Coffee Gold Project located in the White Gold District, Yukon Territory.  In 2010, Kaminak completed the first ever drilling on the Coffee property and discovered 8 significant gold zones beginning at surface.  This success led to two bought deal financings totaling $26 million and an asset with world-class gold potential. 

Prior to Kaminak, Rob spent three years with the Federal Department of Indian and Northern Affairs of Canada where he was responsible for evaluating technical reports submitted on mineral claims, prospecting permits and mining leases as required under the Canada Mining Regulations and recommending their approval/rejection based on compliance.  He also worked with BHP-Billiton Ltd., Placer Dome Inc., and WMC Resources Ltd., focusing primarily on early stage exploration projects throughout Canada, Australia and the United States.  

Another success in Rob's career includes the formation of a landmark 2008 uranium partnership, the first of its kind in Canada, between the Inuit of Nunavut and Kaminak.  This partnership involved Kaminak spinning-out its uranium assets into a new uranium company called Kivalliq Energy Corp. (KIV: TSX-V), which Rob serves as a Director.  In 2009, the Association of Mineral Exploration British Columbia recognized Rob's achievement in this ground-breaking transaction and awarded him the Robert R. Hedley Award for excellence in social and environmental responsibility.

Rob obtained his B.Sc., M.Sc. and Ph.D. from the University of Western Ontario and completed his Ph.D. thesis on the regional geological setting of the Meliadine Lake gold deposits, which are now owned by Agnico-Eagle Mines Limited.  He is a practicing professional geologist with over 20 years of precious and base metal exploration experience and certified by the Association of Professional Geoscientists of Ontario (P. Geo).

Bruce Counts, P. Geoph., President, CEO - Indicator Minerals Inc.

Bruce has been involved in the Canadian diamond exploration industry for fourteen years. Between 1992 and 1997 he was employed by BHP Minerals Canada Ltd. and was an integral member of the team responsible for the discovery and development of the Ekati Diamond Mine(tm). In 1997 Bruce joined Dia Met Minerals Ltd. and was senior consultant on their international portfolio of projects until the sale of the company in 2001. Bruce is a Professional Geophysicist and holds a degree in Geological Engineering from the University of British Columbia.

Charles Chebry, President, CEO & Director - Cedar Mountain Exploration Inc.

Mr. Chebry is the President, CEO, Chairman and Director of Cedar Mountain Exploration Inc.(TSXV:CED). Mr. Chebry is also involved in the following mineral exploration companies: Chief Financial Officer and a Director of Argonaut Exploration Inc. (TSXV:AGA), Director of Happy Creek Minerals Ltd. (TSXV:HPY). Mr. Chebry has been a Director of CBR Gold Corp., (TSXV:CBG), since July 2002 and served as President and founder of its predecessor company Arta Enterprises Inc. from December 2000 to July 2002. Mr. Chebry was Chief Financial Officer, Vice President of Finance and a Director of Olympia Financial Group Inc. (TSXV:OLY), from March 1997 to December 2006 and remains a Director. Mr. Chebry has a Bachelor of Science from the University of Alberta and is a Certified Management Accountant

Jeff Ward, BSc, P.Geo. President - Kivalliq Energy Corporation

Mr. Ward obtained a Bachelors of Science degree in Geology from the University of Western Ontario and is a registered professional geologist in British Columbia and Alberta. He has 25 years experience exploring for base metals, precious metals and diamonds with companies such as Corona Corporation, Ashton Mining of Canada Inc. and Stornoway Diamond Corporation, where he worked on reconnaissance to advanced-stage projects throughout Canada's north. As regional Project Manager, Mr. Ward directed exploration programs in the Northwest Territories and Nunavut for over eight years and was responsible for program design, supervision, compliance, and joint venture management and stakeholder relations.

Dean J. Besserer, P.Geol. President & CEO - Sentosa Mining Ltd.

Mr. Besserer, a graduate of the University of Western Ontario, has been a consultant since 1994. In 2001, Mr. Besserer became a principal and managing director at APEX Geoscience Ltd. His industry experience includes conducting exploration and property evaluations for various commodities including gold, base metals and diamonds for numerous major and junior mining companies. in Canada, Australia, Russia, SE Asia, South America and Africa. In addition to his exploration experience Mr. Besserer has also managed exploration programs with annual exploration budgets in excess of 10 million dollars.


Jim Paterson, CEO - Kivalliq Energy Corporation & Director - Niblack Mineral Development Inc., Indicator Minerals Inc., and Kaminak Gold Corporation

Newly appointed CEO, Jim Paterson, B.Comm., has been an active member of the Board of Directors of Kivalliq Energy Corp. since the Company's inception. He has over 13 years of corporate experience with several North American mineral exploration and development companies. Mr. Paterson founded, and until December 2010 was President, CEO, and a director of Corsa Capital Ltd. (CSO: TSX-V) - a company which acquired and capitalized operating coal mining assets in the USA. Jim is also a Director of Kaminak Gold Corporation and Niblack Development Corporation, both resource companies listed on the TSX Venture Exchange.


