OFFICERS
George Burns
President and Chief Executive Officer
George Burns joined Eldorado on February 1, 2017 and assumed the role of President and Chief Executive Officer on April 28, 2017. Prior to joining us, George was Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer at Goldcorp. He also held the Goldcorp positions of Senior Vice President, Mexican Operations and Vice President, Canada and United States respectively. Prior to that he was Senior Vice President & Chief Operating Officer of Centerra Gold Inc.
George has over 30 years of experience in the mineral sector including executive, operations, development and engineering leadership roles in gold, copper and coal operations. George has served in various capacities for Asarco LLC including Vice President of Mining as well as numerous capacities for Cyprus Minerals Corporation. He began his career with Anaconda Company in 1978.
Paul Ferneyhough
Executive VP and Chief Financial Officer
Paul Ferneyhough was appointed Executive Vice President & Chief Financial Officer at Eldorado Gold in January 2024. Paul joined the company in May 2021 and previously served as Senior Vice President, Chief Strategy and Commercial Officer, and prior to that, Senior Vice President, Chief Growth and Integration Officer.
Before joining Eldorado Gold, Paul spent nearly two decades with Repsol SA (and Talisman Energy), most recently as Executive Director leading Repsol’s North American upstream oil and gas division. He also held progressively senior leadership roles in corporate, line and functional areas including finance, investor relations, strategy, commercial, planning, and business performance management.
Paul is a Qualified Chartered Accountant (ICAEW) and has a Bachelor of Science (Hons) in Physics from Durham University, United Kingdom.
Frank Herbert
Executive VP, General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer
Frank Herbert formally assumed the role of Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer, effective January 1, 2023. Prior to joining Eldorado, Frank held various senior legal positions in the mining industry including serving as an Independent Consultant for a mid-tier Canadian gold producer and a 13-year tenure at Centerra Gold Inc. where his most recent role was President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary. Prior to his in-house roles, Frank was in private practice for over 15 years at major Canadian law firms, where his practice focused on mining and corporate matters. Frank also has extensive experience working with the investment community and analysts in Europe and North America as well as with local and international media. He holds a BA of History and English from the University of Toronto and Bachelor of Laws from Queen’s University.
Simon Hille
Executive VP, Technical Services and Operations
Simon Hille was appointed Executive Vice President, Technical Services and Operations at Eldorado Gold in November 2023. Simon joined the company in November 2020, serving in increasingly senior roles until his appointment as Executive Vice President. Simon is responsible for operations in Türkiye and Canada inclusive of Technical Services, Exploration, and Safety & Sustainability.
Simon has over 30 years of experience in gold and base metals, specializing in leading high-performance, cross-functional technical and operational teams to maximize value from complex ore bodies. Prior to joining Eldorado, Simon was Group Executive, Technical Engineering and Global Project at Newmont (Goldcorp). He also held senior leadership roles in metallurgy and process development with Barrick Gold and Newcrest Mining.
Simon holds a Bachelor of Science in Extractive Metallurgy from Curtin University’s Western Australian School of Mines and is a Fellow of Australasian Institute of Mining & Metallurgy (FAusIMM).
Louw Smith
Executive VP, Development, Greece
Louw Smith was appointed Executive Vice President, Development, Greece, at Eldorado Gold in January 2024. Louw brings to the role over 30 years of experience in the industry, and most recently held the position of Managing Director at TEX overseeing a full range of technical solutions for gold mining companies. Prior to that, Louw was Chief Operating Officer at Nord Gold Plc for eight years. Louw was also Chief Operating Officer at Alacer Gold Corp. Louw will be based in Greece and responsible for the development of our Greek assets, including Skouries and Perama Hill, overseeing operations, and corporate functions. Louw holds a master’s degree in Mining Engineering (Mineral Economics) from the University of Witwatersrand in South Africa and an executive master’s degree in Business Administration from the University of Western Australia.
SENIOR MANAGEMENT
Niklas Frank
SVP, Operations
Niklas Frank was appointed Senior Vice President, Operations at Eldorado Gold in November 2023. Niklas joined the company in July 2023. In his role as Senior Vice President, Operations, Niklas is responsible for operational support and is the primary lead for our site general managers in Quebec and Türkiye, as well as operations support in Greece.
With over 26 years of experience in the international mining industry, Niklas has managed and overseen mining operations in Canada, the United States, Peru, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Cuba and others. Previous to joining Eldorado Gold, he served as Head of Operations and Group Chief Mining Engineer with Trafigura Mining Group. Niklas spent over 18 years of his career with Boliden Mineral AB where he held increasingly senior roles, beginning as a project engineer in the mining technology department and departing as the company’s general manager.
Niklas holds a Master of Science in Civil Engineering from the Chalmers University of Technology.
