Management
-
Joanne C. Freeze, P.Geo.
President & CEOJoanne (Joey) C. Freeze has over 40 years of experience in the mining sector, with strengths spanning exploration and engineering through feasibility, finance strategy, and stakeholder relations, including engagement with shareholders, governments, and local communities. Since entering the mineral exploration industry in 1979, she has worked extensively in copper and gold exploration across Canada, Peru, and Mexico, serving for more than 25 years as an executive in the junior resource sector. Earlier in her career, she directed exploration programs and evaluated mineral projects for both junior and major international mining companies, including Utah Mines (now BHP), Placer Dome Inc., Arequipa Resources Ltd., Dia Met Minerals Corp., Mountain Province Mining Inc., Queenstake Resources Ltd., and the Hughes/Lang Group.
From 1994 to 1997, Ms. Freeze lived and worked in Peru, where she conducted project generation and property evaluations for Canadian and Peruvian companies. During this time, she co-founded Candente Resource Corp. in 1997 with Peruvian geologist Ing. Fredy Huanqui, co-discoverer of the Pierina gold mine. As President and CEO, she led the company from its early private stage through its public listing in 2000/2001 and was instrumental in advancing significant mineral assets. She also spearheaded the 2009 restructuring of Candente Resource Corp. into Candente Copper Corp. (was Alta Copper Corp., recently sold to Fortescue Metals Group) and Candente Gold Corp. (now Xali Gold Corp.). Under her leadership, the Candente group of companies has collectively raised over $140 million in equity financings and achieved listings on the TSXV, TSX, and the Lima Stock Exchange (BVL), while advancing multiple assets.
Ms. Freeze holds a B.A. in Geography from the University of Western Ontario (1978) and a B.Sc. in Geology from the University of British Columbia (1981). She is a Fellow of the Geological Association of Canada and is registered with the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of British Columbia.
A strong advocate for collaborative governance, Ms. Freeze brings a proactive and engaged approach to board service, emphasizing alignment between management and directors. She has served on the board of Durango Resources Inc. and on advisory boards for True North Gems and Canaco Resources as well as the Society of Economic Geologists.
-
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.
-
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.