Management
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Joanne C. Freeze, P.Geo.
President & CEOJoanne (Joey) C. Freeze is CEO and co-founder of Candente Copper Corp. Since entering the mineral exploration business in 1979, Ms. Freeze has managed exploration programs and evaluated projects for both junior and major international mining companies such as Queenstake Resources Ltd., Arequipa Resources Ltd., Mountain Province Mining Inc., Placer Dome Inc., Dia Met Minerals Corp., Hughes/ Lang Group and Utah Mines Ltd. (BHP).
Ms. Freeze lived and worked in Peru from 1994 to 1997 where she carried out both project generation work and property evaluations for Canadian and Peruvian companies. As a result of her experience in Peru, a partnership was formed with Peruvian geologist Ing. Fredy Huanqui (co-discoverer of the Pierina gold mine) and a new mineral exploration company was born. Candente Resource Corp. was established in 1997, which operated privately until going public on May 15, 2000. Since then Candente Resource Corp. has spun-out various assets to form two other companies, Xali Gold Corp. (once Candente Gold Corp.) and Cobriza Metals Inc.. All three companies are listed on the TSX and the Candente companies are co-listed on the Lima stock exchange. Ms. Freeze is CEO of all three companies and President of Xali Gold Corp.
Ms. Freeze obtained a B.A. in Geography from the University of Western Ontario in 1978 and a B.Sc. in Geology from the University of British Columbia in 1981. She is a Fellow Member of the Geological Association of Canada and is registered with the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of British Columbia, Canada.
In 2011, Ms. Freeze was appointed as a Member of the International Advisory Board for the Institute for the Study of International Development at McGill University - http://www.mcgill.ca/isid/ -
Sheri Rempel
Chief Financial OfficerMs. Rempel has more than 30 years of accounting and financial management experience. Ms. Rempel started her career with public companies in 2001 and currently provides senior financial advisory services to Canadian private and public corporations, acting in officer or Controller capacities. She founded ARO Consulting Inc. to provide 'one-stop' financial reporting and corporate services to public companies on the TSX and TSX-v exchanges.
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Matthew Melnyk, M.Sc., CPG
Director of OperationsMr. Melnyk is a Professional Geologist (AIPG) with 20 years of experience throughout the Americas, Africa and Australia. With Aquiline Resources he was responsible for identifying the geochemical anomalies that led to the company's acquisition of the Navidad Silver Deposit in Argentina and ultimately the buyout of Aquiline by Pan American Silver in 2009. For Aurelian Resources, his work on drill target definition contributed to Aurelian's march toward the Fruta del Norte discovery in Ecuador and eventual acquisition by Kinross in 2008.
He served as Manager of Project Evaluations for Agnico Eagle's Southern Business Unit from 2015-2018 with a focus on identifying district scale opportunities in Latin America. His expertise is Structural Geology which he has utilized most recently in tackling structurally complex projects with Silver Bull Resources in Coahuila, Mexico and Titan Mining in New York State.
Mr. Melnyk holds a M.Sc. in Geology from the University of Southern Mississippi and a B.A in Geology from SUNY Buffalo. He studied Structural Geology towards a graduate degree at the University of Toronto on work that he has published in the Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences. -
Ing. Enrique Bernuy
Exploration ManagerWith over 30 years of experience in mineral exploration and mining operations throughout South America and Mexico, Ing. Bernuy brings invaluable expertise that will greatly enhance Xali Gold’s strategic initiatives and increasing exploration activities in both North and South America.
Throughout his career, Ing. Bernuy has served in various roles including Exploration Manager and contributed to both the discovery and development of significant mineral resources for several other major and junior mining companies including Anglo Gold Ashanti, Pasminco Exploration and Alta Copper. His expertise spans various deposit types, including porphyry copper-gold systems, both high and low sulphidation epithermal precious metal deposits, and base metal deposits. Notable achievements include his role in the development of Alta Copper’s Cañariaco copper project in Peru, where in excess of 14 billion pounds of copper, 4 million ounces of gold and 92 million ounces of silver have been estimated to date, as well as the generation of multiple gold-silver projects in Argentina's Somuncurá Massif.
A graduate of the National University Daniel Alcides Carrión with a degree in Geological Engineering, Ing. Bernuy combines strong technical skills with extensive management experience in exploration, community relations, and environmental compliance. His broad expertise in Latin American geology and proven track record in resource discovery make him a valuable asset in mineral exploration leadership.