Gareth Solly Appointed as CEO And Executive Director
Released
Released
Announcement PDF
ANNOUNCEMENT TO THE AUSTRALIAN SECURITIES EXCHANGE 24 APRIL 2026
Auric Mining Limited
ACN 635 470 843
Level 1, 1 Tully Road, East Perth WA 6004
PO Box 1057, Joondalup DC WA 6919
info@auricmining.com.au
08 9548 9997
auricmining.com.au
ASX: AWJ
GARETH SOLLY APPOINTED AS CEO AND
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Highlights
• Gareth Solly appointed Chief Executive Officer and Executive Director, effective
18 May 2026, with a planned transition to Managing Director on 1 December
2026.
• Proven mining executive with 20 years' experience in the Western Australian
gold sector, most recently as founding Managing Director of Black Cat Syndicate
(ASX: BC8), which he transformed from a ~$6m exploration IPO into a
~100,000ozpa multi-asset gold producer with a 2.5Moz resource base.
• Track record includes the acquisition and refurbishment of the Paulsens and
Lakewood Gold Operations, directly relevant to Auric's processing infrastructure
strategy.
• Structured executive transition will see founder and current Managing Director
Mark English continue as Executive and Finance Director, ensuring leadership
continuity and financial discipline.
• Appointment, alongside the recent hire of Processing Lead Scott Bailey,
significantly enhances Auric's execution capability as it advances toward
becoming Australia's next integrated mining house.
The Announcement
Auric Mining Limited (ASX: AWJ) (“Auric” or “the Company”) is excited to announce
a significant strengthening of its board and executive leadership team to
accelerate the development of its own processing capacity and gold mining
operations.
Mr Gareth Solly will join the Company as Executive Director and Chief Executive
Officer (CEO) commencing on 18 May 2026.
ANNOUNCEMENT TO THE AUSTRALIAN SECURITIES EXCHANGE 24 APRIL 2026
Auric Mining Limited
ACN 635 470 843
Level 1, 1 Tully Road, East Perth WA 6004
PO Box 1057, Joondalup DC WA 6919
info@auricmining.com.au
08 9548 9997
auricmining.com.au
ASX: AWJ
Gareth will work alongside founding Managing Director, Mr Mark English, and the
other board members through a formal transition period. On 1 December 2026,
Gareth will succeed Mark as Managing Director, with Mark remaining as Executive
and Finance Director.
A Proven Team for Production
Mr Gareth Solly’s appointment represents a transformational step for Auric as it fast-
tracks the development of the Burbanks Gold Plant and scales operations at the
Munda Gold Mine and other Projects.
Gareth is a respected mining executive with an extensive and highly successful
career in Western Australian gold companies including, Silver Lake Resources and
Saracen Minerals, and most recently as the founding Managing Director of Black
Cat Syndicate. Under his leadership, Black Cat grew from an exploration-focused
junior into a significant ~100,000ozpa multi-asset gold producer with a ~2.5Mounce
JORC resource and a market capitalisation of ~$1B.
Gareth brings proven technical, operational and capital market experience.
Notably, Gareth was instrumental in the acquisition and rapid refurbishment of both
the Paulsens and Lakewood Gold Operations on time and on budget. His ability to
successfully navigate the complexities of mining startups, value-accretive M&A and
exploration growth in Western Australia is directly aligned with Auric’s immediate
strategy for the Munda and Burbanks Gold projects.
Gareth’s appointment follows the recent hiring of Mr Scott Bailey as Processing Lead
and provides Auric an experienced team with a proven track record and a clear
mandate to build a new self-sufficient, mid-tier gold producer.
Management Comments
Managing Director, Mark English, said:
“Gareth’s success at Black Cat is a blueprint for what we intend to achieve. He has
a rare 'mine-to-mill' skillset - he knows how to find the ounces, but more importantly,
he knows how to build the infrastructure and the team to produce gold bars. His
track record in taking projects from exploration into production is exactly what Auric
requires as we rebuild the Burbanks Mill. This appointment sends a clear message to
the market: Auric is serious about building a significant gold enterprise in the
Kalgoorlie region. I am honoured to be handing on the baton to such an
outstanding person.”