Ryan Swedburg
SVP, Finance
Ryan joined Eldorado Gold in September 2023 and is responsible for leading the execution of the long-term strategy for financial reporting and analysis, budgeting and forecasting, ERP optimization and compliance activities. Prior to Eldorado Gold, Ryan served as Regional Chief Financial Officer (North America) at Newmont Corporation. In the decade prior, he held progressively senior leadership roles at Goldcorp Inc., including CFO of Canadian Operations, as well as treasury, business planning, and controllership positions. Ryan is a Chartered Professional Accountant and he holds a Bachelor of Applied Science in Mining Engineering from the University of British Columbia.
Jaime Awmack
VP, Operational Support
Jaime Awmack was appointed Vice President, Operational Support in November 2023. Jaime joined Eldorado in 2021 as Director, Operational Support before advancing to Senior Director, Operational Support. She works closely with site and technical teams to facilitate change at the operational level, driving continuous improvement, operational technology, and asset management performance globally.
Jaime has over 20 years of experience in mining. Prior to joining Eldorado, she served as Process Manager at Newmont’s Peñasquito mine in Mexico. Jaime previously spent eight years at Goldcorp, where she held increasingly senior roles, beginning as a process metallurgist before finishing her time at Goldcorp as Process Manager at Peñasquito. Jaime has also worked for Teck Resources at operations in Canada and Chile.
Jaime holds a dual-degree and concurrently studied her Bachelor of Arts in Art History and Bachelor of Applied Science in Mining and Mineral Process Engineering at the University of British Columbia. She is also a certified Professional Engineer.
Claire Chamberlain
VP, Exploration
Claire joined Eldorado as Vice President, Exploration in August 2023. She is responsible for the technical oversight and strategic planning of Eldorado’s exploration programs, including project generation, early- to late-stage exploration projects and mine site exploration. Claire has over 25 years of global experience spanning generative exploration through to ore body knowledge at advanced projects and mines. Over time she has held progressively senior leadership roles, largely with Teck and most recently as the Regional Head of Discovery – Americas for Anglo American. Claire holds a Ph.D. in Economic Geology from Imperial College London, a Master of Science in Mineral Exploration from the University of Leicester and a Bachelor of Science in Applied & Environmental Geology (Hons) from the University of Birmingham.
Lynette Gould
VP, Investor Relations, Communications & External Affairs
Lynette Gould joined Eldorado in April 2023 as Vice President, Investor Relations. She is responsible for overseeing all investor relations activities and marketing. Prior to joining Eldorado Gold, Lynette worked as Vice President, Investor Relations at Ensign Minerals overseeing the implementation and execution of the junior exploration company’s investor relations program. She previously held roles of increasing responsibility and scope with Augusta Gold Corp, Galiano Gold Inc., Alio Gold Inc., and Goldcorp Inc. Lynette has a Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of Fraser Valley and is also a CFA Charterholder.
Peter Lind
VP, Technical Services
Peter Lind was appointed Vice President, Technical Services in November 2023. Peter joined Eldorado in 2021 and has served in increasingly senior roles, starting as Director, Technical Studies before progressing to Senior Director, Technical Studies and Projects. Peter is responsible for leading a team of functional experts focused on mine and resource geology, mining and mine engineering, metallurgy and processing as well as discipline engineering to support early-stage studies.
Peter has over 20 years of experience working with Canada-based mining companies. Prior to joining Eldorado, he served as Director, Processing at Newmont, as Director, Metallurgy Projects at Goldcorp and in technology management roles at Barrick Gold and its AuTec subsidiary. He also worked in technical and operational roles at Falconbridge and Xstrata (Glencore).
Peter holds a Bachelor of Engineering in Extractive Metallurgy from Laurentian University, a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Windsor and a Master of Business Administration in the Management of Technology from Simon Fraser University.
Nora Lozano
VP, Health, Safety & Sustainability
Nora joined Eldorado Gold in September 2023 and is responsible for leading all aspects of health, safety and sustainability for Eldorado’s mining operations ensuring compliance with all relevant regulations and standards. Prior to joining Eldorado, Nora held senior level roles including Director, Health and Safety at Teck Resources Limited and Director, Sustainability at Goldcorp Inc. She brings extensive experience through a variety of environmental, health and safety roles spanning Europe and the Americas, with a focus on strategy and continuous improvement. Nora holds a masters degree in Environmental Engineering from the Polytechnic University of Catalonia in Barcelona, Spain and a master’s degree in Industrial Hygiene from the National Conservatory of the Arts and Crafts in Paris, France. She received her Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering from the Autonomous University of Nuevo León, Mexico.
