43-101 resource of 8 million tons grading 16% graphite
Making the Lac Knife property the highest grade graphite resource in the world
Gary Economo
President & CEO/Director
Mr. Economo has a distinguished business leadership career, serving as CEO for a number of public and private high technology companies during the last 20 years. A former President and CEO of Dynasty Components Inc., Mr. Economo enjoys a long history of graphite marketing and sales for high-tech applications. Immediately prior to joining Focus Metals Inc., a company he founded with Jeffrey York, he served as Director, Corporate Communications and Investor Relations for Everton Resources Inc.
Over the span of his business career, Mr. Economo provided strategic consulting and representation services to technology companies in North America and Asia. In particular, he has a track record of success and expertise in building shareholder value when tasked with bringing discovery companies to market. Born in Greece and raised in Montreal, Mr. Economo is tri-lingual and lives with his family in Ottawa.
Jeffrey York
Chairman/Director
Mr. York is currently Chief Executive Officer of Farm Boy stores, named one of the best managed companies in Canada in 2011. A chartered accountant, Mr. York began his professional career with Ward Mallette, Chartered Accountants, before joining Giant Tiger Stores, a regional retail chain which he grew into a national, billion dollar company. During his 20-years with Giant Tiger, he served as President and CEO of the company for 10 years. Mr. York is an active member of the Young Presidents Organization and has been involved in that executive network since 2002.
As a co-founder and Chairman of the Board of Focus Metals Inc., Mr. York is an activist director in terms of shaping the company’s business growth and development. He graduated from Princeton in 1986 with a degree in Economics and obtained his Chartered Accountant designation in 1989.
Francis Pomerleau
Director
A Civil Engineer, Mr. Pomerleau was born and raised in St. Georges, Quebec. He joined the Pomerleau Group of companies in 1991 as an assistant project manager. Currently, Mr. Pomerleau serves as a Director of the Pomerleau Group and is President of Ottawa-based Pomerleau Ontario.
He also serves as Co-President Beaubois, an architectural millwork company. In addition to his day-to-day management responsibilities, Mr. Pomerleau is actively involved with several industry-linked committees and is Chair of the General Contractor Council of the Canadian Construction Association. Mr. Pomerleau holds a civil engineering degree from École Polytechnique de Montréal, and an MBA from the International Institute for Management Development (IMD) in Lausanne, Switzerland.
Chester Burtt
Director
Mr. Burtt is President of Chester Burtt & Associates Ltd. (“CBAL”) a corporate and public affairs advisory firm that specializes in connecting private and public companies with domestic and international opportunities. CBAL also arranges for the provision and supply of financial services in mergers, acquisitions and joint ventures. Working through an international network and associate firms, CBAL has a 25-year history of offering a full range of services to assist companies with strategy development and decisions to best suit their investor and corporate relations.
Mr. Burtt graduated with a BA from Waterloo Lutheran University and MA from Wilfrid Laurier University in Political Science.
Marc-Andre Bernier
Director, Senior Technical Advisor & QP
Mr. Bernier is Focus Metals’ Qualified Person. A geoscientist with more than 26 years professional experience, Mr. Bernier specializes in exploration geochemistry in support of regional and international mineral development initiatives. A resident of Chibougamau, Quebec, Mr. Bernier has directed or managed mining development projects in Canada, the Caribbean, Africa and South America. In addition to his work with Focus Metals Inc., Mr. Bernier also holds the position of Senior Geoscientist with the Table Jamésienne de Concertation Minière (TJCM) a regional development agency dedicated to promoting sustainable mineral development across northern Québec and an advisor to Makivik Corporation, the economic and political representative of the Inuit of Northern Québec.
Mr. Bernier is past-president of Majescor Resources Inc.; a director of SIMACT Alliance Copper-Gold Inc. (Canada) and Daraina Exploration SARL (Madagascar); a director and executive vice-president of SOMINE SA (Haiti); Vice-President and a director of Chibougamau-Chapais SADC and remains an active member of the Association of Professional Geoscientists of Ontario and the Ordre des géologues du Québec, as well as a member of the Canadian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy.
Marco Gagnon – P. Geo
Director
Mr. Gagnon, a graduate in geology from Université du Québec à Chicoutimi, is a senior mining exploration professional with more than 15 years experience, mostly with major mining companies. From 2004 to 2007, he was Vice-President Exploration and Acquisitions with Société d’exploration minière Vior inc., a Quebec-based mining exploration company.
Prior to 2004, Mr. Gagnon acquired a vast experience in mine production and mine site and project exploration with Inmet Mining Corporation where, over a period of 10 years, he developed an expertise in designing, implementing and managing exploration programs on archean base metal and gold properties in Eastern Canada and in Finland. Prior to Inmet, he was employed by Barrick Gold, Minnova and Radisson Mining Resources. Mr. Gagnon was President of the Quebec Mining Exploration Association from 2007 to 2009.