Aberdeen Appoints Seasoned Mining Executive Dev Shetty as Executive Chairman and New CEO and Other Corporate Updates
December 05 2024 - 7:00AM
ABERDEEN INTERNATIONAL INC. (“Aberdeen” or the
“Company”) (TSX: AAB F:A8H, OTC:AABVF) is pleased
to announce the appointment of Dev Shetty as Chief Executive
Officer of the Company and as Executive Chairman of the Company's
board of directors (the “
Board”), effective
immediately. Mr. Shetty's appointment follows Mr. Fred Leigh's
resignation as Chief Executive Officer of the Company, though Mr.
Leigh will remain on the Board.
The appointment of Mr. Shetty is part of the
Board’s strategy to revamp the Company's investment strategy and to
establish a new investment platform focused on identifying and
acquiring assets in energy transition metals, precious metals, base
metals, and gemstones. As part of this new strategy, Mr. Shetty
intends to onboard an executive team with extensive experience
acquiring and managing mining assets.
Mr. Shetty is a chartered accountant and has
extensive experience in private equity, mining, and corporate
turnarounds. His expertise includes direct hands-on management of
all phases of diverse mining projects and he has a particular
expertise in acquiring, and transforming and monetizing mining
projects into valuable assets.
In private equity, Mr. Shetty has successfully
acquired and revitalized key mining assets, including a manganese
and platinum mine in South Africa and an iron ore mine in
Australia. As founder and former CEO of Fura Gems Inc. (previously
listed on the TSXV Venture Exchange), (“Fura
Gems”) he transformed the Fura Gems into the only company
with all three major colour gemstones in its portfolio and turned
mines in Colombia, Mozambique, and Australia into
revenue-generating operations. He is credited with the turnaround
of Gemfields Group Limited, where he was instrumental in developing
the world's largest emerald mine in Zambia and the world’s largest
ruby deposit in Mozambique. Mr. Shetty joined the Board of Prospect
Resources Ltd (“Prospect”) in 2020 and
collaborated with the management and board to create a new strategy
for the company. In 2022, Prospect announced the sale of its
Arcadia Lithium in Zimbabwe at a total valuation of AUD528 million
and a 1,500% share price appreciation over 6 years for Prospect
shareholders.
Mr. Shetty commented on his appointment: "I am
excited about this appointment, and with my team of mining talent,
we look forward to building Aberdeen into a significant force in
the mining sector. We are currently evaluating some exciting
opportunities where attractive valuations are available, given
where the resource sector is positioned. With the talent pool we
are building, we will support portfolio companies with the
operating talents required to create value for the Company. I want
to thank the Board of Aberdeen and Mr. Leigh for this
appointment."
Shares for Debt Settlement
The Company is also pleased to announce that the
Company has entered into shares for debt settlement agreements with
a service provider of the Company to settle an aggregate amount of
approximately C$678,000 of accrued debt obligations and accrued
fees owing to such service provider of the Company (the
"Debt") by issuing common shares of the Company
(the "Debt Shares") at a price of C$0.05 per Debt
Share for a total of 13,560,000 Debt Shares (the "Debt
Settlement").
The Company believes that the Debt Settlement
will strengthen its balance sheet by reducing its liabilities as
well as further align the interests of its creditors with the
shareholders of the Company. The Debt Settlement is subject to the
acceptance of the Toronto Stock Exchange.
ABOUT ABERDEEN INTERNATIONAL INC.
Aberdeen is a global resource investment company
and merchant bank focused on small capitalization companies in the
rare metals and renewable energy sectors.
For additional information, please visit our
website at www.aberdeen.green
For further information, please contact:
Dev ShettyExecutive Chairman and Chief Executive
Officer Aberdeen International Inc. Dev.Shetty@aberdeen.green
This press release contains "forward-looking
information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities
legislation. Forward-looking information includes, without
limitation, statements regarding the investment portfolio of the
Company; the appointment of directors and officers; the Debt
Settlement and the Company’s future plans. Forward-looking
information is subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties
and other factors that may cause the actual results, level of
activity, performance or achievements of the Company to be
materially different from those expressed or implied by such
forward-looking information, including risks inherent in the mining
industry and risks described in the public disclosure of the
Company which is available under the profile of the Company on
SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca and on the Company's website at
www.aberdeen.green. Although the Company has attempted to identify
important factors that could cause actual results to differ
materially from those contained in forward-looking information,
there may be other factors that cause results not to be as
anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that
such information will prove to be accurate, as actual results and
future events could differ materially from those anticipated in
such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue
reliance on forward-looking information. The Company does not
undertake to update any forward-looking information, except in
accordance with applicable securities laws.
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