Key Personnel
Robert A. Cohen – Director, Chairman 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 – Director, Executive Vice-Chairman 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.
James H. Coleman – President, Director, Chairman Emeritus
Mr. Coleman was the Executive Chairman of the Company from 2016 – February 2024 and prior thereto was the non-Executive Chairman since 2004. Effective February 2024, he became President of the Company and Chairman Emeritus. He has been a director of the Company and its predecessor Gold Reserve Corporation since 1994, and was a lawyer and counsel with the law firm of Norton Rose Fulbright Canada LLP. He has extensive international industry and public company experience as a result of his membership on the Board for over 25 years and has served on the board of directors of other mining issuers such as Amex Exploration Inc., Avion Gold Corporation and Endeavour Mining Corporation. He has also been a director of Siembra Minera since 2016, Great Basin Energies Inc. since 1996, and MGC Ventures, Inc. since 1997.
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.
Rockne J. Timm – Director
Mr. Timm has been a director of the Company for over 35 years. He was the Chief Executive Officer of the Company and its predecessor, Gold Reserve Corporation, for over 35 years until his retirement in February 2024. Prior to his involvement with the Company, he was the Chief Financial Officer and Vice President of Finance of a mining company with six producing gold mines. Mr. Timm was also the President and director of Gold Reserve Corporation, Chief Executive Officer of GR Mining (Barbados) Inc. and GR Procurement (Barbados) Inc. since 2016. Mr. Timm has also been a director of Siembra Minera since 2016. In addition, Mr. Timm has been a director of Great Basin Energies, Inc. since 1981, and MGC Ventures, Inc. since 1989.
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.