Graham Morrison
VP, Corporate Development
Graham Morrison joined Eldorado in 2011, initially as a Business Development Analyst and has progressively taken on greater responsibility within the company, having most recently been promoted to Vice President, Corporate Development in October 2021. Before joining Eldorado, Graham worked in equity research at Raymond James Ltd with a focus on mid-cap gold producers and developers. Prior to that, he worked as a field technician for a privately-owned prospect generator focused on the Americas. Graham has a BA from Dalhousie University and an MSc, Mineral Economics from Western Australia School of Mines. He is also a CFA Charterholder.
Tamiko Ohta
VP, Legal
Tamiko Ohta joined Eldorado in July 2023 as Vice President, Legal. She manages legal requirements across all of Eldorado’s operating jurisdictions, providing expert advice and ensuring regional compliance. Previously, Tamiko held senior level roles including General Counsel at StarTech.com and Vice-President, Legal and Corporate Secretary at Talisman Energy (now Repsol). She understands legal, cultural, and procedural challenges in conducting international business operations, including experience leading complex transactions and navigating shareholder activism. She holds a Bachelor of Arts with Distinction from the University of Manitoba and Bachelor of Laws from Dalhousie University.
Stephanie Shaw
Stephanie Shaw joined Eldorado Gold in August 2024 as Vice President, Human Resources. Stephanie leads the HR function, shaping the company's people strategy and fostering a positive organizational culture that attracts, retains, and develops top talent.
She is responsible for Global Total Rewards, Organization Effectiveness and Analytics, Corporate HR, Global Training & Development, as well as providing strategic direction, operational oversight, and innovative solutions to drive business success.
Stephanie brings to this role over 18 years of progressive operations and corporate HR experience, including leading large multi-site and multi-country teams. Prior to joining Eldorado, Stephanie spent the past 12 years with Teck Resources in a variety of HR leadership roles including four years in Chile where she created a blueprint to enable rapid growth. Stephanie has a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of British Columbia as well as a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from McGill University.
REGIONAL SENIOR MANAGEMENT
Christos Balaskas
VP, Commercial, Growth and External Relations (Greece)
Christos Balaskas joined Eldorado on October 9, 2017 as VP and General Manager, Greece. Prior to joining Eldorado, Christos was the General Manager of the Athens Natural Gas Supply & Distribution Company, a position he held since 2009. Christos has over 25 years of experience in the Downstream Oil & Gas sector mostly with the Royal Dutch Shell Group of companies and BG Group where he held various managerial positions in Greece and in the UK. Christos is a Naval Architect and Marine Engineer by training from the National Technical University of Athens. He also holds an MSc in Computer Science from the University of Birmingham and an MBA in Engineering Management from Cass Business School, City, University of London.
Sylvain Lehoux
VP and Country Manager, Canada
Sylvain Lehoux was appointed VP and Country Manager, Canada in April 2023. Sylvain previously joined Eldorado Gold Québec in 2017 as General Manager. In his current role, Sylvain represents Eldorado Gold on commercial, permitting, and social license activities in Canada, including acting as representative on the Mining Association of Canada Board and government affairs matters in Ottawa. Sylvain is also involved in Canadian exploration opportunities, corporate development, sustainability and other corporate functions. Sylvain began his career in mining in 1986 at the Selbaie mine (BHP Billiton), later working in Ontario for the Williams mine (Minerai Lac). Upon returning to Val-d'Or, he worked at the Kiena mine with Placer Dome, where he held various mining positions, including as general manager restarting the mine in 2007. Sylvain worked at Alexis Minerals as Vice President of Operations before accepting the position of General Manager of Westwood Mine from IAMGOLD Corporation in June 2012.
Mehmet Yilmaz
VP and General Manager, Türkiye
Mehmet Yılmaz was appointed Vice President and General Manager, Turkey, on March 11, 2020. Prior to this role, he was Chairman of Tüprag Metal Madencilik A.Ş., a subsidiary of Eldorado Gold. Mr. Yılmaz first joined the company in 1987 as a field geologist. Mehmet graduated from the Geological Department of Middle East Technical University in Ankara and has over 30 years’ experience in the mining industry. Mr. Yılmaz is a Member of Chamber of Geological Engineers (Türkiye), serves as a Board Member of the Turkish Mining Development Foundation, Vice President of the Turkish Miners Association by 2018, and recognized as a Competent Person (CP), National Resources and Reserves Reporting Committee (UMREK).
Nicolae Stanca
VP and General Manager, Romania
Nicolae Stanca was appointed Vice President and General Manager, Romania on July 1, 2012. Prior to this, he was President of the Board of Directors and General Manager of Deva Gold SA and General Manager of Minvest S.A., the Romanian national company for copper, gold and iron. He also acted as the appointed Prefect of Hunedoara County (Romania) between 1998 and 2000. Nicolae graduated from the University of Petrosani as a Mining Engineer and has over 40 years' experience in the mining industry. He has extensive knowledge of the development and operation of open pit and underground mines.