Meridian Announces Appointment of Two Non-Executive Directors and Further Board Changes Following the AGM

Meridian Mining plc (LSE: MNO) (TSX: MNO,OTC:MRRDF) (FSE: N2E0) (Tradegate: N2E0) (OTCQX: MRRDF) ("Meridian" or the "Company") is pleased to announce, following the results of the recent annual general and special meeting (the "Meeting"), the appointments of Dr. Carlos Vilhena and Mr. Felipe Holzhacker Alves to the Board of Meridian as Independent Non-Executive Directors, effective immediately.

Mr. Holzhacker Alves has over 20 years' experience in the mining industry having started his career as a mining engineer, then transitioning to the business and finance sector with Rand Merchant Bank. Here, he was responsible for structuring and executing equity and debt deals for mining companies throughout Latin and North America. After spending 10 years in North America, Felipe returned to Brazil in 2009 to serve as fund manager for a family office fund dedicated to junior mining (equity and private equity investments) and in 2011 founded Frontera Minerals, a Brazil focused mining, fertilizer and energy development and investment group. Serving as its CEO since its incorporation, Frontera has created and sponsored several companies/assets, including Morro Verde, one of Brazil's largest independent fertilizer producers (from discovery to production, culminating with a sale-exit to local private equity group), Brasil Graphite and Capim Dourado). Frontera has been directly responsible for the successful discovery, development and production of several mining projects in Brazil (graphite, gold, phosphate, potash, magnesium, lithium and rare earths). Felipe is also former board member of TSX listed Trek Mining until its 3 way merger to form Equinox Gold in 2017. He served consecutive mandates on the board of ABPM (Brazilian Association of Mineral Exploration Companies) and was one of the key members in the establishment of the Brazilian Commission for Resources & Reserves (Brazil's National Mining Agency mineral resources guidelines and equivalent to NI43-101 / JORC), being its first ever President.

Dr. Vilhena has over 35 years' experience as a mining lawyer on complex legal and strategic matters across the mineral resources sector in Brazil. Until the end of 2024, he was a partner at Pinheiro Neto Advogados-one of Brazil's most respected law firms where he led the Mining and Government Relations practices for nearly 25 years. Carlos has advised major and junior mining companies, governments, industry associations, multilateral institutions, and commercial banks on all aspects of mining law. His expertise spans regulatory frameworks, permitting, M&A, land and community relations, infrastructure, indigenous rights, mineral processing, sales, tax, environmental law, energy, contracts, corporate governance, financing, litigation, legislative advocacy, risk assessment, and public policy. Carlos currently serves as a director of TriStar Gold, an advisory board member of the Brazil-Canada Chamber of Commerce in São Paulo, Secretary of the Section for Energy, Environment, Natural Resources, and Infrastructure Law (SEERIL) of the International Bar Association, Member of the International Committee of the Foundation for Natural Resources and Energy Law (formerly Rocky Mountain Mineral Law Foundation), director of RedMin (Red Latinoamericana deDerecho Minero) and chair of the Royal British Club in Lisbon. He holds an LL.M. in Natural Resources Law from the University of Dundee (CEPMLP), Scotland, and an LL.B. from the University of Brasília.

Mr Holzhacker Alves joins as a member of the Sustainability, Safety & Technical Committee and Mr Vilhena joins the Corporate Governance & Nomination Committee, effective immediately. Messrs. Holzhacker Alves and Vilhena are both considered to meet the requirements to be classified each as an independent director under the UK Corporate Governance Code and independent under NI 52-110.

Immediately following the AGM, as set out in the notice to the Meeting, Dr. Adrian McArthur, the Company's President, and Mr. John Skinner have stepped down from the Board. McArthur, a Company Director since 2020, continues his full-time role as Meridian's President and directorships of certain of the Company's Brazilian subsidiaries. Mr. Skinner, a Non-Executive Director of the Company since 2021, has accepted a voluntary role on the Company's Advisory Board.

Commenting on the new Directors, CEO, Gilbert Clark, said: "We welcome Carlos and Filipe to the Company at a time when we are changing from resource developer to future mine builder and developer. Having two proven Brazilian mining executives join our Board has greatly added to our skills sets, and importantly furthered integrating Meridian into the Brazilian mining industry.

I would like to express my gratitude to both Dr. McArthur and Mr. Skinner for their many years of contribution and guidance to the Board of Meridian."

This announcement is released in compliance with UKLR 6.4.6 and there is no further information to be disclosed under the requirements of UKLR 6.4.8.

On behalf of the Board of Directors of Meridian Mining plc

Mr. Gilbert Clark
CEO and Director

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/303306