Leadership

Martino De Ciccio

Martino De Ciccio has over 15 years of experience in the mining industry with a strong value creation track record and significant knowledge across strategy, capital markets, corporate finance, and ESG, coupled with a profound understanding of the African mining landscape.

Martino most recently served as Deputy CFO and Head of Investor Relations at Endeavour Mining (LSE: EDV, TSX: EDV), a position he assumed in January 2023. He joined Endeavour Mining in 2015 as Vice President, Strategy and Investor Relations. He played a pivotal role in Endeavour’s transformation from a $250 million market cap company to a FTSE100 listed company and one of the largest gold producers in the world. During this time, he garnered more than 25 investor relations achievement nominations, including numerous awards for best-in-class investor relations in the gold industry and across all sectors.

Prior to joining Endeavour, Martino played a key role in growing La Mancha Resources from a $20 million market cap which culminated in a $500 million take-private offer. As Strategy and Business Development Manager, he then helped lead the private company’s transformation from an emerging gold producer into one of the largest gold investment funds with cornerstone holdings in Evolution Mining and Endeavour, which was recognized with an Emerging Leader Award. Martino currently serves on the Board of Directors of Northisle Copper and Gold (NCX: TSXV) and Bluestone Resources (BSR: TSXV).

Martino earned a B.Com in Finance from McGill University in Montreal, Canada and is a CFA charterholder.

Peder Olsen

Peder Olsen has over 15 years of experience in project development, operational, technical services and executive roles within the mining sector. He has a demonstrated track record in advancing large-scale projects from the initial study stage to the successful completion of construction, particularly in West Africa. 

Peder has played a key leadership role in building the following projects on time and on budget: Endeavour’s Houndé mine in Burkina Faso during 2016-2017, Endeavour’s Ity mine in Côte d’Ivoire during 2017-2019, Adamus' Agbaou mine in Côte d’Ivoire during 2012-2013 and Adamus' Nzema mine in Ghana during 2009-2010. In addition, as Director of Projects for Papillion Resources, he played a pivotal role which culminated in the $620 million sale of the Fekola mine to B2Gold in 2014.

Since 2021, Peder has served as the Founder and Managing Director at Orange Mining, a global mining consultancy firm with a strong African presence, which specializes in offering owners project management, study and construction services, and commercial support including tendering services, project and equipment finance.

Between 2018 and 2019, Peder held the position of Director for Africa and Europe at Ibaera Capital, a Perth, Australia-based private equity fund. Prior to this, from 2015 to 2019, he held various roles with Endeavour Mining, including Senior Vice President – Projects, Mining & Technical Services. From 2008 to 2014, Peder held various Project Director and Engineering roles at Papillon Resources, Ampella Mining, Adamus Resources, and NS Projects.

Peder holds a Bachelor of Applied Science in Construction Management & Economics from Curtin University in Perth, Australia.

Silvia Bottero

Silvia Bottero has more than 20 years of experience in the mining industry with a proven track record of making highly economic greenfield discoveries and in developing brownfield projects up to DFS, notably in Africa. Prior to joining Montage, she held the position of Senior Vice President of Exploration at Endeavour Mining, overseeing all its African exploration activities. Silvia joined Endeavour in 2016 and played a pivotal role in the discovery of +18Moz of M&I gold resources over her eight-year tenure.

Having been based in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, since 2013 through her positions with Endeavour Mining and previously with La Mancha, she has developed a deep understanding of the region’s geological setting and established strong relations with local stakeholders. Over the last decade, she has been credited with the discovery of over 15Moz of M&I gold resources in Côte d’Ivoire, with notably the discovery of +8Moz of M&I gold resources at the Ity mine which transformed the asset from a 50kozpa heap-leach operation to a +300kozpa CIL operation, the discovery of over 3Moz of M&I gold resources at Lafigué which led to a construction decision within 2 years, and most recently the discovery of Tanda-Iguela greenfield property unlocking approximately 4.5Moz of M&I gold resources which has the potential to be a Tier 1 asset. In her roles, Silvia was responsible for overseeing all exploration activities ranging from exploration permit identification and grant application, drill programmes (grassroots, brownfield, near-mine, and resource infill drilling), and activities linked to studies (PEA, PFS and DFS). In addition, Silvia played a key role in the mine permitting process and in ensuring high ESG standards given her involvement with Endeavour’s Economic Development Fund and its Steering Committee. 

Prior to her Exploration Manager position at La Mancha, she held the position of Exploration Manager for West African Minerals in Sierra Leone and Cameroon. Prior to this, she held various positions at AREVA, working across Niger, Namibia, South Africa, Central African Republic, Kazakhstan, Wyoming, and France. 

Silvia holds a Masters in Geology from the Università degli Studi di Genova, Italy, a Post Masters degree in Geosciences from Université Joseph Fournier in Grenoble, France, and a Master of Business Administration degree from Walden University in Minneapolis, USA. Silvia is fluent in English, French and Italian.

Constant Tia

Constant Tia has over 18 years of experience in the mining industry with a strong track record of establishing and leading the finance function across various operations and overseeing major capital projects, notably in West Africa. He has strong expertise across financial reporting, treasury, tax, audit, budgeting, capital management, and financial systems. 

Prior to joining Montage, Constant held the position of regional Chief Financial Officer for Kinross Gold Corporation and was responsible for overseeing the Africa and Chile regions, and previously also the Russian region. His 14-year tenure at Kinross, which commenced in 2010, was marked by a progression of senior leadership roles at mine sites, regional offices, and at the corporate office. Constant played a key role in establishing and leading the finance function at the Tasiast gold mine in Mauritania, initially while at Red Back Mining and thereafter with Kinross. Constant notably had oversight of the execution of a +$4 billion expansion projects at Tasiast which transformed the mine into a top tier operation.  

