Our Team
This group of highly disciplined and creative gold mining professionals has demonstrated an uncommon ability to make big discoveries in places overlooked or abandoned by others – and to leverage these elusive ‘sweet spots’ on the mining continuum into uncommon value creation and returns for shareholders. It’s in their DNA. Today, the leadership group is fully committed and vested. Because it’s not what you say. It’s what you do.
Cal Everett, B.Sc.Chief Executive Officer and DirectorMr. Everett is a geologist with more than 14 years of surface and underground exploration experience with senior mining companies. He moved to the financial sector in 1990, and spent 12 years with BMO Nesbitt Burns focused on resource equities, and seven years with PI Financial Corp. in senior resource institutional sales and capital markets. From 2008 to 2015, he was President and Chief Executive Officer of Axemen Resource Capital. Mr. Everett holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Economic Geology from the University of New Brunswick. |
Jon Gilligan, B.Sc. (Hons.), Ph.D.President and Chief Operating OfficerDr. Jonathan Gilligan is a senior mining executive with over 35-years of multi-commodity, international experience across technical services, capital projects, open pit mine construction and operations. Prior to joining Liberty Gold, he held senior technical and projects roles with both Torex Gold Resources Inc., SSR Mining Inc., and BHP. Dr. Gilligan has been instrumental in advancing many mining operations around the world including the Marigold open-pit heap leach operation, Nevada, USA; Chinchillas open pit mine, Argentina; Olympic Dam Expansion Project, South Australia; Escondida Mine, Chile; Escondida Norte open pit copper mine, Chile, and many more. Dr. Gilligan holds a B.Sc. (Hons.) in Geology from University College London, UK and obtained a Ph.D. in gold mineralization in Archean rocks from the University of Southampton, UK. |
Peter Shabestari, B.Sc., P.Geo.Vice President of ExplorationMr. Shabestari was a member of the Fronteer Long Canyon Team, and manages the Goldstrike and Black Pine Projects for Liberty Gold. He is focused on the advancement of our projects through development and de-risking, including oversight of engineering, metallurgical, hydrological and geotechnical studies, as well as community and stakeholder liaison. Mr. Shabestari is a Utah native, and has worked in mineral exploration in the Great Basin and around the world for over 25 years. |
Joanna Bailey, B.Sc. Ph.D., CA (ICAS)Chief Financial Officer and Corporate SecretaryDr. Bailey is a Chartered Accountant (ICAS) with over 10 years of experience in accounting and financial reporting in Canada and the UK. After completing a Ph.D. in Chemistry at the University of Cambridge, UK, Dr. Bailey joined PricewaterhouseCoopers LLC in 2004 specializing in statutory reporting audits across a variety of industries including mining, retail, production and services. In 2009, Dr. Bailey joined the accounting team at Fronteer Gold and was the Corporate Controller at Liberty Gold since its inception in 2011. Dr. Bailey is a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland. |
Matthew Zietlow, B.Sc. (Hons.)Director, Regulatory Affairs & SustainabilityMr. Zietlow has over 30 years of experience in mine permitting, operational compliance, reclamation, and closure at multiple active and idled locations throughout the western United States. He has held senior roles in community affairs, media relations, and academic advisory boards related to the mining sector, and also served as State chair of the Nevada Mining Association Executive Environmental Committee. Most recently he served as Manager of Environment and Lands with Coeur Mining at their Wharf mine in South Dakota, where he was often requested as a guest lecturer at the South Dakota School of Mines on mine permitting and compliance, as well as due diligence for natural resource acquisitions. Matthew is an active member of multiple community and industry boards in South Dakota, and a frequent contributor to local and State regulatory committees on issues of relevance to the mining sector. Mr. Zietlow is a veteran of the United States Air Force and holds a Bachelor of Science (honors) in Environmental Engineering with a minor in Business Finance & Management from the Montana School of Mines in Butte, MT. |
M. Ender ÖzaydınTürkiye Country Manager, Fronteer Development GroupMr. Özaydın is a senior mining executive with over 34 years of exploration and mining experience in Türkiye. Prior to joining Liberty Gold/Fronteer Development Group in 2005, Mr. Özaydın was Country Manager of Odyssey Resources for six years, managing the Altıntepe and Tavşan Gold deposit and Lucky Star Base Metal advanced stage projects. He started his career in 1989 as a Project Geologist with Cominco Madencilik (A Subsidiary of Cominco Ltd/Teck Limited) where he worked on regional base metal and gold reconnaissance projects. During this time, he was involved in and managed the Altıntepe, Ağıdağı, and Tavşan gold deposits in Türkiye. |
Darin SmithSenior Vice President, Corporate DevelopmentMr. Smith is a mining finance professional with over twenty years of experience in financial analysis and corporate strategy within the mining sector. Prior to joining Liberty Gold in November 2022, he most recently served as Senior Vice President Corporate Development at Kirkland Lake Gold where he led the review and execution of external growth initiatives up until its merger with Agnico Eagle Mines. Mr. Smith began his career as an investment banker at BMO Capital Markets where he spent 10 years in the Global Metals and Mining Group in both their Toronto and London offices advising clients globally on mergers and acquisitions and capital raisings across commodities. Mr. Smith holds a Bachelor of Applied Science in Mining Engineering and a Master of Management Analytics, both from Queen's University. |
Moira Smith, B.Sc. Ph.D., P.Geo.Corporate Technical AdvisorFormerly Vice President, Exploration and Geoscience with Liberty Gold, Dr. Smith has been instrumental in identifying gold exploration opportunities such as Black Pine in southeastern Idaho. As Chief Geologist, Nevada for Fronteer Gold, Dr. Smith was instrumental in the successful advancement of Long Canyon, Fronteer Gold’s flagship project. She developed an understanding of the geology and controls on mineralization at Long Canyon, and built the geological model for ongoing exploration and resource growth. At Fronteer Gold, she managed exploration programs for Teck on several high-profile, advanced-stage projects (now operating mines) throughout the Americas, including the 5.5 million ounce Pogo gold deposit in Alaska; the 1.5 billion tonne Petaquilla (Cobre Panama) Cu-Mo-Au porphyry deposit in Panama; and the 3.5 million ounce El Limon gold deposit in Mexico.Dr. Smith has a Ph.D. in geology from the University of Arizona and is a P.Geo. (British Columbia). She has held board or executive positions with numerous industry associations and is currently president-elect of the Society of Economic Geologists and recent winner of the Colin Spence award from the Association for Mineral Exploration of B.C. Dr. Smith is a director of Discovery Metals Corp. |