Gaining Ground: The Russell Portal Upgrade & Field Update

A former COO of Barrick Gold Corporation from 2015-2018, Mr. Williams is a global executive with an established track-record of value creation, pioneering and transformational leadership within the Mining Industry and other demanding assignments. Amongst other notable achievements, this helped Barrick deliver an 80% improvement in the company’s operating profit over his three years, and the total overhaul of the Company’s relationship with the Tanzanian Government following a breakdown of relations between a Barrick subsidiary and that government. Formerly, the CEO of an African and Central Asian focused exploration business, and Non-Executive Director of Gem Diamonds PLC, he was also the Commanding Officer of the British Special Forces Regiment – the SAS. He is currently a Non-Executive Director of Trevali Mining Corporation, Chair of Trevali’s HSEC Committee and an advisor to mining companies facing complex operational, political or ESG challenges. BSc Economics, University College London; MA Security Studies, Kings College London; MBA Cranfield University.

A former Executive General Manager of Barrick Gold’s Lumwana Copper Mine in Zambia, Mr Ash is an experienced American Mining Engineer and modernizing leader, with a proven track record of building and leading teams capable of optimizing and enhancing the operating efficiency, profitability and sustainability of mining operations in complex and challenging environments. During his tenure at Lumwana Mr. Ash Delivered over $100M in sustainable free cash flow improvements, achieved 50% improvement in safety performance, executed a training and development program achieving 96% local workforce, and progressed expansion plans that doubled the value of mine.

Mr. Francis joins the Bunker Hill team after 10 years with Rio Tinto, the second-largest mining company in the world, where he was most recently Mine Manager at the Kennecott Bingham Canyon Mine (“Kennecott”) in Utah, USA, its single largest mining operation. Among other achievements, his team delivered world-class payload metrics on Kennecott’s ultra-class truck fleet while simultaneously increasing average haul truck speeds and tire life. Previous roles with Rio Tinto included responsibility for productivity across the full Kennecott value stream (mine, concentrator, smelter and refinery), three years in the Group strategic investment analysis team assessing its global suite of projects (greenfield, brownfield & closure), and several years in Rio Tinto Exploration (RTX) managing operational support (incl. safety) for Rio Tinto’s Exploration’s projects across Africa and Eurasia. Prior to his mining experience, Mr. Francis served as an officer in the Royal Marines and UK Special Forces, serving on multiple operational tours in Kosovo, Iraq & Afghanistan. He is a dual national US/UK citizen having lived, studied and worked in both the US and the UK. He holds a first-class degree from the University of Oxford (BA, Mathematics & Computation).