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AIM HZM 3.13 GBX
TSX HZM 0.06 CAD
Developing the next major nickel project in Brazil

Board of Directors

Our directors have extensive experience in the exploration and mining sector, demonstrating strength and diversity.

Paul Smith
Non-Executive Chairman.
Mr Smith is a corporate finance professional and senior board member with extensive experience of driving industry-leading performance at natural resource focused companies. He worked for Glencore plc (“Glencore”) from 2011 to 2020, as Head of Strategy. During this period, Glencore successfully completed numerous large scale corporate and capital markets transactions.

Paul was also the CFO of Katanga Mining Limited, Glencore’s TSX-listed and DRC-based subsidiary from 2019 until its de-listing in 2020. He represented Glencore as a non-executive director of Lonmin plc and Glencore Agriculture Ltd.

Prior to Glencore, Mr. Smith was an analyst and fund manager at Marshall Wace Asset Management. Paul co-founded Voltaire Minerals Partners in 2022.

Karim Nasr
Interim CEO and Executive Director.
Mr. Nasr has over 25 years of experience in corporate finance and investments, including leading one of Brazil’s largest corporate restructurings. Before joining Horizonte Minerals, Mr Nasr was Managing Partner and Co-Chief Investment Officer of La Mancha Resource Capital LLP (“La Mancha”), which advises La Mancha Resource Fund SCSp, one of the Company’s major shareholders. Previously, Mr Nasr was the CEO and CIO of Digital World Capital (DWC), an FCA regulated investment manager investing globally and across the capital structure in Telecom and Media companies. At DWC, Mr Nasr was in charge of the investment strategy and risk management for the DWC Cross Com Fund on a discretionary basis and of the special situation investments and debt restructuring advisory practice for private clients on a non-discretionary basis. From 2001 to 2011, Mr Nasr was a member of the Executive and Investment committee of Wind Telecom and Orascom Telecom, where he was in charge of Corporate Finance. During this tenure, he raised US$68bn in debt and equity and closed US$67bn in M&A transactions. In particular, Mr Nasr led the 2011 US$25bn merger with VEON, was one of the two executives responsible for the 2005 US$17bn Wind Telecom Leveraged Buy-Out and managed the 2009 EUR3.8bn debt restructuring of Wind Hellas in Greece. Mr Nasr currently serves on the Boards of G Mining and Elemental Altus and holds a Masters in Management from the University of Paris IX Dauphine with a major in Finance. He is fluent in English, Arabic and French.

Nicholas Michael
Non-Executive Director.
Mr Michael has over 37 years of experience in the mining industry, including ferronickel in Brazil, as a successful Technical Director, having retired from Orion Resource Partners in 2023 where he held the position of VP Technical Services. Nick has been involved in the design and construction process, technical diligence and has acted as an independent engineer (for investors) across multiple mines globally. Mr Michael holds a Bachelor of Science in Mining & Extractive Metallurgy from the Colorado School of Mines and an MBA from Willamette University, Oregon, and is a registered member of the Society for Mining, Metallurgy & Exploration.

Vincent Benoit
Non-Executive DirectorMSc.
Mr Benoit has over 30 years of corporate finance, business development and M&A experience in the mining, telecom, and energy sectors. Mr Benoit identified the opportunity to buy La Mancha and joined the company as Head of Strategy & Business Development in 2012, before leading La Mancha’s portfolio restructuring and contributing to the enhancement of its mines performance in Australia and Africa then identifying and executing the combinations with Evolution and Endeavour, which positioned La Mancha as a leading private investor in the gold mining sector. From 2016 to 2019, Vincent was CFO and EVP Corporate Development at Endeavour where he reshaped the strategy, improved the mine portfolio quality, and enhanced the balance sheet to fund the organic growth. Endeavour’s market capitalization was quadrupled by the time he left at the end of 2019. In early 2020, he re-joined La Mancha to oversee investments and fund raising. Previously, Mr Benoit was at Orange (2006-2012) where he served as EVP M&A. He led the development of the group’s footprint in Africa and Europe and formed strategic partnerships with key European telecoms players. Prior to this, Mr Benoit held various finance positions including with Orano (ex-Areva), Bull Information Systems and PwC. Vincent holds a MSc from Kedge Business School and is a Chartered Accountant.

Gillian Davidson
Non-Executive Director MA, PhD.
Dr Davidson, an industry leader in sustainability, has over 25 years of experience in the extractives and natural resources sectors. She is an independent sustainability advisor and currently serves as a non-executive director on the boards of AIM quoted Central Asia Metals plc and TSX listed Lundin Gold and New Gold Inc. Dr Davidson is a founding member and Chair of the Global Battery Alliance, an initiative created to drive a sustainable battery value chain. Gillian Davidson is also Chair of International Women in Mining. Dr Davidson was, until 2017, Head of Mining & Metals at the World Economic Forum, leading global and regional initiatives for responsible and sustainable development. Prior to this, she was Director of Social Responsibility at Teck Resources Limited. She holds a MA (Hons) in Geography from the University of Glasgow, a PhD in Development Economics and Economic Geography from the University of Liverpool and is an alumnus of the Governor General of Canada's Leadership Conference.

John MacKenzie
Non-Executive DirectorMSc.
Mr MacKenzie is a senior mining executive with more than 30 years of operational and investment experience in the metals and mining sector, currently Chief Executive Officer and Director of TSX-listed Capstone Copper Corp. Previously, John was Executive Chair and Founder of Mantos Copper before its merger with Capstone Mining in 2022. He brings extensive international operating experience to the Board, in particular in South American through his time as part of the Anglo American group where he was a member of the Executive Committee and CEO of Copper at Anglo American plc, CEO Zinc at Anglo Base Metals and General Manager at their Minera Loma de Niquel mine and smelter in Venezuela, a ferronickel operation. He was also previously a Non-Executive Director of KAZ Minerals plc. He has a Master of Science in Mining Engineering from the University of the Witwatersrand, a Master of Business Leadership from the University of South Africa and completed the Advanced Management Program at Harvard Business School.