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Board of Directors

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Category 3 - Three Column text

Jonathan Christopher Comerford

B.A. (Econ.), M.B.S. (Finance)
Chair

Mr. Jonathan Comerford has been a director of the Company since September 2001 and Chair since April 2006. At the end of May 2018 he assumed the additional role of Interim President and Chief Executive Officer to lead the Company until the designate permanent CEO, Stuart Brown, assumed the role in July 2018. Mr. Comerford is resident in Dublin, Ireland. He obtained his Masters in Business from the Michael Smurfit Business School in 1993 and his Bachelor of Economics from University College, Dublin in 1992. Mr. Comerford has been Investment Manager at IIU since August 1995.

Mark Wall

DIP MIN PROC. MBA. MMGT. FAUSIMM
PRESIDENT & CEO

Mr. Mark L. Wall has been President, CEO and a Director since November 2021.  Prior to joining the company, he was the CEO of Streamers Gold Mining Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of Shandong Gold Mining (Hong Kong) one of the world’s largest gold mining companies by market capitalization.  Mr. Wall was previously the Chief Commercial Officer then Chief Operating Officer for TSX listed Nevada Copper and the Senior Vice President & Operations Officer for Barrick Gold Corporation (TSX/NYSE).

Mr. Wall has more than 25 years of experience in the mining industry in executive, commercial, operations and sustainability roles.  During his twelve years at Barrick he also served as General Manager of the 80 m/t pa Veladero open pit mine in Argentina, the Vice President overseeing non-financial assurance activities (Environment, Safety & Health, Maintenance, Technical Services, Community Relations and Security) and other roles.  Prior to joining Barrick Mr. Wall worked with Placer Dome Inc. and Western Mining Corporation.

Mr. Wall holds various degrees and qualifications, including a Diploma in Minerals Processing, Master of Business Administration, Master of Management, Masters Certificate in Risk Management & Business Performance and Diploma of Project Management.  Mr. Wall is a Fellow of the Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy.

Karen Goracke

B.Sc.
Independent Director
Member, Audit and member, Corporate Governance,
Nominating and Compensation committee

Karen Goracke is President and CEO of Borsheims Fine Jewelry, a Berkshire Hathaway company. She began her career at Borsheims in 1988 and has worked as a sales associate, inventory supervisor, watch buyer, ladies jewelry buyer, director of merchandising, and, in 2013, was named President and CEO by Berkshire Hathaway Chairman Warren Buffett. Ms. Goracke graduated from the University of Nebraska–Kearney with Bachelors of Science degrees in Business Administration and Organizational Communication. She serves as a Director with the Jewelers Vigilance Committee, the leading compliance organization in the jewelry and gem industry, as well as on a number of other boards and committees within the gem and jewelry industry.

Dan Johnson

P.E.
Independent Director
MEMBER, AUDIT AND CHAIR, CORPORATE GOVERNANCE,
NOMINATING AND COMPENSATION COMMITTEE

Mr. Johnson has over 40 years of mining industry experience. An accomplished leader, Mr. Johnson’s expertise ranges from mine design, construction, and operations, to finance and corporate management. Mr. Johnson has extensive experience in diamonds and Northern mines, including being the GM of BHP’s Ekati Diamond Mine during development through construction, CEO/President of Diamond Fields International, and the VP of Tahera Diamonds for the development and operations of the Jericho Diamond Mine in Nunavut. Currently Mr. Johnson serves as Principal at JDS Energy and Mining Inc., where among other accomplishments, he directed the Feasibility Study and Project Development for Gahcho Kué. 

Brett Desmond

B.Comm
MEMBER, CORPORATE GOVERNANCE, NOMINATING
AND COMPENSATION COMMITTEE

Mr. Brett Desmond is a seasoned investment professional with 20 years of experience in banking, corporate finance, and asset management and his extensive experience in capital markets and private investments adds a unique skill set to the Company’s board. In his most recent role, Brett served as SVP of Corporate Development for Daon, a software assurance company, whose clients include the US Government and major US and global banks. Furthermore, he has been involved with a number of successful private and public investments since returning to Europe in 2014. Brett is also the son of the Company’s major shareholder, Dermot Desmond. Mr. Desmond has been a long-time supporter of Mountain Province Diamonds and over the past few months, he has increased his position in the Company to just under 30%, and as a result, he has requested 2 nominees to the Board in the upcoming election at the AGM; Mr. Jonathan Comerford, the Company’s chairman, and Brett. The Company views this as a sign of continued support and assurance from the largest shareholder and strongly welcomes Brett’s addition to the Board. Brett holds a Bachelor of Commerce from University College in Dublin.

Jeff Swinoga

CPA, MBA
Independent Director
Chair of Audit Committee
Member of Compensation Committee and Governance and Nominating Committee

Jeff Swinoga, CPA, MBA, Director is a highly accomplished mining executive with over 25 years of mining industry experience in the areas of capital markets, project advancement, development and project construction. He is currently the President & CEO and Director of Exploits Discovery Corp. Prior to that, he was the National Mining and Metals Co-Leader at Ernst &Young Canada. Previously he was President and CEO of First Mining Gold, Chief Financial Officer of Torex Gold Resources inc. (TSX:TXG). Prior to Torex, Mr. Swinoga spent four years as the CFO at North American Palladium Ltd., where he financed the expansion of the Lac des Iles Mine. He spent three years as CFO of Hudbay Minerals Inc., helping growth the company from its IPO in 2004 to a market capitalisation of over $2 billion. Mr. Swinoga also spent seven years at Barrick Gold Corporation where he was instrumental in the financing of Bulyanhulu and Veladero projects. He is a Chartered Professional Accountant and holds a Master of Business Administration degree from the University of Toronto as well as a bachelor’s degree (Honours) in Economics from the University of Western Ontario. Mr. Swinoga is the Chair of the board for Scandium Canada Ltd (formerly Imperial Mining Ltd) and he also serves on the board of Prospectors & Developers Association of Canada (PDAC) (one of the largest mining events in the world) and is also the Chair of their audit committee.

Natural diamonds from Canada’s North, creating value and respecting the invaluable.

60.60 Carat Vivid Yellow Rough Diamond