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Appia Rare Earths & Uranium Corp. (CSE: API,OTC:APAAF) (OTCQB: APAAF) (FSE: A0I0) (MUN: A0I0) (BER: A0I0) (the "Company" or "Appia") is pleased to announce the appointment of Kurt Radtke as President of the Company, effective September 1, 2026.
Mr. Radtke is an international mining executive, operational strategist and business transformation leader with more than 20 years of senior mining and operational leadership experience spanning North America, South America, Africa, the Middle East, Asia-Pacific and Europe, building on a distinguished military career.
He brings to Appia extensive experience in mineral exploration, corporate strategy, business development, large-scale drilling operations, operational execution, logistics, procurement and supply chain management, contractor governance, organizational development, business transformation and executive leadership.
Mr. Radtke joins Appia as the Company continues to advance its portfolio of rare earth element and uranium projects, including active exploration programs in Saskatchewan and its interest in the Ultra Rare Earth projects in Goiás, Brazil.
As President, Mr. Radtke will work closely with Appia's Chief Executive Officer, Board of Directors and technical team to support the Company's corporate strategy, exploration activities, organizational development and execution of its growth objectives across its rare earth element and uranium portfolio.
Extensive International Mining and Operational Experience
Prior to joining Appia, Mr. Radtke held senior executive leadership positions across the international mining industry, including serving as Vice President - Field Operations & Logistics, Exploration and Resource Development, for Maaden, one of the world's largest integrated mining companies.
During his tenure with Maaden, Mr. Radtke held senior responsibility for the planning, coordination and execution of large-scale mineral exploration activities across the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. His responsibilities encompassed exploration field operations, drilling, logistics, contractor management, procurement, supply chain coordination and the operational infrastructure required to support complex exploration programs.
Under his leadership, drilling productivity increased, operating costs were reduced, contractor capability expanded and exploration project timelines were shortened through improvements in planning, logistics, operational governance and execution.
Throughout his career, Mr. Radtke has focused on building high-performing organizations and establishing the operating systems required to convert corporate strategy into measurable results. His broader experience includes operational excellence, health and safety, organizational design, leadership development, business development and large-scale project execution.
Strengthening Appia's Executive Leadership
Anastasios (Tom) Drivas, Chief Executive Officer and Director of Appia, commented:
"We are very pleased to welcome Kurt to Appia as President. He brings extensive international mining and operational leadership experience that will strengthen our executive team as we continue advancing the Company's rare earth and uranium portfolio.
"Kurt has spent his career leading complex exploration and drilling operations, building high-performing teams and turning strategy into execution. That combination of operational discipline and executive leadership will be particularly valuable as Appia advances its existing projects and evaluates future growth opportunities."
Mr. Radtke commented:
"I am honoured to join Appia as President and look forward to working closely with Tom, the Board and the entire Appia team.
"Appia is at an exciting stage in its development, with opportunities across its rare earth and uranium portfolio in Canada and Brazil. My focus will be on helping ensure that our corporate strategy, technical programs and operational execution remain closely aligned as we advance these assets and pursue opportunities to create sustainable long-term value for shareholders.
"Throughout my career, I have built and led teams around a simple principle: strong technical capability delivers its greatest value when it is matched by disciplined execution, clear accountability and leadership that empowers people to succeed. I look forward to bringing that philosophy to Appia as we build on the Company's strong foundation and advance its next stage of growth and development."
About Kurt Radtke
Mr. Radtke is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Vestigium LLC, operating as Vestigium Global Advisory Group, where he advises boards of directors, chief executives, investors and organizations on operational excellence, organizational performance, large-scale project execution, executive leadership, governance and corporate transformation.
He has advised and led organizations ranging from junior exploration companies to multinational mining corporations, helping leadership teams navigate periods of rapid growth, operational improvement, market expansion and organizational change.
Before entering the private sector, Mr. Radtke served a career in the United States Army, where he developed a leadership philosophy centred on accountability, disciplined execution, servant leadership and building teams capable of sustained high performance.
His executive philosophy can be summarized simply:
"Strategy creates direction. Execution creates results. Leadership determines both."
About Appia Rare Earths & Uranium Corp.
Appia is a publicly traded Canadian company in the rare earth element and uranium sectors. The Company holds a 25% interest in Ultra Rare Earth Inc. ("Ultra USA") and Ultra USA indirectly holds a 100% interest in the Ultra Hard Rock and Ultra IAC Projects, which total 42,932.24 ha. in size and are located within the state of Goiás in Brazil (see June 1, 2026 Press Release here).
The Company is also focusing on delineating high-grade critical rare earth elements and gallium on the Alces Lake property and exploring for high-grade uranium in the prolific Athabasca Basin on its Otherside, Loranger, North Wollaston, and Eastside properties. The Company holds the surface rights to exploration for 94,982.39 hectares (234,706.59 acres) in Saskatchewan. The Company also has a 100% interest in 13,008 hectares (32,143 acres), with rare earth elements and uranium deposits over five mineralized zones in the Elliot Lake Camp, Ontario.
Appia has 194.9 million common shares outstanding, 206.6 million shares fully diluted.
Cautionary note regarding forward-looking statements: This News Release contains forward-looking statements which are typically preceded by, followed by or including the words "believes", "expects", "anticipates", "estimates", "intends", "plans" or similar expressions. Forward-looking statements are not a guarantee of future performance as they involve risks, uncertainties and assumptions. We do not intend and do not assume any obligation to update these forward-looking statements and shareholders are cautioned not to put undue reliance on such statements.
Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Market Regulator (as that term is defined in the policies of the CSE) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
For more information, visit www.appiareu.com
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To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/310079
