Brandon Rook, B.SC., BA
PRESIDENT & CEO
Brandon Rook is a mining entrepreneur and geologist with over 25 years of experience across the resource sector. He has held executive and board positions in both private and public companies, including roles as CEO, director, corporate development advisor, and exploration geologist. Over his career, he has explored a range of commodities including gold, silver, lithium, potash, copper, oil, and natural gas.
Rook is known for identifying early-stage opportunities and transforming them into scalable ventures. He has led public companies from micro-cap startups to hundreds of millions in market capitalization, growing teams from inception to hundreds of employees through exploration success, disciplined execution, and strategic value creation. He brings a results-driven approach grounded in technical expertise and a strong track record of securing capital while building long-term relationships with investors and stakeholders.
Dong H. Shim, CPA, CA, CPA (Illinois)
CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER
Mr. Shim has led a successful accounting and finance career in both the United States and Canada. He brings a wealth of knowledge to the team with his expertise in auditing publicly-traded junior mining companies and high-tech industries. He is a member of the Chartered Professional Accountants of British Columbia and a Certified Public Accountant registered in the State of Illinois, United States. He is also an audit partner on numerous audit engagements for various publicly traded companies. Mr. Shim has also assisted various start-up companies in achieving public listings on the TSX Venture Exchange, Canadian Securities Exchange and the OTC Market.
Gordon Fretwell, LLB, BComm
CORPORATE SECRETARY
Mr. Fretwell holds a B.Comm. degree and graduated from the University of British Columbia in 1979 with his Bachelor of Law degree. Formerly a partner in a large Vancouver law firm, Mr. Fretwell has, since 1991, been a self-employed solicitor (Gordon J. Fretwell Law Corporation) in Vancouver, practicing primarily in the areas of corporate and securities law. He currently serves on the board of several public companies engaged in mineral exploration including: Galiano Gold, Pucara Gold, Canada Rare Earth Corp and RE Royalties Inc.
Gilberto Zapata Castaneda, MBA (Mexico)
COUNTRY MANAGER
Mr. Castaneda is an entrepreneur and mining executive from Zacatecas, Mexico. His work history includes participation with numerous mining ventures throughout the district and ownership of small businesses. Mr. Castaneda’s responsibilities at Silver Valley Metals include business development for the company. Mr. Castaneda has provided invaluable assistance and continues to play a key role in the project development. Mr. Castaneda is a graduate of Tecnologico de Monterrey and the Thunderbird School of Global Management. Mr. Castaneda resides in Zacatecas, Mexico.
Jose de Jesus Parga (Mexico)
TECHNICAL ADVISOR
Mr. Parga is a renowned Mexican geologist (National Award in Geology, 2005, by AIMMGM). For the past nine years, he has worked on potassium-lithium projects in central Mexico, including Silver Valley’s concessions. In addition to exploration geology duties, he managed relations with the government institutions and the rural communities. Mr. Parga has been very active with the project, helping enormously with the Company’s due diligence work and continued evaluation of the properties.