Board of Directors

Charles Riopel

Executive Chairman

Charles Riopel

Mr. Charles Riopel is an accomplished senior-level executive with over 25 years domestic/international investment experience in mining. He has managed over the years both private and public investment funds. He is the founder and managing partner at Latitude 450, a private equity fund specialized in mining. Prior thereto, he was Senior Investment Director at The Sentient Group, one of the largest PE Funds in mining with over US$2.7 billion under management. At The Sentient Group, he worked on and completed 12 follow-on investments as well as one exit - actively managing investments and re-engineering projects in copper, gold, uranium, nickel and manganese. From 2006 to 2012, he served as Senior Investment Director Metals & Mining at the SGF, a public fund with over US$5 billion under management. During these years, he invested approximately US$200 million per year in mining projects, from greenfield exploration to operations, directly managing drilling programs to approximately US$10 billion in construction. While working at the SGF he invested in, directly managed, turned around and exited more than 20 investments and mining projects.

He was appointed to the Board of Directors of PNRL in 2019 and is currently Executive Chairman of the Board of Directors of PNRL, Premium Nickel Resources International (Barbados), Premium Nickel Resources Selebi (Barbados) and Premium Nickel Resources Selkirk (Barbados). He is also a member of the Board of Directors of Meridian Mining UK (Cu-Au-Mn) and the Foundation of Greater Montreal (local charity managing over US$250 million in charitable donations). He has served as a director and/or officer of several Canadian and international companies. He holds a Bachelor of Economics from Montreal University and a Masters in Business Administration from Laval University.

COMMITTEE MEMBERSHIP

Technical Committee; Disclosure team

Keith Morrison

Chief Executive Officer & Director

Keith Morrison

Mr. Keith Morrison has over 40 years of global experience in the resources sector with an accomplished background in strategy, finance, exploration, technology, global operations, capital markets and corporate development. Formerly, Mr. Morrison co-founded two significant Canadian-based success stories, Quantec, a world-leader in deep sub-surface imaging technologies, and QGX, a Canadian-based public exploration company which operated in Mongolia prior to its acquisition. Since 1986, Mr. Morrison has continuously served on private and public company Board of Directors, and senior management teams as CEO. During this period, he has been in leadership positions through multiple commodity cycles and several black swan events. He is currently director and CEO of PNRL.

COMMITTEE MEMBERSHIP

Technical Committee; Disclosure team

John Hick

Director

John Hick

Mr. John Hick has over 40 years of experience in the mining industry in both senior management positions and as an independent director, and in some cases the non-executive Chairman, to a number of publicly listed companies, including Diamond Estates Wines & Spirits Inc. and Mako Mining Corp. Previously, Mr. Hick has held board and/or senior management positions with a number of other Canadian mining companies, including Quebec Precious Metals Corp., Medoro Resources Ltd., St. Andrew Goldfields Ltd., First Uranium Corp., Defiance Mining Corp./Geomaque Explorations Ltd, TVX Gold Inc., Cambior Inc., Rio Narcea Gold Mines Ltd, Rayrock Resources Inc., Revett Minerals Inc. and Placer Dome Inc. Mr. Hick holds a B.A. from the University of Toronto, and a LLB from the University of Ottawa.

COMMITTEE MEMBERSHIP

Audit and Risk Management Committee (Chairman); HR and Compensation Committee (Chairman); Disclosure Team 

Bill O’Reilly

Director

Bill O’Reilly

Mr. O’Reilly is a Corporate Director.  He was Managing Partner and a member of the Management Committee of Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg LLP, a leading Canadian law firm, from 1997 until his retirement from those positions on May 31, 2010.  He was a partner of that firm from 1976 to December 31, 2011, except for the period between August 1993 and January 1996 when he served as an executive officer of Russel Metals Inc., one of North America’s leading metals distribution companies.   Mr. O’Reilly has served as a director of Russel Metals Inc. since May, 2009, and has at various times served as Chair of its Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee, its Management Resources and Compensation Committee and its Environmental Management and Health and Safety Committee.

During his time practicing law, Mr. O’Reilly advised individuals and public and privately owned corporations in connection with the purchase and sale of corporations and business operations in a wide variety of industries, including, in particular, the financial services sector, industrial manufacturing and distribution, retail sales, truck transportation, food processing and oil and gas exploration and development. He acted on behalf of corporate borrowers in secured and unsecured loan transactions, including project financings, and in loan restructurings. He advised underwriters and issuers with respect to the public and private distribution of equity and debt securities and the public distribution of mortgage-backed securities, and he acted as an advisor to senior management, boards of directors, independent committees of boards and major shareholders of both public and private corporations in connection with a wide range of corporate activities.

In his capacity as Managing Partner at Davies, Mr. O’Reilly had primary responsibility for a wide range of firm management matters, including firm strategy, delivery of legal services, client relationships, other business development initiatives, lawyer recruitment, regulatory compliance, financial reporting, professional education and partner compensation.

COMMITTEE MEMBERSHIP

Audit and Risk Management Committee, Corporate Governance & Nominating Committee (Chairman) 

Don Newberry

Director

Don Newberry

Mr. Don Newberry has over 20+ years of experience in a variety of senior financial and project management leadership roles and he is currently the Chief Financial Officer at Ohio Truck Sales. Don has spent most of his career working internationally in the Mining industry for Diavik Diamond Mines, Cleveland Cliffs, and Nyrstar. He is experienced in overseeing large mining projects from studies through to execution, risk management, M&A, integration, and implementing financial controls and oversight of company's assets. Mr. Newberry completed his bachelor of Commerce (Accounting) at Ottawa University, Master of Business Administration (MBA) in Global Management at University of Phoenix, and he also completed the Program for Leadership Development (PLD) at Harvard Business School. He is a Chartered Professional Accountant / Certified Management Accountant (CPA, CMA). He is currently a director of PNRL.

COMMITTEE MEMBERSHIP

Audit and Risk Management Committee; Technical Committee

 

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