Corporate

Mr. Torres is a partner and the co-founder of Mello, Torres law firm, a leading Brazilian law firm specializing in M&A, debt restructuring, crisis management, power, mining and environmental law matters. Mr. Torres had previously been a director, president and Chief Executive Officer of Furnas Centrais Electricas S.A., a wind farm and hydrogen power plan operator, general counsel of Vale S.A., director of Petrobras S.A. and chairman of the board of BR Distribuidora S.A. Mr. Torres holds a LLM, with specialization in international law, trade and finance from Tulane Law School and a J.D. from Universidade Católica de Salvador, Law School. Mr. Torres is fluent in English, Spanish and Portugese.

Mr. de Vries is an accomplished mining executive bringing over 30 years’ experience in operations, development and assessment of mining projects, mostly in LatAm. He currently serves as the Vice President of Business Development for Franco-Nevada in Barbados responsible for investment opportunity assessments and asset management in the mining sector. Previously, as an executive with Hatch in Brazil he was responsible for the development of several mining projects in Brazil as well as running business development. Boris started his career with Cambior working mostly throughout South America in operations and project development. He serves on the board of a privately held Chilean company investing in mining opportunities in Chile. Boris holds a Master of Science degree in Mining Engineering from Delft University of Technology. Mr. de Vries brings strategic insight and thorough understanding of technical and ESG requirements to successfully develop mining projects in Brazil.

Mr. Buckingham has over 10 years of experience in metals and mining investment and finance. He has been with La Mancha Group since 2020 and currently serves as Vice President, Investments, where he is responsible for sourcing and evaluating investment opportunities, conducting due diligence and valuations, executing transactions, and providing portfolio oversight and strategic support. Mr. Buckingham has been closely involved in La Mancha’s investment in Belo Sun and has been responsible for executing several investments, primarily in Brazil and Latin America. He has experience supporting portfolio companies through M&A, corporate development and project financing initiatives.

Prior to joining La Mancha, Mr. Buckingham was an Investment Analyst at CD Capital, a mining-focused private equity firm. He holds an MSc in Metals and Energy Finance from Imperial College London and a BA (Hons) in Economics from the University of Newcastle.

Mr. Ledsham is a senior mining executive with over 40 years of experience in mineral exploration, project development, and operations across South America, Africa, Asia, and Australia. He currently serves as CEO of Bahia Mineração (BAMIN), where he leads the implementation of the Pedra de Ferro Integrated Iron Ore Project in the state of Bahia, Brazil. Previously, Mr. Ledsham served as Director President of the Brazilian Geological Survey (CPRM) and spent 26 years at Vale S.A., where he rose to the position of Executive Director of Global Mineral Exploration, Technology, Development and Implementation of Capital Projects and Energy. He holds a B.Sc. in Geology from the Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG) and MBAs in Finance from IBMEC and in Management from Fundação Dom Cabral.

Peter Nixon, a seasoned businessperson, boasts over three decades of expertise in the investment sector, predominantly focusing on natural resources. Nixon founded Goepel Shields & Partners, Inc., and served as the President of its U.S. subsidiary. He has notably spearheaded various companies, including roles as Chairman of Dundee Corp., Kimber Resources, Inc., and Perpetua Resources Corp., as well as Senior Vice President at both Dundee Securities Corporation and DWM Securities, Inc. Mr. Nixon's dedication extends to serving on several boards, including Belo Sun Mining Corp. and Toachi Mining, Inc. A member of The Institute of Corporate Directors, he completed his undergraduate studies at McGill University.

Rui Botica Santos has over 25 years of experience assisting international corporations predominantly in the mining sector. He's the Partner of CRA - Coelho Ribeiro e Associados, leading its Arbitration and Mining divisions, and the founding partner of CRA Timor-Leste, with a focus on mining, and oil & gas. Rui has held distinguished roles include serving on the boards of Somincor and Ascendant Resources Inc, as President of the International Tribunal of Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile in Paris, Judge at its International Court of Appeal, and Arbitrator at the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Lausanne. A prolific educator, he's lectured at renowned institutions including the Instituto Superior de Derecho y Economia in Spain. He's admitted to the Bar in Portugal, Brazil, East Timor, and Macau. Rui received a law degree, a postgraduate in community studies from the University of Lisbon, and a mining law certificate from the Rocky Mountain Mineral Law Foundation.