Proven Team
World Class Team
Our highly experienced management team has a proven track record in global exploration opportunities, resource development, business planning and financing capabilities to fulfil the company’s development strategy and production plans.
Lithium South is very proud of the team developing the Hombre Muerto North Lithium Project. Our lithium development team has the knowledge and experience to guide the project to production. As of 2022 our team includes more than 11 engineers and technicians with many years of lithium and mining expertise.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS & MANAGEMENT
Adrian F. C. Hobkirk
PRESIDENT, CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER & DIRECTOR
Mr. Hobkirk has 32 years of experience in the mining and venture capital industry, beginning with Norgold Resources in 1990, which was ultimately purchased by BEMA Gold. Mr. Hobkirk has been involved in Guyana for over twenty years and founded the company to develop the Groete Gold Copper Deposit in 2006. He has worked in many countries including Canada, Mongolia, Venezuela, Guyana, Chile, Colombia, the United States and Mexico. He has been involved in mineral exploration and technology ventures, and has extensive public company experience. He is the founder and project developer of Lithium South. He holds a BA in Economics from Simon Fraser University and is the largest single individual shareholder of the Company.
Fernando E. Villarroel
VICE PRESIDENT & DIRECTOR PROJECT DEVELOPMENT
Mr. Villarroel has 12 years of experience in the mining industry in Argentina with a focus on Lithium process development. From 2009 to 2013 he worked with Lithium Americas Corp. (Minera Exar S.A.) as Project Manager which included construction management and commissioning of the initial pilot evaporation facilities and laboratory at the Cauchari Olaroz Lithium Project. He has also acted as a consultant to Neo Lithium and International Lithium Inc. He holds a degree in Industrial Engineering and has specialized training in Data Modeling & Analysis for Business and Engineering from M.I.T..
Christopher P. Cherry
Director & Chief financial Officer
Mr. Cherry has over 20 years of corporate accounting and audit experience. Mr. Cherry has extensive corporate experience and has held senior-level positions for several public mining companies, including director, CFO and secretary. Mr. Cherry has been a chartered accountant since February, 2009, and a certified general accountant since 2004. In his former experience as an auditor, he held positions with KPMG and Davidson and Co. LLP in Vancouver, where he gained experience as an auditor for junior public companies and as an initial public offering specialist. Mr. Cherry served as CFO of the Company in 2012 and 2013, and has extensive knowledge of business in Guyana.
Alison Dai
Director
Ms. Dai has 7 years of experience in the lithium industry and is responsible for business development and is a director for Chengdu Chemphys Chemical Industry Co., Ltd. In her role at Chemphys, Ms. Dai has been involved in developing strategic partnerships, international markets and procurement. Prior to joining Chemphys, Ms. Dai was an investment banking analyst at J.P. Morgan Australia in the mining and metals team. Ms. Dai holds a double degree in Bachelor of Laws and Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Western Australia.
Gordon Neal
Director
Gordon Neal obtained his Bachelor of Science from Dalhousie University in 1978. Since December 2021, he has served as the CEO and a director of Tincorp Metals Inc. where he oversees the company’s exploration and development programs, capital markets, environmental and social responsibility, corporate development, and team building. Mr. Neal is focused on asset growth, strengthening corporate foundations and value accretion. Prior to his appointment at Tincorp Metals Inc., Mr. Neal served as the President of New Pacific Metals Corp. from 2017-2021, as the Vice President of Corporate Development of Silvercorp Metals Inc. from 2016 to 2017 and as Vice President of Corporate Development of MAG Silver Corp. from 2004 to 2013.
Mr. Neal has also been elected as the President of the Dalhousie University Student Union, the Dalhousie Board of Governors, and the Dalhousie Senate and the chair of Viola Desmond Chair in Social Justice for Cape Breton University.
Jan Urata
Corporate Secretary
Ms. Urata brings over 20 years experience in public company corporate finance and securities related matters including her years as a paralegal at McMillan. She also serves as Corporate Secretary of other TSX Venture issuers.
LITHIUM SOUTH DEVELOPMENT TEAM
Dr. Mark King
HYDROGEOLOGIST and INDEPENDENT QUALIFIED PERSON (QP) FOR LITHIUM BRINE
Dr. King is the Principal Hydrologist and President of Groundwater Insight, Inc (GWI). Dr. King has more than 30 years of experience in groundwater research and consulting. His resource and reserve estimation experience on major lithium brine projects is arguably the most extensive of any geologist, hydrogeologist, or engineer in the world.
Gerardo Ismael Martinez
MINING ENGINEER AND DRILL PROGRAM MANAGER
Mr. Martinez has vast industry experience in managing and supervising large drilling programs both in Guyana and Argentina. He holds a mining engineer degree from the National University of San Juan located in San Juan, Argentina. He is proficient at managing the technical operations of planning and executing drill programs for proper and successful mineral and resource extraction.
Chemphys
DIRECT LITHIUM EXTRACTION & PROCESSING TEAM
Chemphys have an 11-member technical team working full time on development of the Direct Lithium Extraction Technology. Founded in 1998, Chemphys is recognized as one of the world’s leading lithium processing and technology companies with over 22 patents (valid and under application) developed in-house.
Jorge Vargas
Managing Director
Mr. Vargas has been a practicing lawyer in Mendoza, Argentina with Vargas Galindez Abogados since 2004. He has many years of experience in the mining industry in Argentina. He holds a law degree from the Universidad de Mendoza, Argentina (2001), a Masters of Business Law from the University of Wales, Aberystwyth (2002), an MBA from University of Wales, Aberystwyth (2004), and a Programa de Direccio Gerencial , IAE Business School, Buenos Aires , Argentina (2007).
Strategic Relationship
The Company has a strategic relationship with the Chengdu Chemphys Chemical Industry Co. Ltd, of Chengdu, China. The relationship includes financial support as a major shareholder of the Company, and technical input to the development of the HMN Li Project. Chemphys boats a roaster of significant clients within the electronic industry, and lithium ion battery production industry. Mr. Yi Hua Dai and Ms Alison Dai from Chemphys sit on the board of the Company.
The Coming Lithium Revolution
“We’re talking terawatt scale. The goal is complete transformation of the entire energy infrastructure of the world.”
Elon Musk, Bloomberg