Nighthawk and Moneta announce at-market merger to create a leading Canadian gold development company.

Mr. Salehi has over 20 years of industry experience having held various senior roles in operations, projects, and corporate development. Prior to joining Nighthawk, Mr. Salehi served as the Vice President of Corporate Development and Technical Services with Mountain Province Diamonds, where he was responsible for providing operational and technical oversight for the Mountain Province’s jointly owned 12,000 tonnes per day diamond mine in the Northwest Territories (introducing mine optimization initiatives to increase production and reduce costs). Mr. Salehi previously served as VP of Corporate Development and Technical Services for Kirkland Lake Gold (2016-2017), where he led the Company’s due diligence team behind the $2.4B merger with Newmarket Gold. He held the same position at St. Andrew Goldfields (2013-2016), where he spearheaded the Company’s sale process culminating in the sale to Kirkland Lake Gold in 2016. Prior to those roles, he held various operating positions with Lake Shore Gold, FNX Mining, and Vale (2002 – 2013). Mr. Salehi holds a Bachelor of Applied Sciences, Mineral Engineering from the University of Toronto and an Executive MBA from the Kellogg-Schulich School of Management.

Mr. Curcio is a Chartered Professional Accountant with over ten years of financial, audit and assurance expertise with publicly listed companies. Previously, Mr. Curcio was the Manager of Accounting and Finance at Mountain Province Diamonds Inc. (2015 -2021), which jointly own the Gahcho Kue Diamond Mine in the Northwest Territories, Canada, with DeBeers Canada Inc. At Mountain Province, Mr. Curcio oversaw the firm’s financial reporting, planning and analysis, particularly during the transition from development-stage project to a commercially producing mine. Mr. Curcio concurrently served as the Manager of Financial Reporting at Kennady Diamonds Inc. (2015 -2018) until the acquisition by Mountain Province Diamonds in 2018. Mr. Curcio earned his Chartered Professional Accountant, Chartered Accountant (CPA, CA) designation while working in the audit and assurance practice for Schwartz Levitsky Feldman LLP, and has his Honours Bachelor of Accounting and Financial Management (BAFM) Degree and Masters of Accounting (MAcc) Degree from the University of Waterloo.

Mr. McBride has approximately 15 years of experience in advancing exploration projects, particularly in field-based geology across Canada in the exploration for precious metals, base metals and diamonds. Most recently, John was the Exploration Manager at Generation Mining Ltd., where he led the exploration programs that were essential in advancing the Marathon Palladium-Copper Project, located in Northern Ontario, Canada, towards a definitive feasibility study. Previously, Mr. McBride was a Senior Exploration Geologist at Marathon Gold Corp., where he managed the exploration programs for the Valentine Lake Gold Project, located in Newfoundland, Canada, resulting in the expansion of the known open-pit mineralization of the project’s deposits. John graduated from Lakehead University with a HBSc. in Geology (2007) and a MSc. in Geology (2010) and is a member in good standing with the association of Professional Geoscientists in Ontario, Northwest Territories and Nunavut.

Mr. Candelario is an accomplished investor relations, corporate development, capital markets and finance professional, bringing over 15 years of progressive experience. Most recently, Mr. Candelario was the Vice President, Investor Relations at Battle North Gold Corp., a Canadian gold developer with assets in the Red Lake Gold Camp in Northern Ontario. Allan was an integral member of the executive team that completed Battle North’s successful turnaround and the sale of the company to Evolution Mining Ltd. in 2021, delivering significant value to Battle North’s shareholders. Prior to Battle North, Mr. Candelario managed the top-ranked investor relations program at Alamos Gold Inc. and worked in equity research for Canadian bank-owned and independent broker dealers. Allan holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from the Schulich School of Business (York University) in Canada and is a CFA® charterholder (CFA Institute).

