South American Silver Management Team

Ralph Fitch, Chairman, President, and CEO

Mr. Fitch, the founder of South American Silver Corp., High Desert Gold Corporation and their parent, General Minerals Corporation, is a creative geologist with over forty years of international exploration management and field experience. His prior positions included Chief Geologist (Worldwide) and Manager of United States Exploration for the Chevron Minerals Group. His broad exploration experience includes living and exploring in the British Isles, Australia, West Africa (Liberia), South Africa and the United States, as well as extensive exploration experience in South America.

Mr. Fitch was awarded the Chevron Chairman’s Award for his part in the discovery of the Ujina ore body at the Collahuasi copper porphyry project in northern Chile, for which he initiated the use of, interactively processed and interpreted the Landsat/Spot satellite images. He also directed the ore reserve estimations for the Lisheen zinc project in Ireland, another Chevron discovery, and the Stillwater platinum group metals project in Montana while he was Chief Geologist. Chevron’s interests in Collahuasi and Lisheen, which have been developed into mines, were sold for $260 million.  Earlier in his career he was involved in the discovery of the mineralization at the Bend and Horseshoe massive sulphides in Wisconsin, the Henkries uranium deposit in the Northern Cape in South Africa, the Coppins Gap Archaen porphyry copper molybdenum deposit in the Pilbara in West Australia, and the Pah-My-Yah diamond field in Liberia.

Mr. Fitch received his B.Sc. (Special) Honours Degree in Geology from the Imperial College of Science and Technology, London in 1965.

DIRECTORS

Paul Haber, Director

Mr. Paul Haber is a Chartered Accountant and a Certified Public Accountant.  He is presently managing the private company Haber & Co. Ltd. Prior to March 07, he was Vice-President, Chief Financial Officer and Corporate Secretary of a TSX Venture Exchange listed company. 

John W. Paul, Director

Mr. John W. Paul held various legal positions with Chevron Corporation over the period of 1988 to 2005.  He has a B.B.A., M.B.A. and J.D. 

John Watson, Director

Mr. John E. Watson has been the President of a TSX Venture Exchange listed company since 2002.  He is also the Manager/Member of a limited liability corporation that owns and manages an office/retail complex. 
 

Tina Woodside, Director 

Ms. Woodside is currently the head of the Corporate finance department in Gowlings' Toronto office and a member of the firm's National Executive Committee.  Ms. Woodside practices corporate and securities law with particular emphasis on corporate finance, mergers and acquisitions and corporate governance matters.  She joined Smith Lyons ( which merged with Gowlings in 2001) in 1988, being seconded to the Ontario Securities Commission in 1993 and becoming partner in 1996. Ms. Woodside was listed in  Lexpert Magazine as one of Canada's 15 Women Lawyers to Watch and was awarded the BV rating in Martindale-Hubbell. She has spoken at numerous conferences presented by Federated Press, the Canadian Institute, and the Canadian Bar Association; her reviews on securities regulation and the legal profession have been quoted in the National Post, Law Times and the International Financial Law Review. 

William Murray, Director 

Mr. Murray is an engineer in the mining industry with over 33 years of experience in construction management and project evaluation in North America and Africa.  He currently serves as the Executive Chairman and Director of Polymet Mining Corp. (“Polymet”) where initially through the consulting firm, Optimum Project Services Ltd., he led the approach to the technical improvements and large capital cost reductions on Polymet’s NorthMet project.  During his wide ranging mining career and prior to joining Polymet, he has been involved in numerous successful projects while working at Fluor Daniel, Denison Mines, Optimum Project Services and Anglo American Corp. in South Africa.

Greg Johnson, Director 

Mr. Johnson is a geologist with over 20 years of experience in exploration, marketing and communication activities in the mining industry.  He is currently Vice President, Strategic Development for NovaGold Resources Inc. (“NovaGold”).   Prior to his role at NovaGold, Mr. Johnson was part of the management team responsible for overseeing the exploration and acquisition activities for Placer Dome’s International Exploration Group in Africa and Eurasia.  He was also part of the Alaska Exploration Group for Placer Dome in the late 1980’s and early, 1990’s, where he played a key role in the multi-million–ounce Donlin creek discovery in 1995.  He holds an Honors B.Sc. in Geology from Western Washington University.

OFFICERS

Felipe B. Malbran, Executive Vice President, Exploration South America

Prior to the formation of SASC, Mr. Malbran served as Vice President of Exploration South America (1995-2006) for General Minerals Corporation; in addition, his career includes work as a Consultant for base and precious metals exploration in Chile, Project Geologist for base metals exploration in Chile with Min. Cominco Resources Chile (1991-1994), and as Project Geologist for base and precious metals exploration with Geoestudios Consultants (1983-1990).  Mr. Malbran has a wealth of experience in both Economic Geology and Geotechnical and Regional Geology; he received his Degree in Geology form the University of Chile in 1983.

Richard Doran, Executive Vice President

Mr. Doran has been associated with South American Siliver since its beginnings and currently serves as the Executive Vice President of Investor Relations and corporate secretary.  Prior to joining General Minerals,  Mr. Doran served as the North American marketing Manager for the European-based metals company Union Miniere.  He was the commercial manager for Chevron Corporation's mining division from 1985 through 1994.  Prior to this, he was marketing research manager for Getty Mining Company.  Mr. Doran holds a Professional Engineering Degree in metallurgical engineering from the Colorado School of Mines and an M.S. Degree in Mineral Economics from the Pennsylvania State University.  He completed additional graduate studies in international economics at the University of Denver.

William Filtness, Chief Financial Officer

Mr. Filtness is a Chartered Accountant who has been involved in the mining industry since 1987, during which time he has acted as Chief Financial Officer, and Director of a number of public companies.  For the past five years, Mr. Filtness held the position of Manager - Corporate Development for Aurizon Mines Ltd.  Mr. Filtness currently holds the position of Senior Consultant, Malaspina Consultants Inc., a company providing consulting and administrative services to junior companies.

David Dreisinger, Vice President Metallurgy

Dr Dreisinger has been working as a metallurgical consultant with the Company since May, 2006.  In addition, he currently holds the position of Professor and Chairholder of the Industrial Research Chair in Hydrometallurgy at the University of British Columbia. Dr. Dreisinger, with co-workers, has been actively involved in developing and commercializing hydrometallurgical technology such as the Mt. Gordon and Sepon copper processes in Australia and Laos.  Through the Industrial Research Chair in Hydrometallurgy, Dr. Dreisinger is engaged in research and in the teaching technical short courses to the global metallurgical industry. David is a director of PolyMet Mining Corp. and International Nickel Ventures Corporation.