Before joining Kinross, Constant served as Financial Controller for Endeavour Mining in Burkina Faso in 2010 and Audit Supervisor at PricewaterhouseCoopers in Côte d’Ivoire between 2005 and 2010, where he audited and consulted for numerous clients in the mining industry across West Africa (such as Barrick Exploration, Newcrest, First Quantum, Nordgold, and the Ivorian State mining company SODEMI).  

Constant holds a Master of Science in Commerce from ESCA Business School (National Polytechnic Institute of Yamoussoukro, Côte d’Ivoire), and is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) in New Hampshire, USA. His credentials include certifications as an Internal Auditor (CIA), Fraud Examiner (CFE), and Project Management Professional (PMP). He is fluent in French, English, Spanish, and several Ivorian dialects.

Ron Hochstein

Mr. Hochstein is currently the President and Chief Executive Officer of Lundin Gold, which owns and operates the high-grade, multi-million-ounce, Fruta del Norte (“FDN”) gold mine in southeast Ecuador. Under Mr. Hochstein's leadership, Lundin Gold acquired FDN in late 2014, completed a feasibility study, signed several agreements with the Ecuadorian Government, financed, and then constructed the mine and infrastructure on time and on budget – achieving first gold production in November 2019. Prior to his position at Lundin Gold, he served as Executive Chairman, and President and Chief Executive Officer of Denison Mines Corp. from 2009 to 2015. Mr. Hochstein is a Professional Engineer and holds an MBA from the University of British Columbia and a B.Sc. from the University of Alberta. Mr. Hochstein continues to serve as a director of both Denison and Lundin Gold.

David Field

David Field, BEc (H) / BSc ANU Australia, has had 25 years’ participation in the capital markets and a wealth of experience in evaluating, investing and financing mining projects globally. Mr. Field spent 10 years at Australia’s largest retail fund manager, Bankers Trust Financial Group, as head of their Global Basic Materials Group before joining Carmignac Gestion, the largest boutique fund manager in continental Europe. While at Carmignac Gestion, Mr. Field ran a US$ 2 billion mining fund and invested more than US$ 10 billion of the firm’s funds under management in the commodities sector globally before his departure in late 2014.

Alessandro Bitelli

Alessandro is a Chartered Professional Accountant of British Columbia with over 30 years of experience in the resource industry and finance, having worked both in North America and Europe. A member of the senior management team at the Lundin Group of Companies since 2007, he joined Lundin Gold in 2016 and was previously CFO of Orca Gold Inc. Prior to that, Alessandro served as CFO for Red Back Mining Inc., a gold mining company with two African operations that was acquired by Kinross for $9.2 billion in 2010. He is also a director of Filo Mining Corp and Group Eleven Resources Inc.

Anu Dhir

Ms. Dhir is co-founder of Wshingwell, a for-profit community relationship platform that allows individuals, communities and organizations to micro-fundraise around experiences and events. Prior to starting Wshingwell, Ms. Dhir spent 20 years in the resources sector; most recently, as a co-founder and executive of ZinQ Mining, a private base and precious metals company that focuses on the Latin American Region. Prior to ZinQ Mining, Ms. Dhir was Vice President, Corporate Development and Corporate Secretary at Katanga Mining Limited. Ms. Dhir currently serves as a non-executive director on the Boards of Taseko Mines Limited and Lomiko Metals Inc. Ms. Dhir is a graduate of the General Management Program (GMP) at Harvard Business School and has a law degree (Juris Doctor) from Quinnipiac University and a Bachelor of Arts (BA) from the University of Toronto.

Richard P. Clark

Mr. Clark has a long and highly successful track record in the mining industry including Red Back Mining Inc. where as President and CEO he led Red Back to become an intermediate gold producer. Mr. Clark successfully guided Red Back through all facets of growth including discovery, feasibility, financing and production coupled with successful corporate acquisitions culminating in the sale of Red Back to Kinross Gold Corporation in late 2010 for US$7.1 billion. In addition to his success at Red Back, Mr. Clark was instrumental in the discovery and feasibility of the Block 14 Gold Project in Sudan through Orca Gold, which was acquired by Perseus Mining in 2022. Mr. Clark has a geological background and was formerly a lawyer and is a CGIC / ICSA Accredited Director.

Martino De Ciccio

Martino De Ciccio has over 15 years of experience in the mining industry with a strong value creation track record and significant knowledge across strategy, capital markets, corporate finance, and ESG, coupled with a profound understanding of the African mining landscape.

Martino most recently served as Deputy CFO and Head of Investor Relations at Endeavour Mining (LSE: EDV, TSX: EDV), a position he assumed in January 2023. He joined Endeavour Mining in 2015 as Vice President, Strategy and Investor Relations. He played a pivotal role in Endeavour’s transformation from a $250 million market cap company to a FTSE100 listed company and one of the largest gold producers in the world. During this time, he garnered more than 25 investor relations achievement nominations, including numerous awards for best-in-class investor relations in the gold industry and across all sectors.

Prior to joining Endeavour, Martino played a key role in growing La Mancha Resources from a $20 million market cap which culminated in a $500 million take-private offer. As Strategy and Business Development Manager, he then helped lead the private company’s transformation from an emerging gold producer into one of the largest gold investment funds with cornerstone holdings in Evolution Mining and Endeavour, which was recognized with an Emerging Leader Award. Martino currently serves on the Board of Directors of Northisle Copper and Gold (NCX: TSXV) and Bluestone Resources (BSR: TSXV).

Martino earned a B.Com in Finance from McGill University in Montreal, Canada and is a CFA charterholder.