Paul Chawrun

Chief Operating Officer

An accomplished Executive Mining Engineer with 30 yrs of operating, technical and corporate experience, with an additional background as an exploration geologist and an MBA, completed while working in operations. Many years of multi-disciplined leadership at senior levels for varied mine operating methods, a wide spectrum of commodities, major capital project construction and project valuation for M&A. As a corporate executive, significant experience in ESG as well as involvement with capital markets for financing, marketing and strategic execution.

Career Highlights and Accomplishments

COO Teranga Gold: Key contributor to an executive team that built a small single asset gold producer to mid-tier status with three accretive transactions, major project construction, debt & equity financing and five consecutive years of record production with exceptional ESG performance. Recent sales to Endeavour Mining created significant long-term shareholder value.

Director, Technical Services at Detour Gold: Technical lead for $1B+ project taking it from exploration resource stage to scoping engineering, PFS, FS and then execution for construction and operations readiness.

Engineering Manager, Suncor Energy: Continuous improvement and optimization of tailings deposition for dyke construction, materials handling engineering studies, strategic mine plan optimization and large mobile equipment life cycle analyses.

Dynatec/Sherritt/SRA: Underground zinc mine re-start, owner’s team and mine design optimization for the Ambatovy project in Madagascar.

Mine Engineer, Fording Coal: Full operations and technical spectrum for large-scale thermal and metallurgical coal mine operations.

Exploration Geologist, Corona Corp.: Involvement with early-stage gold exploration projects in Eastern Canada.

Teranga Gold (West Africa): VP Technical Services & Ops 2012-15; Chief Operating Officer 2016-21

Areas of leadership: Operations, Technical Services, Exploration, Major Projects, ESG Execution

Operations optimization for continued improvement during low commodity prices, execution of high margin internal growth projects. First quartile safety stats, succession planning with continual reduction of ex-pat roles.
Acquisition of Barrick Massawa in 2019: Technical solutions for integration of refractory ore and execution of an optimized mine plan in six months.
Acquisition of Gryphon Resources in 2016: Expanded reserves, secured financing, optimized with a new FS, executed an EPCM major project construction and commissioning under budget and ahead of schedule; 2020 was the first full year of production >35% of budget and market expectations.
Acquisition of Oromin Resources in 2013: Transitioned Sabodala from a single to a multi-pit operation, increased production by ~25% with high margin internal growth projects.
Strong focus on the application of responsible mining principles and community CSR such as commitment to the World Gold Council RGMP’s, successful community relocations and sustainability projects. Recognized with several awards including by the PDAC in 2018.

Chieftain Metals (Jr. Miner BC, Canada): EVP Corporate Development 2011-12

Lead for a Bankable Feasibility Study for the Tulsequah Chief underground polymetallic deposit (uneconomic result due to challenges with operating logistics).

Detour Gold (ON, Canada): Director Technical Services 2009-2011

Part of the original team; lead technical manager taking an exploration resource into development and operations from scoping engineering, PFS, FS and then operations readiness.
Capital financing, due diligence, insurance, permitting and engineering optimization for a +$1B project.

SRA Corp. (Junior Miner, TN, USA): VP – Technical Services and Corporate Development 2007-08

Overseeing project contractor for re-start of the Gordonsville u/g zinc mine in Tennessee; operations start-up logistics and Sr. Management oversight.
Corporate support functions (smelter contracts, financial solutions wrt receivership process, operations optimization, etc.).

Dynatec/Sherritt Intl. (Canada, USA and Madagascar): Senior Corporate Engineer 2006-07

Initially a corporate development role, after the Sherritt takeover this turned into a technical role with u/g development projects at Dynatec/FNX and the Ambatovy project in Madagascar.
Owners team for the Ambatovy construction project (mine plan and multi-discipline engineering optimization, FEED for EPCM with SNC Lavalin, etc.)

Suncor Energy (Fort McMurray, AB, Canada): Senior Engineer 2000-03, Engineering Manager 2003-06

Manager of Tailings Engineering (3yrs): Multi-disciplined team, responsible for tailings engineering and dyke construction. Application of geotechnical engineering concepts.
Sr. Engineer (3yrs): Technical role in strategic planning, corporate budgeting, mine plan and design optimization, capital projects for materials handling (slurry, conveyors, etc.), mine equipment selection and life cycle analyses, etc.
Completed MBA online evenings and weekends with support from Suncor.

Fording Coal Ltd (AB and BC, Canada): Mining Engineer 1993-2000

All ranges of exposure to mine operations at two large surface coal mines, full spectrum of operations and technical training.
Mine planning engineer (Short range, Long-range); detailed budgeting.
Genesee 4yrs (Thermal Coal), Greenhills 4yrs (Met Coal – now part of Teck portfolio).

Corona Corp. (Eastern Canada): Jr. Exploration Geologist 1988-90

A field geologist, Eastern Canada with emphasis on gold, multiple projects.

Education

Bachelor of Science with Honours, Mining Engineering – Queen’s University, Kingston, ON, Canada 1993

Bachelor of Science, Geology – McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada, 1988

Masters of Business Administration (MBA) – Athabasca University, Edmonton, AB, Canada, 2006

Additional Information

Capital Markets Involvement:

A key contributor to strategic execution of large-scale financings and corporate transactions (Equity raises, M&A, Debt and Streaming financing). Cumulatively multiple billions $us.
A strong reputation was established with the mining investment banking and analyst communities.
Many roadshows, 1-1 talks and conference presentations over the years in Toronto, New York, London, Zurich, etc.
Strong understanding of corporate Investor Relations communication strategy.

Personal:

Leadership continuous improvement with executive coaching, media communication, 360 reviews, etc.
Licensed Professional Engineer (Ontario), multiple technical and corporate presentations including PDAC, CIM and others.
Several well-regarded academic scholarships were awarded during my studies in both the engineering and business programs.
Ongoing French language training: Over 3yrs with a private tutor, presently at approximately B2-C1 (upper intermediate-advanced).