Published: March 13, 2026 |

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Ernest Mast
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PPX Mining has appointed Ernest Mast as president and chief executive officer. John Thomas, who has served as interim chief executive officer of PPX since the third quarter of 2022, will transition into the role of chief operating officer. Thomas will continue in this position through the completion and commissioning of the company’s Callanquitas processing plant.

Thomas has played a critical leadership role during a pivotal phase of PPX’s development, providing steady executive oversight, operational discipline, and hands-on leadership in Peru. His deep understanding of the company’s assets, construction strategy, and operating partners has been instrumental in advancing plant development and maintaining operational momentum.

“On behalf of the board, I would like to sincerely thank John Thomas for his exceptional leadership and commitment during his tenure as interim chief executive officer. John guided PPX through a critical period of transition, reinforced operational discipline, and played a central role in advancing plant construction and positioning the company for production. We are grateful for his continued leadership, now as chief operating officer, where his deep operational expertise and execution focus will remain invaluable,” said Brian Imrie, executive chairman of PPX.

“We are also delighted to welcome Ernest Mast as president and chief executive officer. Mast brings a combination of operational excellence, capital markets experience, and international leadership that is ideally suited to PPX at this stage of its evolution. With Glencore now as a strategic shareholder and construction well advanced, Mast’s leadership will be instrumental as we advance toward commissioning and commercial production,” added Imrie.

Ernest Mast is a senior mining executive with more than 35 years of experience throughout the Americas, with extensive expertise in precious, base, and critical metals. He has previously served as president and chief executive officer and managing director of Cygnus Metals, Doré Copper Mining, Primero Mining, and Minera Panama, a subsidiary of Inmet Mining. Mast led the successful public listing of Doré Copper Mining and its subsequent combination with Cygnus Metals, creating a dual-listed precious, base, and critical metals company. Earlier in his career, he spent more than 20 years with Noranda, Falconbridge, and Xstrata, holding operational, technical and executive roles at multiple mines and metallurgical plants across the Americas. Mast currently serves on several mining company boards, is fluent in Spanish and French, and holds Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Metallurgical Engineering from McGill University, as well as Executive MBA degrees from Henley Management School (U.K.) and the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile.

As president and chief executive officer, Mast will lead PPX into its next phase of development following Glencore’s strategic acquisition of a 9.9 percent equity interest in the company, positioning PPX for growth supported by the funding received through this transaction and the advancement of the company toward the commencement of commercial production during 2026.

PPX Mining is a Canadian-based mining company with assets in northern Peru. Igor, the company’s 100 percent owned flagship gold and silver project, is located in the prolific Northern Peru gold belt in eastern La Libertad Department.

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