Sergio Rotondo

Executive Chairman

Mr Sergio Rotondo has an extensive background in managing billion-dollar construction projects from design through to completion and has partnered with some of Argentina’s largest real estate developers and designers. Importantly, Sergio is also the founder of Golden Mining SA, which originally consolidated 100% of the Hualilan Gold Project.

Mr Sergio Rotondo holds a Masters Degree in Economics from University of CEMA and an international MBA Degree from University of CEMA.

Kris Knauer

CEO & Managing Director

Mr Knauer started his career as an exploration geologist before moving into investment banking, initially as a mining analyst. He is an experienced listed company CEO. He led the listing of a package of copper/gold assets in Saudi Arabia to create Citadel Resources (ASX: CGG) becoming the Managing Director for the first 18 months. Citadel completed a DFS on the Jabal Sayid copper project in Saudi Arabia prior to being taken over for $1 billion.

Sonia Delgado

Executive Director

Dr. Sonia Delgado graduated with honours as a lawyer and has a Master’s degree in labour law from the National University of Cordoba. Her work experience in the private sector began in 2004 when she opened her own law firm specialising in Argentinian Labour law which she has maintained until her appointment by Challenger Exploration.

Over a distinguished career in the Argentinian public sector, Sonia has occupied positions including: Assistant Office of the State Prosecutor of the Province of San Juan; Undersecretary of Planning and Promotion of Mining Development; Chief of Advisors (Argentina National Mining Ministry) and, most recently, Secretary of Mining for the province of San Juan, Argentina.

Fletcher Quinn

Non-Executive Director

Mr Quinn has over 35 years’ experience in venture capital, corporate finance and investment banking. This includes extensive experience with both listed and unlisted companies, including public company development, management and governance. Mr Quinn was the founding Chairman for ASX entities Citadel Resource Group and Sirocco Resources.

Pini Althaus

Non-Executive Director

Mr Althaus is based in New York and has been an Executive in the mining and resource sector since 2002. Pini was most recently the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of USA Rare Earth, which acquired and developed the Round Top heavy rare earth and critical minerals project in Texas. As CEO Pini transformed USA Rare Earth from a resource startup to one of the highest-valued rare earth companies in North America.

Additionally, Mr Althaus has experience in the gold sector as the former founder and CEO of Dominion Minerals Corp, which acquired and developed the Cerro Corcha Gold / Copper project in Panama. During his tenure as CEO, Dominion defined a significant open-ended gold and copper deposit with a project NPV in excess of US$500 million.

Brett Hackett

Non-Executive Director

Mr Hackett has 33 years of experience as an Australian diplomat. For the last 13 years, his principal focus has been on expanding Australia’s economic and political relationships with the counties of Latin America.

He has served as Ambassador on three occasions; as Australia’s first resident Ambassador in Afghanistan (2006-2008), as Ambassador to Brazil (2011-2014), and most recently as Ambassador to Argentina (2018-2023).

In Brett’s role as Ambassador to Argentina he accrued considerable experience in promoting Australian interests, particularly in Argentina’s mining sector. Brett is highly regarded on both sides of politics in Argentina and, as the most recently returned Ambassador, he maintains a current and enviable list of contacts in Argentina. As the Company moves through studies into negotiation of fiscal terms for the Hualilan Project at the National Government level Brett’s experience and contacts will be of great assistance to the Company.

Michael Zivcic

Company Chief Operations Officer

Mr Zivcic has dual Bachelor’s Degrees in Engineering (Mining) and Science (Geology) from the University of Queensland. He has spent the past 12 years in operational and technical roles in mines in Australia, West Africa, Papua New Guinea, and most recently Argentina. Mike is an Australian citizen and is a resident of San Juan, Argentina, where he has lived since 2020.

Prior to joining the Company Mike was the General Manager of the Veladero mine. The Veladero mine is also located in the San Juan province of Argentina and is a 50:50 joint venture between the Canadian Barrick Gold Corporation (“Barrick”) and Chinese Shandong Gold Mining Corporation, and is operated by Barrick. Veladero is a large open pit mining and heap leach processing operation, which in 2022 produced just under 400,000 ounces of gold.  Prior to joining Barrick, Mike held mining technical and operational leadership roles in Papua New Guinea with Harmony Gold Corporation, and in Burkina Faso and Guinea-Conakry with Nordgold.

Mike holds a West Australian Quarry Manager’s Certificate of Competency, is a Member of the Australian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy (AusIMM), and is a Graduate Member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (AICD), having completed the Company Director Course in 2010.

Mike’s extensive operational and technical mining experience, coupled with his recent leadership experience in Argentina and extensive local networks, provide an excellent foundation to lead the development of the Company’s Hualilan project, located in the same San Juan province of Argentina.

Kelly Moore

Joint Company Secretary &
Interim CFO

Ms Moore is a Fellow Chartered Accountant and qualified Company Secretary with extensive experience in providing accounting and secretarial advice to public companies. Ms Moore holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of Western Australia, is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants, Australia and New Zealand, is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and an associate member of the Governance Institute of Australia.

Michelle Kennedy

Joint Company Secretary

Ms Kennedy is a qualified Chartered Accountant with extensive experience in providing financial reporting and corporate advisory services to public companies. Ms Kennedy holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of Western Australia and is a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants, Australia and New Zealand.