ANNOUNCEMENT TO THE AUSTRALIAN SECURITIES EXCHANGE 24 APRIL 2026
Auric Mining Limited
ACN 635 470 843
Level 1, 1 Tully Road, East Perth WA 6004
PO Box 1057, Joondalup DC WA 6919
info@auricmining.com.au
08 9548 9997
auricmining.com.au
ASX: AWJ
Incoming CEO, Gareth Solly, said:
“I have watched Auric’s transition from an explorer to a profitable miner with great
interest. Auric has consolidated a highly prospective ground holding and the right
assets to become a profitable self-sufficient gold producer. The opportunity to lead
another company through the construction of its own processing hub and be
rerated as a producer is incredibly compelling. I look forward to working with the
Auric Mining Board and the recently appointed processing team to unlock the full
value of Munda and our other regional assets.”
Chairman, Steven Morris, said:
“The Board is delighted to have secured Gareth to lead Auric through its next
chapter of growth. His appointment is the culmination of a deliberate strategy to
bolster our executive capabilities as we transition from a junior miner into a
sustainable gold producer. Gareth’s reputation for disciplined capital management
and his deep connections within the WA mining investment community will be
invaluable as we scale our operations.
By attracting a leader of this stature, we are demonstrating our commitment to
transforming Auric into a significant player in the Goldfields and delivering long-term
value for our shareholders.”
This announcement has been approved for release by the Board of Auric Mining Ltd.
Corporate Enquiries
Mark English
Managing Director
Auric Mining Limited
T +61 409 372 775
E
menglish@auricmining.com.au
Investor Relations
Alex Cowie
Director
NWR Communications
T +61 412 952 610
E
alexc@nwrcommunications.com.au
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ANNOUNCEMENT TO THE AUSTRALIAN SECURITIES EXCHANGE 24 APRIL 2026
Auric Mining Limited
ACN 635 470 843
Level 1, 1 Tully Road, East Perth WA 6004
PO Box 1057, Joondalup DC WA 6919
info@auricmining.com.au
08 9548 9997
auricmining.com.au
ASX: AWJ
APPENDIX 1 – EXECUTIVE SERVICES SUMMARY
Position Chief Executive Officer and Executive Director; transitioning to
Managing Director on 1 December 2026
Commencement
Date
18 May 2026
Remuneration Annual salary of $450,000 (inclusive of superannuation)
Term of
Appointment
Indefinite term
Termination Notice 3 months by executive; 12 months by Company
Sign on Fee $150,000 (inclusive of superannuation)
Incentives Short- and long-term incentives to be issued to the executive
(subject to shareholder approval being obtained at the 2026
annual general meeting) include:
Options:
Number Term Vesting Condition
477,961 5 years from issue Achieving cumulative gold
production of 40,000oz
477,961 5 years from issue Achieving cumulative gold
production of 70,000oz
477,961 5 years from issue Achieving cumulative gold
production of 80,000oz
Performance Rights:
Number Term Vesting Condition
500,000 5 years from issue Upon election as executive director
1,500,000 5 years from issue Upon securing sufficient capital to
build the Burbanks facility
1,000,000 5 years from issue Upon commissioning and operation
of the Burbanks facility
1,500,000 5 years from issue Announcement of definition of
300koz JORC resource
1,500,000 5 years from issue Announcement of definition of
500koz JORC resource
2,000,000 5 years from issue Announcement of definition of
1Moz JORC resource
1,500,000 5 years from issue Achieving cumulative gold
production of 100,000oz
1,500,000 5 years from issue Achieving cumulative gold
production of 125,000oz
2,000,000 5 years from issue Upon the Company achieving a
market capitalisation of
$200,000,000
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