Element79 CEO James Tworek said Kirkland was chosen as he has the skill required to not only steer the company through the initial phases of exploration and engineering, but also to see it transition beyond purely exploration. 

Kirkland noted his involvement in the ramp-up of "some of the largest mining projects in the world", including Goldstrike, Antamina, Benga mine, and Las Bambas. 

"In particular, my work at Barrick Gold, where I was responsible for resource and reserve modelling of Goldstrike during its critical growth phase, is a great fit for my new role as VP of Global Exploration and I'm eager to deploy my experience across the Element79 Gold portfolio," he said. 

With Barrick, along with being involved with the early growth of the Goldstrike complex, Kirkland navigated a joint-operating agreement with Newmont. 

At Rio, he oversaw mining aspects for the delivery of a pre-feasibility study at the La Granja copper product in northern Peru - which is a country Element79 is focusing on. He also held senior management positions at the Benga mine, Element79 noted. 

Kirkland has also held positions at MMG, Amec Foster Wheeler, and McEwen Mining. 

Element79's share price was C$0.92 (US$74) on March 30, and it had a market capitalisation of C$40.19 million.