John Lewins

CEO & Director

Mr. Lewins is a Mineral Engineer with over 35 years’ experience in the mining industry. He has previously worked in Africa, Australia, Asia, North America and the former Soviet Union. He is currently the Chief Executive Officer of the Company and served as Chief Operating Officer from May 2016 to August 2017. Mr. Lewins has successfully managed the development of a number of open pit and underground gold, precious and base metal mines from feasibility study through to profitable operations.

Mr. Lewins has operated extensively at the corporate level in various roles from Executive General Manager to Director and Chief Executive Officer with a number of other mining companies, including MIM Holdings, First Dynasty Mines, Platinum Australia and African Thunder Platinum.

Mr. Lewins received his National Diploma for Technicians (Extractive Metallurgy) from Technikon Witwatersrand, South Africa, a Bachelor of Science degree (Honours) in Mineral Engineering from University of Leeds, England and a Graduate Diploma in Management from University of Queensland.

John Lewins is Chair of the K92 Health and Safety Committee and a member of the Sustainability Committee.

David Medilek

President & COO

Mr. Medilek is a mining professional with over 17 years of mining capital markets, corporate strategy and technical operating experience. Mr. Medilek joined K92 in 2019, most recently holding the position of President, and prior to that was its Vice President Business Development and Investor Relations. Previously, Mr. Medilek was an equity research analyst covering precious metals companies, with Macquarie Group Limited; a mining investment banker with Cormark Securities Inc.; and a mining engineer with Barrick Gold Corporation in Western Australia. Mr. Medilek holds a Bachelor of Applied Science in Mining Engineering with Distinction from the University of British Columbia, a Professional Engineer designation in the Province of British Columbia, and is a CFA ® charterholder*. (*CFA® and Chartered Financial Analyst® are registered trademarks owned by CFA Institute.)

Justin Blanchet

CFO

Mr. Blanchet has acquired considerable experience in the areas of financial reporting, regulatory compliance, treasury, and audit for both Canadian and U.S. publicly listed companies. He has international experience working on projects throughout the world, and is well versed in the requirements of complex regulatory environments as well as the requirements of International Financial Reporting Standards. Mr. Blanchet is a Canadian Chartered Professional Accountant and a U.S. Certified Public Accountant (Washington and Illinois).

Chris Kinver

VP Projects & Engineering

Mr. Kinver is a Mining Engineer with approximately 20 years of experience in the mining industry, predominantly in senior management roles in underground operations and mine development with senior, intermediate and junior mining companies in Australia, Papua New Guinea, South America, Africa and the United Kingdom. Mr. Kinver joined K92 in 2019, and most recently held the position as the Company’s Project Director, Kora Expansion. Prior to that, Mr. Kinver held the positions of K92’s Mining Manager and also Evaluation and Studies Manager. Before joining K92, Mr. Kinver was with OceanaGold Corporation as the Project Manager for the Didipio Underground Mine for approximately 3 years, successfully transitioning the operation from an open pit to a 1.6 mtpa long hole stoping underground operation. Other senior management roles include: Underground Mine Manager with BHP Billiton at the Perseverance Nickel Mine, one of the largest underground operations in Western Australia; Underground Mine Manager with Barrick Gold Corporation at the Plutonic Gold Mine in Western Australia; and Principal Engineer at mining consulting firm Wardell Armstrong LLP. Mr. Kinver holds a Bachelor of Engineering in Mining and Mineral Engineering with Honours from Camborne School of Mines and a First Class Western Australian Mine Managers’ Certificate. He holds registrations with the Institute of Engineers Australia, The Engineering Institution of Zambia, and Registered Engineers of Tanzania.

Philip Samar

VP Government & Community Affairs

Mr. Samar is a Mining Engineer, who spent 20 years working for the Mineral Resources Authority (MRA) of Papua New Guinea, the government body responsible for regulating the exploration and mineral sector. In his last six years as Managing Director, Mr. Samar had a significant leadership role within the country and has regularly interacted with multiple mining industry stakeholders including: government, international organizations, landowners and foreign investors.

Heidi Grobler

VP Human Resources

Heidi Grobler is a senior HR professional with over 20 years of experience in the mining and heavy manufacturing industries, both at operational and corporate levels. She has extensive international human resources management experience across Australia, Asia Pacific, and Africa. Joining K92 in 2021, Ms. Grobler most recently served as General Manager – Group Human Resources. Prior to this, she held senior HR leadership roles at Newcrest Mining Ltd., Afrique Gold Ltd., Adelaide Brighton Ltd., and Anglo Platinum Ltd. Mrs. Grobler holds a Bachelor of Law (B.Proc) from the University of South Africa and a Graduate Certificate in Business Law from Curtin University of Technology. She is a professional member of the Australian HR Institute and a certified change management practitioner.