Josef Vejvoda acts as a special advisor to K2 & Associates Investment Management Inc., a multi-strategy investment fund. Previously Mr. Vejvoda was a portfolio manager at K2 from Aug 2013 and became K2’s Chief Executive Officer in Oct 2018 and Chief Compliance Officer in Mar 2017, until stepping back from administrative duties in March 2021 to focus solely on special projects. Mr. Vejvoda has over twenty-five years of extensive capital markets experience and has held senior management roles at a number of the country’s largest financial institutions including Merrill Lynch Canada, National Bank Financial, and TD Securities. Mr. Vejvoda has served on numerous public company boards and has contributed to the realization of significant increases in shareholder value. Mr. Vejvoda has served as a director of Moneta Gold since July 2019 and assumed the role of Interim CEO in July 2023. Mr. Vejvoda was a director of ShoreTel Inc. (NASDAQ:SHOR) from Oct 2015 until the company’s sale to Mitel Networks for US$540 million in Sep 2017. Mr. Vejvoda served as a director of Dominion Diamond Corporation (TSX:DDC, NYSE:DDC) from Jan 2016 until the company was sold for US$1.2 billion to Washington Corporate in Nov 2017. He also previously served on the board of Acerus Pharma (TSX:ASP) and was a member of the Strategic Review Committee from Dec 2015 until Jun 2016, when a control block purchase was enacted by the company’s chairman. Additionally, Mr. Vejvoda also served as a director of PNI Digital Media Inc. (TSX: PN) from Mar 2013 to Jul 2014 and presided over the company’s sale to Staples Inc. for almost $75 million. Mr. Vejvoda graduated from Queen’s University with a bachelor degree in computer science. He has also earned the Chartered Investment Manager (CIM®) designation from the Canadian Securities Institute and is a graduate of the Institute of Corporate Directors having achieved the ICD.D designation.

Mr. Salehi has over 20 years of industry experience having held various senior roles in operations, projects, and corporate development. Prior to joining Nighthawk, Mr. Salehi served as the Vice President of Corporate Development and Technical Services with Mountain Province Diamonds, where he was responsible for providing operational and technical oversight for the Mountain Province’s jointly owned 12,000 tonnes per day diamond mine in the Northwest Territories (introducing mine optimization initiatives to increase production and reduce costs). Mr. Salehi previously served as VP of Corporate Development and Technical Services for Kirkland Lake Gold (2016-2017), where he led the Company’s due diligence team behind the $2.4B merger with Newmarket Gold. He held the same position at St. Andrew Goldfields (2013-2016), where he spearheaded the Company’s sale process culminating in the sale to Kirkland Lake Gold in 2016. Prior to those roles, he held various operating positions with Lake Shore Gold, FNX Mining, and Vale (2002 – 2013). Mr. Salehi holds a Bachelor of Applied Sciences, Mineral Engineering from the University of Toronto and an Executive MBA from the Kellogg-Schulich School of Management.

Mr. Prychidny is a Chartered Accountant with more than 35 years of experience in the mining, entertainment and real estate industries. He is also the current Chairman of Talisker Resources, a TSX listed mining company, Director and Audit Committee member of Fountain Asset Corp. and Northfield Capital Corporation, both TSX Venture listed companies and a former director, Audit Chairman and member of the Special Committee of Barkerville Gold Mines Ltd. which was acquired by Osisko Gold Royalties Ltd for $338 million in 2019. He is also a director and asset manager of Orion Capital Incorporated, a Toronto-based asset management company.

Ms. Wagner is a lawyer and a seasoned mining executive. She has amassed significant experience in corporate governance, legal and corporate affairs, ESG and M&A throughout her career in mining. Jennifer was previously the Executive Vice-President, Corporate Affairs and Sustainability at Kirkland Lake Gold Ltd. (“Kirkland Lake”) where she managed several key departments and facilitated the completion of Kirkland Lake’s major transactions. Prior to joining Kirkland Lake, she acted as legal counsel and corporate secretary to various TSX and TSXV listed mining companies. She currently sits on the Boards of Discovery Silver Corp. and Generation Mining Limited. Ms. Wagner received a Bachelor of Arts from McGill University and an LL.B. from the University of Windsor.

Mr. Zaritsky is currently Chief Financial Officer of Osisko Mining Inc. He has over 15 years of Canadian public practice experience, with exposure to various types of engagements and clients, gained through managing audit engagements of publicly listed companies traded on the Toronto Stock Exchange, TSX Venture Exchange, and Canadian Securities Exchange. Mr. Zaritsky currently serves as a Director of Talisker Resources Inc. and Silver Mountain Resources Inc. Mr. Zaritsky obtained his Chartered Professional Accountant designation in 2003 and holds dual Bachelor of Arts degrees in accounting and economics from Brock University and Western University, respectively.

