Key Personnel

Robert A. Cohen – Director, Chair of the Board

Mr. Cohen became the Company’s Chairman of the Board in February 2024 and has been a director since 2017. Mr. Cohen retired as of October 1, 2016 from his position as a litigation partner in the international law firm Dechert LLP, and its predecessor firms, in the New York office.

Paul Rivett – Chief Executive Officer, Executive Vice-Chair of the Board

Mr. Rivett is well known as a dynamic entrepreneur and successful developer of value in enterprises in a variety of industries. He has over 30 years of experience in acquiring, developing and leading new business opportunities in numerous sectors, including insurance, banking, manufacturing, industrial, digital media, tech, retail, carbon capture, restaurant, aviation, forestry and real estate sectors.

David P. Onzay – Chief Financial Officer

Mr. Onzay became the Company’s Chief Financial Officer in January 2022. He has been with the Company since 1993 and previously served as the Company Controller. He is also the Chief Financial Officer of Gold Reserve Corporation, GR Mining (Barbados) Inc., GR Procurement (Barbados) Inc., GR Mining Group (Barbados) Inc., Great Basin Energies, Inc. and MGC Ventures, Inc.

James Michael Johnston – Director

Mr. Johnston co–founded Steelhead Partners,LLC in late 1996 to form and manage the Steelhead Navigator Fund. Prior, as senior vice president and senior portfolio manager at Loews Corporation, Mr. Johnston co-managed over $5 billion in corporate bonds and also managed an equity portfolio. He began his investment career at Prudential Insurance as a high yield and investment–grade credit analyst. Mr. Johnston was promoted to co-portfolio manager of an $11 billion fixed income portfolio in 1991. He graduated with honors from Texas Christian University with a degree in finance and completed his MBA at the Johnson Graduate School of Business at Cornell University.

Ambassador Yves Gagnon – Director

Former Ambassador Gagnon joined Global Affairs Canada in 1971. He retired from the public service in 2016 after 45 years of service. He has held positions of increasing importance including Canada’s Ambassador to six countries including Venezuela and Cuba with a special emphasis on Latin America. He has also been a Senior Policy Advisor to Canada’s Minister of State of Foreign Affairs and International Trade for the Americas. Mr. Gagnon has a BA in Arts (1968) and a B.Sc. in Political Science (1971) from Laval University and is a graduate of the National School of Administration (ENA) France (1977).

James P. Tunkey – Director

Mr. Tunkey has 28 years of experience in global risk advisory, including asset tracing and recovery, and political and operational risk management. He is the Chief Operating Officer of a global investigations and security consulting company named I-OnAsia. Mr. Tunkey was a director of Kroll Associates and Pinkerton Business Intelligence & Investigations prior to joining I- OnAsia in 2004. Mr. Tunkey holds a TRIUM Master of Business (MBA), jointly conferred by the London School of Economics, HEC Paris, and NYU Stern School of Business. He is a Qualified Risk Director and a Certified Fraud Examiner. Mr. Tunkey holds other professional certificates, including in Corruption Control and Organizational Integrity from Harvard’s JFK School of Government.

David A. Knight – Director

Mr. Knight is a retired lawyer with 40 years’ experience in the areas of securities and mining law. Prior to his retirement in 2021, Mr. Knight acted as a legal advisor to the Company and a consultant up to his appointment of director.

William C DeSilva, Jr. - Director

William is a Fellow of the Chartered Professional Accountants of Bermuda as well as the Chartered Professional Accountants of Canada. He is currently the President & CEO at Even Par Limited where he leads this independent consulting practice with reviewing client needs, and providing suitable, cost-effective solutions. The range of services offered includes strategic & business planning; mergers, acquisitions, and divestitures; financial and management accounting/reporting; financial, operational, human resource, and process reviews; and Executive and Management development. Additionally, he has been engaged in Interim/Transitional CEO/COO/CFO roles during business restructuring or recruiting phases. William resides in Bermuda with his family.

George E. Thomas, Jr. - Director

George E. Thomas, Jr. is a seasoned global financial services executive with over 30 years of international experience leading regulated financial institutions and serving clients worldwide. His expertise spans investment banking, asset management, financial markets, information technology, cybersecurity, and corporate governance. A recognized authority in cybersecurity governance, he has been a guest lecturer on the topic at Harvard Law School since 2016 and holds a certificate in Cybersecurity from MIT. His extensive board experience includes serving on numerous regulated and non-regulated companies across North America, Asia, and Europe, where he currently holds positions including Vice Chairman of the UNC Gillings School of Public Health Foundation and board member of the Bermuda Business Development Agency. As a native Bermudian, George has deep connections across the local community and a proven ability to represent global firms locally.

Jonathan Howes - Director

Jonathan is currently the first CEO at Bermuda Press (Holdings) Limited also working as the general manager of all subsidiary operations and a Director. Leading the group businesses to success has required changing the culture, increasing collaboration, and making difficult decisions to remain viable in the newspaper and office supply industries as they a constantly being disrupted by changing technology. Jonathan resides in Bermuda and currently sits as a member and treasurer on the Chamber of Commerce and is a Commissioner on the Tax Reform Commission.