Andrew Kohler

Interim VP Exploration

Andrew G. Kohler is a geologist with over 30 years of experience in the mining industry, holding senior roles in underground, open pit, and exploration operations across gold, copper, nickel, and base metals projects. Mr. Kohler joined K92 in 2016 and currently serves as K92 Mining’s Chief Geologist. At the Kainantu Gold Mine, he was part of the geologic leadership team that made the discovery of the Kora North Deposit in 2017, which ultimately was recognized with the Thayer Lindsley Award, for Best Global Discovery from the Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada in 2021. Prior to joining K92, Mr. Kohler held senior leadership positions with companies that included India Resources Limited, Ramu NiCo Management Limited, Avocet Gold Limited, Resolute Tanzania Limited, and Sons of Gwalia Limited, where he led resource development, drilling programs, and technical operations at various global mining projects. He holds a Bachelor of Applied Science in Geology from Curtin University of Technology, a Postgraduate Certificate in Geostatistics from Edith Cowan University, and is a member of the Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy (AusIMM), the Geological Society of Australia, and the Australian Institute of Geoscientists.

Nancy La Couvée

Corporate Secretary

Ms. La Couvée brings over 20 years of experience as a Corporate Secretary, providing governance and compliance services for international publicly listed companies in the resource sector. Ms. La Couvée ensures effective board and shareholder communications, compliance with statutory and regulatory requirements in numerous jurisdictions, establishment of corporate governance policies, corporate finance administration, and corporate records management. She is a member of the Governance Professionals of Canada.

Daisy Taylor

Papua New Guinea Govt. & Community Affairs Advisor, Png Director

Ms. Taylor, born in the Eastern Highlands area where the project is located, has more than 30 years of business leadership experience in Papua New Guinea. Ms. Taylor is currently a Director of two separate real estate companies in Papua New Guinea and previously served as the General Manager of Nokondi Investments, the property development business arm of the Eastern Highlands Provincial Government. Ms. Taylor was also involved in the Electoral Commission Papua New Guinea project, an Australian Government project managed by CARDNO ACIL and was the Project Manager for The Electoral Reform Project, a European Union (EU) funded initiative operated by Transparency International (PNG) which was aimed at promoting democracy and advocacy for electoral reform. Additionally, Ms. Taylor has worked with government, donor countries, and non government organizations at all levels in a variety of roles in project management, budgetary account management, human resource development, training and educational support and development issues. Ms. Taylor has an extensive background in the media industry in both Papua New Guinea and Australia and in the real estate industry.

Stanley Komunt

General Manager, External Affairs

Stanley K. Komunt is an experienced community and government relations leader with over 25 years of experience in the mining industry, specializing in corporate governance, stakeholder engagement, and risk management. From 2018 to 2024, he served as Country Manager for Newcrest Mining Ltd. and, following its acquisition, with Newmont Corporation in Papua New Guinea, where he played a key role in negotiations and oversaw government, regulatory, and community relations. He previously held senior roles with Nautilus Minerals Ltd., Morobe Mining Joint Venture, Highlands Pacific Limited at the Kainantu Gold Mine, and Ok Tedi Mining Ltd., managing community programs, security operations, and corporate social responsibility initiatives. A member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, Mr. Komunt has completed advanced training in leadership, governance, and project management through Newcrest Mining Ltd. and other organizations, contributing to the success of major mining projects. Mr. Komunt also serves as a Vice President Papua New Guinea for the Australia PNG Business Council, a Director of the PNG Motor Vehicle Insurance Company and previously served as a council member of the Papua New Guinea Chamber of Resources and Energy.

Mark Schubert

General Manager, External Affairs and Sustainable Development (Retiring in 2025)

Mr. Schubert is an anthropologist with over 30 years of experience in Papua New Guinea and other parts of the Pacific. He has conducted social mapping and landholder identification as well as social and economic impact studies for natural resource, construction, and other projects throughout Papua New Guinea. His extensive expertise in Papua New Guinea is also highlighted by over a decade of advising and managing community government relations along with sustainable development issues. 

In addition to his anthropology background, he has experience as an editor and media manager for a public policy think tank and has intermittently, over the last thirty-five years, taught at six of Australia’s universities. 

Mr. Schubert holds a masters in demography from La Trobe University and PhD in anthropology from The University of Queensland.