The Team

Richard Warke is a Vancouver-based Canadian business executive with more than 40 years of experience in the international resource sector. In 2005, Mr. Warke founded the Augusta Group of companies which has an exceptional track record of value creation in the mining sector.

From 2006 and until 2018 Augusta Group founded, managed, and funded three world class mineral discoveries. Ventana Gold, discovered the La Bodega gold deposit in Colombia, now reported to host over 10 Moz of gold, Augusta sold the company for $1.3B in 2011. Augusta Resource, advanced the Rosemont copper project in Arizona through drilling, feasibility and permitting to become one of the largest copper deposits in United States, it was sold for $667M in 2014. Arizona Mining, discovered the Taylor deposit and grew the Hermosa-Taylor deposit into one of the top five primary zinc deposits globally, largest in United States, prior to its sale for $2.1B in 2018.

Moreover, in 2017, Mr. Warke co-founded Equinox Gold which has now become a mid-tier gold producer and one of the fastest growing gold companies in the Americas growing to over a $15.0B market cap with mines in Brazil, Canada, Mexico and USA. In 2019, Solaris Resources joined the Augusta Group of companies; the Augusta Group revitalized the dormant Warintza Project in Ecuador and subsequently grew the resource over 45 times to 5.8 Bt. Solaris emigrated to Switzerland at the end of 2024 and is currently no longer an Augusta Group company, but Mr. Warke remains as Chairman of the Board.

During 2020, Augusta Group and Barrick Gold became cornerstone shareholders of Augusta Gold Corp. (formerly known as Bullfrog Gold Corp.). Augusta Group strengthened the board and leadership team, advanced exploration and development of the Bullfrog Project, and acquired the fully permitted Reward Project located just seven miles from the Bullfrog Project. This drew the attention of global gold mining company Anglo Gold Ashanti who acquired Augusta Gold in late 2025 for $200 million.

At the current time, the Augusta Group is comprised of private businesses and public companies that currently include Titan Mining Corporation and Highlander Silver Corp. Titan Mining is a zinc concentrate producer in upstate New York and an emerging natural flake graphite producer. Highlander Silver is focused on advancing the bonanza grade San Luis gold-silver project in Central Peru.

During the course of his career, Mr. Warke has established a reputation for building successful companies by generating pioneering transactions in the mining sector through prudent investing in earlier stages of the mine cycle. His specialization is surfacing value through award-winning exploration efforts and rapidly advancing projects with consistent access to low-cost capital through exploration, feasibility, and permitting to point of sale or into production. His expertise, combined with his extensive relationships across the global mining sector, have resulted in rapid growth and a proven track record of success making him a widely recognized strategic partner and a sought after industry expert for commentary on business, mining and related topics.

Donald Taylor has 30 years of mineral exploration experience with precious and base metals on five continents, taking projects from exploration to mine development. He is the recipient of the Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada’s 2018 Thayer Lindsley Award for the 2014 discovery of the Taylor lead-zinc-silver deposit in Arizona. Mr. Taylor has worked extensively for large and small cap companies, including Arizona Mining, BHP Minerals, Bear Creek Mining, American Copper and Nickel, Doe Run Resources and Westmont Mining Company. He is a Licensed Professional Geologist in several eastern and western states and a qualified person as defined by National Instrument 43-101. Mr. Taylor has a Bachelor of Science degree in Geology from Southeast Missouri State University and a Master of Science degree from the University of Missouri at Rolla.

Daniel Earle has over 17 years of experience in the mining sector and capital markets, covering projects ranging from early stage exploration through feasibility and engineering to production. Mr. Earle was the President and CEO of Solaris Resources and also served on its Board of Directors from November 2019 to December 2024. Prior to joining Solaris, he was a Vice President and Director at TD Securities where he covered the mining sector for over 12 years and established himself as a thought leader in the space. Prior to joining TD Securities in 2007, Mr. Earle was a senior executive with a number of Canadian and U.S. public mineral exploration and mining companies. Mr. Earle sits on the Board of Directors of Augusta Gold Corp. and is a graduate and scholar of the Lassonde Mineral Engineering Program at the University of Toronto.

Ms. Rita Adiani has over 18 years of experience in the mining industry and has been involved in operating companies and development projects in North and South America, Australia, Europe and Africa. She has held senior executive positions in listed companies, private investment vehicles and has been an investment banker and lawyer. She has experience in global capital markets, public and private M&A transactions and has been involved in raising over US$10 billion in public equity capital.

Ms. Adiani is a law graduate from the University of Oxford and the University of Sheffield. She has a Chartered Financial Analyst qualification (Level 4) in ESG Investing from the CFA Institute and also has a Certificate in Mining Studies — Mining & Minerals Engineering from the University of British Columbia (Norman B. Keevil Institute of Mining Engineering).

Purni Parikh has more than 25 years of public company experience in the mining sector including corporate affairs and finance, legal and regulatory administration, and governance. She is President of the Augusta Group of Companies, and Senior Vice President, Corporate Affairs of its member companies including Highlander Silver Corp., Titan Mining Corporation and Augusta Gold Corp. She is credited with seeing through the various M&A transactions in the Augusta Group from start to finish including the acquisitions of Arizona Mining Inc. for approximately $2.1 billion in 2011 to South 32, Augusta Resource Corporation for $667M in 2014 to Hudbay Minerals, Ventana Gold Corp. for approximately $1.6 billion in 2011 and the three-way merger of Newcastle Gold Ltd. in 2017 resulting in the creation of Equinox Gold where she served as Senior Vice President of Corporate Affairs and Corporate Secretary. Ms. Parikh obtained a Certificate in Business from the University of Toronto and a Gemology degree. She has also completed course work at Harvard Business School, holds the ICD.D designation from the Institute of Corporate Directors, and has worked extensively with boards.

Tom Ladner is Vice President Legal for the Augusta Group of Companies, including Augusta Gold Corp., Titan Mining Corporation, Highlander Silver Corp. and Armor Minerals Inc. Mr. Ladner brings legal, securities and mining expertise to the group having advised on multiple M&A transactions valued in excess of $1B and more than 25 public market financings raising in aggregate more than $750M. Prior to joining the Augusta Group in 2020, Mr. Ladner practiced law in the Securities and Capital Markets group of a major Canadian law firm. Mr. Ladner has his Honors in Business Administration (with distinction) from the Richard Ivey School of Business and his Juris Doctor from Western University.

Mr. Lamba brings nearly fifteen years of experience in financial services and capital markets covering the mining sector, with a wide range of experience covering projects from early-stage exploration through feasibility and construction to production in both base and precious metals. Mr. Lamba most recently served as Senior Mining Analyst at TD Cowen, a leading North American investment bank. Mr. Lamba is a Chartered Financial Analyst and completed an MBA at the Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto and degrees in engineering and economics at Queen's University.