Management Team

Patrick Downey, P. Eng., President, Chief Executive Officer and Director Mr. Downey was appointed President and Chief Executive Officer of Aura Minerals Inc. in April 2007 bringing with him over 25 years of international experience in the resource industry. Prior to joining Aura Minerals, Mr. Downey held the position of President, Chief Executive Officer and Director of Viceroy Exploration Ltd. before its acquisition by Yamana Gold Inc. in 2006 for $600 million. Mr. Downey also served as President of Consolidated Trillion Resources Ltd. and Oliver Gold Corporation, where he negotiated their successful merger to form Canico Resource Corp., which was purchased by CVRD in 2006 for over $800 million. He has held numerous senior engineering positions at several large-scale gold mining operations and has also held operating positions at several mining projects for Anglo American Corporation in South Africa. Mr. Downey is a member of the board to a number of resource companies in the mining sector, and he holds a Bachelor of Science (Hon.) degree in Engineering from Queen’s University.
Britt Reid, P.Eng., Chief Operating Officer Mr. Reid joined Aura Minerals in November 2009 as Chief Operating Officer, bringing with him over 30 years of mine operating and management experience in North, Central and South America. Prior to joining Aura Minerals, Mr. Reid was Chief Operating Officer for North American Tungsten Corporation Ltd., responsible for all operational and project activities at the Cantung Mine and Mactung Project, in northern Canada. Prior thereto, Mr. Reid was Vice President, Mining Operations for Aur Resources Inc., where he was responsible for all operational and investment activities at the Quebrada Blanca and Carmen de Andacollo copper mines in Chile, South America. He holds a Bachelor of Applied Science in Mineral Engineering from the University of British Columbia.
Fausto Taddei, Chief Financial Officer Mr. Taddei joined Aura Minerals as Chief Financial Officer, in April 2008. Prior to joining Aura Minerals, Mr. Taddei held the position of Chief Financial Officer of Western Canadian Coal Corp. During his three years at Western Canadian Coal, Mr. Taddei was responsible for executing various equity, convertible debenture, project debt and equipment lease financings aggregating more than $400 million. He has also held senior accounting and finance roles in numerous other public companies engaged in the natural resource sector. He holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of British Columbia and is a Chartered Accountant.
Alan Hitchborn, P. Geo., Vice-President, Exploration Mr. Hitchborn joined Aura Minerals in May 2008 as Vice President, Exploration, bringing with him over 30 years experience in operations and exploration. For the past 10 years, Mr. Hitchborn has worked in the junior exploration sector, where he was instrumental in the acquisition and development of a large gold-silver deposit in Mexico. Prior to joining Aura Minerals, Mr. Hitchborn was Vice President Exploration at Corex Gold Corporation, where he was responsible for all facets of Corex’s exploration programs. He has also spent over 10 years with Placer Dome Inc. as Chief Geologist at one of their U.S. operations and as Senior Geologist in their Resource Estimation Group, where he worked on several international projects. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Geology from the University Nevada-Reno.
Deepk Hundal, In-house Counsel and Corporate Secretary Mr. Hundal joined Aura Minerals in June, 2007 as In-house Counsel and has acted as Corporate Secretary since May, 2008. Prior to joining Aura Minerals, Mr. Hundal held the position of Associate at Fraser Milner Casgrain LLP, a large Canadian law firm, where he worked in the areas of corporate, commercial, securities and mining law. Prior thereto, Mr. Hundal worked for Borden Ladner Gervais LLP, a national Canadian law firm, in the area of corporate and commercial law.He holds a Bachelor of Laws degree from the University of Windsor and a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of British Columbia.
Michele Jones, Vice-President, Corporate Affairs Ms. Jones joined Aura Minerals in July 2007 as Vice President, Corporate Affairs, bringing with her more than 25 years experience in the corporate and administrative areas within the mining industry. Prior to joining Aura Minerals, Ms. Jones held the position of Corporate Secretary with several resource companies, including Viceroy Exploration Ltd., prior to its acquisition by Yamana Gold Inc. Ms. Jones holds a Bachelor of Arts (Hon.) degree from the University of British Columbia.
Meghan Lewis, Vice-President, Corporate Development Ms. Lewis joined Aura Minerals in January 2008 as Vice President, Corporate Development, bringing with her over 12 years of experience in the mining sector. Prior to joining Aura Minerals, Ms. Lewis spent six years with the Dundee group of companies, first as a Mining Analyst with Dundee Securities Corporation, then as Senior Mining Analyst for Dundee Resources Limited where she was responsible for financial modeling, commodity evaluation, project evaluation and transaction structuring. Ms. Lewis began her career as an exploration geologist, and worked on several projects in North and South America. She holds a Master of Science degree in Geology from Dalhousie University.
Dale Tweed, P. Eng., Vice President, Projects Mr. Tweed joined Aura Minerals in July 2009 as Vice President, Projects. Prior to joining Aura Minerals, Mr. Tweed served as a consultant on several large-scale copper and gold projects located in the Americas. Specifically, he was responsible for identifying opportunities for project optimization and implementation of these recommendations. These projects included managing studies for mine expansions, process and infrastructure; engineering and procurement for an open pit, heap-leach gold operation; and managing preliminary assessments, pit geotechnical design, metallurgical testwork and project feasibility. Mr. Tweed has also held progressively senior project management roles at Placer Dome Inc., Fluor Corporation, Diavik Diamond Mines Inc. and AMEC Plc. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Alberta and a Master of Business Administration degree in Project Management from Athabasca University.

