Andrew Lee Smith - President and CEO
Mr. Smith is a Professional Geologist and the co-founder of Canaco. He has over 25 years of experience successfully exploring, developing and operating North American base and precious metals mining and gem projects. He is also President, CEO and a Director of Tigray Resources Inc. and is a Director of True North Gems.
Mr. Smith holds a BSc in Earth Sciences from the University of Waterloo and is a member of the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of British Columbia. He received the Mining Entrepreneur of the Year Award in 1994 from the Quebec Prospectors Association for his role in mine development with Aurizon, and was named Outstanding Alumnus of 2009 by the Science Faculty of the University of Waterloo for his contributions to mineral exploration.
Jeff Heidema - Vice President Exploration
Mr. Heidema is a Professional Geologist with over 25 years of exploration experience with the Cominco, Teck Cominco and Teck exploration groups. He joined Canaco in the role of Vice President Exploration in December 2010. Mr. Heidema's career has largely focused on exploration project management for programs ranging from grass roots to near mine exploration, and also includes EHS, agreement, and tenure management. He predominantly specializes in VMS and Archean gold exploration. Mr. Heidema is also Vice President Exploration of Tigray Resources Inc.
David Sinitsin - Vice President Project Development
Mr. Sinitsin's career spans 28 years in industry, encompassing activities in project development, planning, financing, permitting and execution. He has held senior positions in engineering and project development with Emgold Mining, Hunter Dickinson, Freeport McMoRan, and most recently as Director of Project Development at Silver Standard Resources Inc. His responsibilities have ranged from research and prototype development through to successful completion of feasibility studies and large, multi-discipline, international construction projects for the mining, chemical, pulp and paper industries. Mr. Sinitsin holds both BSc and MSc degrees in Mechanical Engineering from the University of British Columbia and is a registered member of the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of B.C.
Shannon Ross - Chief Financial Officer
Ms. Ross is a Chartered Accountant with more than 25 years of accounting and financial management experience. She joined Canaco in the role of CFO in December 2010. Ms. Ross began her career in public practice, moved to the mining industry as an internal auditor for Cominco Ltd., and has served as CFO and Corporate Secretary for several mining companies including Northern Orion Resources, ValGold Resources, Sultan Minerals and Emgold Mining. She holds a BComm from the University of Alberta and is also Chief Financial Officer for Tigray Resources Inc.
Nick Watters - Director Business Development
Mr. Watters is a co-founder of Canaco and has been with the Company since 2003. He was appointed to his current position in December 2010. Mr. Watters has been an intricate part of the Company's growth, particularly in the raising of nearly $200 million since inception. Beginning his career in the corporate communications field, he has worked with several public and private companies in a wide variety of sectors including mining, high-tech and the biotech industries. Mr. Watters helped create the corporate identities for a number of small start-ups as well as heading up their corporate communications departments. Mr. Watters is also Director Business Development for Tigray Resources Inc.
Meghan Brown - Director Investor Relations
Ms. Brown has 20 years of experience in communications and investor relations the resource sector and joined Canaco in December 2010. She started her career with Suncor Energy and has also worked with Transcanada, Placer Dome, and most recently was responsible for investor relations at Ventana Gold, which during her tenure was the top performing gold equity on the TSX. Ms. Brown holds a BA from the University of British Colombia and an MBA from Queen's University. She is President of the BC Board of Directors of the Canadian Investor Relations Institute and is also Director Investor Relations for Tigray Resources Inc.
Dr. David Groves - Director Project Development
Dr. Groves is a Professional Geologist and Emeritus Professor at the Centre for Exploration Targeting of University Western Australia's Centre for Global Metallogeny. He has authored and co-authored over 500 papers and is widely published on Archaean evolution, the nature and of genesis orogenic gold deposits, global metallogeny and conceptual targeting of mineral deposits. He was President of the Geological Society of Australia and the Society of Economic Geologists, and is currently President-Elect of the European Society of Economic Geologists. He has received numerous medals for his research, including the Silver Medal of the Society of Economic Geologists, the Geological Association of Canada Medal, and the Society for Geology Applied to Mineral Deposits SGA-Newmont Gold Medal. Dr. Groves is also Director Project Development for Tigray Resources Inc.
Iain Groves - Senior Exploration Geologist
Mr. Groves is a registered professional geologist with 22 years' experience in all aspects of exploration, including mapping and evaluation, geochemical sampling, interpretation of geophysical and spectral imagery, planning and implementation of exploration programs. He is also Senior Exploration Geologist with Tigray Resources and True North Gems and a Consulting Geologist to AngloGold Ashanti. Mr. Groves holds a BSc and First Class Honours Degree in Economic Geology from the University of Western Australia, and has earned seven awards, including the AusIMM Prize for Geology and the GSWA Award for Field Mapping. He has published nine academic papers and has spoken at many national and international conferences.
Denis Dillip - President Canaco Tanzania
Mr. Dillip has over 10 years of experience in gold exploration, including planning and execution of both regional and detailed exploration programs. He is a graduate of the University of Dar es Salaam with a BSc Honours degree in Geology. Mr. Dillip began his career with Anglo Gold Ashanti as a Mine Geologist, and later joined a regional exploration team where he worked as Project Geologist managing two projects, Mkurumu and Njoge. He joined Canaco in the role of Project Geologist, and now serves as Chief Geologist and President of Canaco Tanzania Limited.
Chaoxian Zhou - Deputy General Manager
Mr. Zhou joined Sinotech Minerals Exploration Co., Ltd. in 2009. He holds a BEng from Jilin University and an MSc from the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and was a PhD student at Washington University in St. Louis. He has 10 years of experience in base and precious metals resources, and oil and gas exploration with Zijin Mining and China National Offshore Oil Company.Mr. Zhou has successfully planned, directed and participated in exploration projects and mining geology with Zijin, and has extensive experience evaluating ore deposits.
Lingling Yang - Director Corporate Communications
Ms. Yang is Deputy Manager of the Department of International Cooperation of Sinotech Minerals Exploration Co., Ltd. She is experienced in corporate communications for her skills in corporate culture publication, corporate promotion, info diffusion and internal and external coordination. Since joining Sinotech in 2008, she has been playing an active and beneficial role in the promotion of the image and core competitiveness of the company. Ms. Yang is also Director Corporate Communications for Tigray Resources Inc.