Rodney A. Cooper, P.Eng., MBA, is a professional engineer who, from 2011 to 2017, was President and Chief Operating Officer of Labrador Iron Mines Limited where he maintained stakeholder relationships including several complex agreements with First Nations, multiple rail and port logistic agreements, and negotiations with the Quebec and Newfoundland provincial regulatory regimes. He was actively involved in approximately $100 million in equity financings and $30 million streaming deal financing. He was also instrumental in negotiating a $30 million joint venture with Tata Steel on one deposit. From 2009 to 2011, Mr. Cooper was Vice President and Senior Mining Analyst at Dundee Securities where he covered 17 listed companies in the commodity space, of which 7 became the targets of successful mergers and acquisitions. During his tenure he was actively involved in equity and debt deals exceeding $5 billion in value. From 2000 to 2009, Mr. Cooper was Vice President, Technical Services in the corporate office of Kinross Gold Corporation where he established a team of engineers and geologists responsible for project evaluation, project development, technical and economic studies and for the integrity of the resource and reserve base and reporting system. He worked extensively with the operating mines and projects in Ontario, Alaska, Nevada, Washington, Nunavut, Russia, Zimbabwe, Chile and Brazil. He successfully implemented a complex geotechnical and mine closure effort for 14 historical mines simultaneously, in joint venture with the Ontario Ministry of Northern Development and Mines, in and around Timmins, Ontario. The program was completed under budget and a year ahead of schedule, paving the way for the formation of the Porcupine Joint Venture with Placer Dome, which effectively consolidated gold assets in the Timmins Gold Camp. The assets are now owned and successfully operated by Goldcorp.

Ms. Litchen is an experienced partner with a decade-long tenure at Cassels Brock & Blackwell LLP, specializing in securities law, corporate finance, and M&A. Jamie is adept at managing complex domestic and international transactions across diverse industries, including mining, cannabis, and technology. She holds a JD from Osgoode Hall Law School and an MBA from Schulich School of Business.

Mr. Vizquerra is a former Director of Moneta Gold and currently serves as a Special Advisor to the Company. He is President, Chief Executive Officer, and a Director of O3 Mining. Prior to his appointment at O3 Mining, Mr. Vizquerra was Executive Vice President of Strategic Development for Osisko Mining Inc. Mr. Vizquerra joined Osisko Mining Inc. from Oban Mining Corporation, where, as President and Chief Executive Officer, he played a leading role in the combination of Oban Mining Corporation, Corona Gold Corporation, Eagle Hill Exploration Corporation, and Ryan Gold Corporation to form Osisko Mining Inc. Mr. Vizquerra currently serves as a Director of Osisko Mining Inc. and Silver Mountain Resources Inc., and as an advisor to the boards of Discovery Metals Corporation and Palamina Resources. Mr. Vizquerra is an alumnus of the General Management Program and the Advanced Finance Program, at the Wharton School of Business. He holds an MSc in Mineral Exploration from Queens University and a BSc in Civil Engineering from UPC Universidad Peruana de Ciencias Aplicadas.

The Company has appointed Mr. Gagne to the role of Vice President, Projects & Technical Services. James brings 15 years of progressive experience in mine operations, engineering, and consulting. Previously, Mr. Gagne was with Kirkland Lake Gold as the Mine Superintendent of the Macassa Mine and was then promoted to the role of Manager of Mining. As the Manager, James was responsible for the totality of site operations comprised of 3 shafts, a paste plant, and a processing facility. He was also involved with the execution of various major projects such as the new #4 Shaft, the commencement of the Near Surface Portal deposit, and the new overall mine ventilation upgrade within the complex. At Lake Share Gold (subsequently acquired by Tahoe Resources then Pan American Silver), James was involved with the construction, ramp-up and operation of the Bell Creek and Timmins West Mines in the Timmins Mining Camp. He held various roles in engineering and operations, ultimately becoming the Senior Production Engineer. Prior to joining STLLR, James was the General Manager at Black Rock Engineering within the IONIC Technology Group, a firm that specialized in providing engineering services to mining and heavy industries across North America. Mr. Gagne received his Bachelor of Engineering at Laurentian University, his MBA at the Lazaridis School of Business & Economics at Wilfrid Laurier University and is a Professional Engineer in Ontario.