Sean Mager, B.Comm. President, COO & Director - Brilliant Resources Inc.

Sean has a Bachelor of Commerce (1989) from the University of Alberta and more than twenty years of experience in management and governance of private and public enterprise, including serving as President of an aboriginal development corporation; as Industry Analyst for the Government of Canada's Northwest Territories; and as VP Corporate Development of a publicly listed mining logistics company. Since 1998, Mr. Mager has co-founded and developed several public companies that have conducted mineral exploration and mining worldwide, with precious metal, base metal and diamond interests in North and South America, Australia, Asia and Africa.

He has served as President, Vice President, Director and/or Chief Financial Officer for several TSXV and ASX listed companies, including North Country Gold Corp, Niblack Mineral Development Inc, Brilliant Resources Inc., Cedar Mountain Exploration Inc, Kaminak Gold Corporation, Indicator Minerals Inc., Corsa Coal Corp., Altiplano Minerals Ltd. and Grizzly Discoveries Inc.

Of these, Brilliant Resources Inc. was named in 2007 and 2008 to the "TSX Venture 50T", a ranking of Canada's top emerging public companies listed on TSX Venture Exchange, as a "Top 10 Mining Company" based on a formula that includes revenue, return on investment, market cap growth, and trading volume.

Company VPs of Exploration


Peter Kleespies, M.Sc, Vice President of Exploration - North Country Gold Corp. & Niblack Mineral Development Inc.

Mr. Kleespies is a professional geologist registered with the Association of Professional Engineers, Geologists and Geophysicists of Alberta (APEGGA) and has 20 years experience in exploration geology for both precious and base metals in the Americas and Australia. He worked for both junior and senior companies, including BHP Minerals Canada Limited, Metallic Resources and Miramar Mining Corporation on a broad range of exploration projects including the High Lake and Hope Bay Greenstone Belts in the Slave Province, Archean - Proterozoic aged greenstones both in Canada, Venezuela, and Australia and younger intrusion related deposits within poly-deformed carbonate terrains in Mexico and Canada. His expertise ranges from conceptual project generation, grassroots exploration, large-scale surface and underground drill programs, deposit modeling and resource estimation. Mr. Kleespies has demonstrated the application of sound technical principles and ability to integrate complex geological, geochemical and geophysical datasets in the search for, and delineation of economically viable mineral deposits. Most recently he was a Senior Exploration Geologist with Committee Bay Resources Ltd. and formerly managed exploration projects at Hope Bay for Miramar Mining Corporation.

Mr. Kleespies has a Bachelor of Science (Hon. Geology) and Master of Science (Geology) from the University of Alberta

Tim Smith, M.Sc., Vice President, Exploration - Kaminak Gold Corporation

Tim has over 15 years experience in mineral exploration and mining, having graduated with a M.Sc. in Geology in 1994 from the University of Canterbury, New Zealand. The first part of his career was spent with a major gold miner in the Archean Yilgarn Craton of Western Australia, where he was part of a team which discovered and developed two stand-alone gold mines in the greenstone belts of the Eastern Goldfields.

In 2000, he subsequently moved into the junior exploration sector with Tanami Gold NL. Starting as Project Geologist and working his way up to Geology Manager, Tim headed up all geological functions across the Company. In this role, Tim was responsible for the exploration of a major landholding (up to 70,000km2) and the resource development and eventual mine geology of the Coyote Gold Project, which is now Australia's most remote operating open cut and underground gold mine. As an offshoot to Tanami Gold, Tim also led the geology team for Jabiru Metals Ltd during the bankable feasibility study into the VHMS Cu-Zn-Ag Jaguar Deposit, which is also now an operating underground mine.

Dave Kelsch, Vice President of Exploration & Director - Indicator Minerals Inc.

Mr. Kelsch has been active in mineral exploration since 1985, focusing on diamond exploration for the past fourteen years. Between 1992 and 1998, he was a senior geologist with Kennecott Canada Exploration Inc. During this time Mr. Kelsch was responsible for managing the Lac de Gras exploration efforts and played an integral role in the discovery and development of the kimberlites that were incorporated into the Diavik Diamond Mine. Since 1998, Mr. Kelsch has been an independent consultant and advisor working for both junior and major diamond explorers including Diamonds North Resources Ltd. as manager of their Victoria Island Project.


Chief Financial Officers


Jonathan Singh, BAccS, C.G.A . - CFO - Kaminak Gold Corporation, Kivalliq Energy Corporation and Indicator Minerals Inc.

Mr. Singh is a member of the Association of Certified General Accountants of BC and Canada and has over 17 years of experience in the various areas of tax, financial reporting, internal audit and treasury, for both publicly traded resource companies and public practice accounting firms. Previously, Mr. Singh held various financial roles in the mineral resource industry, including serving as corporate controller for Magma Energy Corp. (a predecessor to Alterra Power Corp. AXY:TSX) and Silver Standard Resources Inc. (SSO:TSX), as well as working in the tax group for KPMG. Mr. Singh holds a Bachelor of Accounting Science degree from the University of Calgary.

 



 
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