Patrick Downey, P. Eng., President, Chief Executive Officer and Director

Mr. Downey was appointed President and Chief Executive Officer of Aura Minerals Inc. in April 2007 bringing with him over 25 years of international experience in the resource industry. Prior to joining Aura Minerals, Mr. Downey held the position of President, Chief Executive Officer and Director of Viceroy Exploration Ltd. before its acquisition by Yamana Gold Inc. in 2006 for $600 million. Mr. Downey also served as President of Consolidated Trillion Resources Ltd. and Oliver Gold Corporation, where he negotiated their successful merger to form Canico Resource Corp., which was purchased by CVRD in 2006 for over $800 million. He has held numerous senior engineering positions at several large-scale gold mining operations and has also held operating positions at several mining projects for Anglo American Corporation in South Africa. Mr. Downey is a member of the board to a number of resource companies in the mining sector, and he holds a Bachelor of Science (Hon.) degree in Engineering from Queen’s University.

Britt Reid, P.Eng., Chief Operating Officer

Mr. Reid joined Aura Minerals in November 2009 as Chief Operating Officer, bringing with him over 30 years of mine operating and management experience in North, Central and South America. Prior to joining Aura Minerals, Mr. Reid was Chief Operating Officer for North American Tungsten Corporation Ltd., responsible for all operational and project activities at the Cantung Mine and Mactung Project, in northern Canada. Prior thereto, Mr. Reid was Vice President, Mining Operations for Aur Resources Inc., where he was responsible for all operational and investment activities at the Quebrada Blanca and Carmen de Andacollo copper mines in Chile, South America. He holds a Bachelor of Applied Science in Mineral Engineering from the University of British Columbia.

Fausto Taddei, Chief Financial Officer

Mr. Taddei joined Aura Minerals as Chief Financial Officer, in April 2008. Prior to joining Aura Minerals, Mr. Taddei held the position of Chief Financial Officer of Western Canadian Coal Corp. During his three years at Western Canadian Coal, Mr. Taddei was responsible for executing various equity, convertible debenture, project debt and equipment lease financings aggregating more than $400 million. He has also held senior accounting and finance roles in numerous other public companies engaged in the natural resource sector. He holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of British Columbia and is a Chartered Accountant.

Alan Hitchborn, P. Geo., Vice-President, Exploration

Mr. Hitchborn joined Aura Minerals in May 2008 as Vice President, Exploration, bringing with him over 30 years experience in operations and exploration. For the past 10 years, Mr. Hitchborn has worked in the junior exploration sector, where he was instrumental in the acquisition and development of a large gold-silver deposit in Mexico. Prior to joining Aura Minerals, Mr. Hitchborn was Vice President Exploration at Corex Gold Corporation, where he was responsible for all facets of Corex’s exploration programs. He has also spent over 10 years with Placer Dome Inc. as Chief Geologist at one of their U.S. operations and as Senior Geologist in their Resource Estimation Group, where he worked on several international projects. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Geology from the University Nevada-Reno.

Deepk Hundal, In-house Counsel and Corporate Secretary

Mr. Hundal joined Aura Minerals in June, 2007 as In-house Counsel and has acted as Corporate Secretary since May, 2008. Prior to joining Aura Minerals, Mr. Hundal held the position of Associate at Fraser Milner Casgrain LLP, a large Canadian law firm, where he worked in the areas of corporate, commercial, securities and mining law. Prior thereto, Mr. Hundal worked for Borden Ladner Gervais LLP, a national Canadian law firm, in the area of corporate and commercial law.He holds a Bachelor of Laws degree from the University of Windsor and a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of British Columbia.

Michele Jones, Vice-President, Corporate Affairs

Ms. Jones joined Aura Minerals in July 2007 as Vice President, Corporate Affairs, bringing with her more than 25 years experience in the corporate and administrative areas within the mining industry. Prior to joining Aura Minerals, Ms. Jones held the position of Corporate Secretary with several resource companies, including Viceroy Exploration Ltd., prior to its acquisition by Yamana Gold Inc. Ms. Jones holds a Bachelor of Arts (Hon.) degree from the University of British Columbia.

Meghan Lewis, Vice-President, Corporate Development

Ms. Lewis joined Aura Minerals in January 2008 as Vice President, Corporate Development, bringing with her over 12 years of experience in the mining sector. Prior to joining Aura Minerals, Ms. Lewis spent six years with the Dundee group of companies, first as a Mining Analyst with Dundee Securities Corporation, then as Senior Mining Analyst for Dundee Resources Limited where she was responsible for financial modeling, commodity evaluation, project evaluation and transaction structuring. Ms. Lewis began her career as an exploration geologist, and worked on several projects in North and South America. She holds a Master of Science degree in Geology from Dalhousie University.

Dale Tweed, P. Eng., Vice President, Projects

Mr. Tweed joined Aura Minerals in July 2009 as Vice President, Projects. Prior to joining Aura Minerals, Mr. Tweed served as a consultant on several large-scale copper and gold projects located in the Americas. Specifically, he was responsible for identifying opportunities for project optimization and implementation of these recommendations. These projects included managing studies for mine expansions, process and infrastructure; engineering and procurement for an open pit, heap-leach gold operation; and managing preliminary assessments, pit geotechnical design, metallurgical testwork and project feasibility. Mr. Tweed has also held progressively senior project management roles at Placer Dome Inc., Fluor Corporation, Diavik Diamond Mines Inc. and AMEC Plc. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Alberta and a Master of Business Administration degree in Project Management from Athabasca University.