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Meet Our Team

Tom
Fontaine

Director
Chief Executive Officer
Bio+

Thomas Fontaine, our Chief Executive Officer, serves a member of our board of directors, is an engineer and energy entrepreneur who holds board roles in both the energy and technology sectors. He is a director at Halocell Energy Pty Ltd (since August 2019), where he drives the commercialization of printed Perovskite Solar Cell technology, Chairman of Chameleon Innovations Australia (CIA) Pty Ltd (since January 2017), overseeing global product marking and authentication solutions, and a director of Homerun Resources Inc. (OTCQB: HMRFF) (since May 2025). Since 2012, he has been director of Petro Australis Energy Ltd, advising on international energy exploration, and since 2010, Founder and director of Acumen Energy Pty Ltd, developing projects in emerging markets such as Botswana and Nepal. In addition, Mr. Fontaine currently serves as a director on the boards of Rhino Energy Pty Ltd (since 2007), Intelligent Fingerprint Pty Ltd (since 2014) and Sobu Energy Pty Ltd (since 2011). Previously, Mr. Fontaine was non-executive director of Advent Energy Ltd (2019–director of GSL Rescue Group Pty Ltd (from 2018—2022), director of Lumira Energy Ltd (from 2019—2021), director of Sure Energy Resources Ltd (from 2009—2022), director of Kinetiko Energy Ltd (from 2021—2023), and director of Magnum Gas & Power Ltd (2010–2016), leading coal seam gas and hybrid energy projects in Africa and Canada. He co-founded Pure Energy Resources Limited (2006–2009), which was acquired for over A$1 billion, and Bounty Oil & Gas N.L. (2002–2006), taking both companies from inception to public listing. Earlier in his career, he was a partner at Focal Software Consulting Inc. (1997–2002). Mr. Fontaine holds a Bachelor of Science in Engineering from the University of Alberta and is recognized for his expertise in energy entrepreneurship, capital markets, and technology commercialization.

David
Wood

Director
Chief Financial Officer
Bio+

David Wood, our Chief Financial Officer and who will serve as a member of our board of directors commencing on the effective date of this prospectus, has spent more than 35 years in corporate finance, with a career spanning investment banking, management consulting, and executive leadership in both public and private companies across the energy, mining, technology, and financial sectors. Mr. Wood has acted as a fractional CFO and consultant for various clients, guiding them through complex financial processes including S-1 preparation, budgeting, and M&A modeling. From February 2023 to December 2023, Mr. Wood served as a financial consultant and fractional CFO of Focused Energy LLC. From February 2022 to December 2022, Mr. Wood served as a financial consultant and fractional CFO of FocusCFO. From February 2021 to February 2022, Mr. Wood served as a financial consultant and fractional CFO of LightJump Capital LLC and C-Suite Support, Inc. From May 2019 to February 2021, he served as Chief Executive Officer of Aloompa, LLC, and from November 2015 to August 2021, he was a non-executive director, investor, and advisor to DigiFabster Inc. From 2013 to 2015, Mr. Wood was Chief Financial Officer, Acting Chief Executive Officer, and director of Rose Group International LLC (GB: RGI). In 2011 and 2012, he served as director of Corporate Finance and Investor Relations for RusPetro plc (LSE: RPO), where he played a pivotal role in the company’s $250 million premium listing on the London Stock Exchange. From 2004 to 2010, Mr. Wood served as Chief Financial Officer and director of Amur Minerals Corporation (AIM: AMC), a nickel exploration company focused on Russia, where he managed the company’s AIM listing and multiple financings, and from 2004 to 2007, he was Finance director for Concorde Oil & Gas plc, overseeing a $40 million acquisition and related financing. From 1996 to 2002, he was a management consultant and later director at Deloitte & Touche LLP in Moscow and Almaty, where he led the Management Consulting and Corporate Finance practice and advised major oil & gas and industrial clients. He began his career as an Associate at TD Securities Inc. in New York from 1989 to 1992. Mr. Wood holds a Bachelor’s degree in Economics, cum laude, from New York University and a Master of Business Administration from the Cox School of Business at Southern Methodist University.

Keith
Byer

Independent Director
Bio+

Keith Byer is a financial and risk expert that served as Global Sr Managing Director – Risk and Reputation for Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu 2009-2023.  Earlier in hs career, he led Deloitte’s Financial Advisory Practice in the CIS.  He has nearly four decades of experience working with large multinational public and private companies

In his risk management role, he spent two decades helping member firms recover from crisis events and prevent their occurrence. He oversaw the creation of processes to identify and mitigate operating risks inherent in doing business. He consulted with C-suite executives on how to manage known risks and identify emerging risks.  He worked with boards to develop leading and lagging risk indicators and regular reporting to fulfill their risk oversight responsibilities.

During his audit career, Keith assisted his clients in obtaining private debt and equity as well as listings on the New York, London, and Hong Kong exchanges. During his Financial Advisory Career he provied buy side and sell side due diligence to large and mid-sized entities.  As a Certified Fraud Examiner, he provided forensics services to support companies facing allegations of financial statement fraud, embezzelment, Foreign Corrupt Practices Act violations, and money laundering.  

Keith’s professional career and prior board services has prepared him to be highly effective in the boardroom with significant background in corporate governacne, executive compensation, and strategy development and implementation.  Keith has served on commerical, not-for-profit, and governmental boards and advisory boards.

Keith currently serves as the Treasurer, ExCO Member, and Fiduciary Board Member of TahoeChamber, the Chamber of Commerce serving the south shore of Lake Tahoe. 

Keith has vast international expereince and lived in Moscow, Russia, Almaty, Kazakhstan, and Tashent, Uzbekistan 1995-2009.  His work with Deloitte’s local member firms took him to 98 countries and has made hime an expert in working across cultures.  He has diverse industry expertise having served Fortune 500 clients in manufacturing, brewing, oil & gas, and telecommuncations.

Keith graduated from Texas A&M University with a Bachelor of Business Administration.  He is a also a Certified Public Accountant (Retired) and member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants.  He was also a Certified Fraud Examiner and a member of the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners.

Paul
Moore

Independent Director
Bio+

Paul is a growth and delivery focussed internationally experienced, Director, CEO and leader, with an oil/gas upstream exploration, development and production track record spanning 40+ years across 12 + countries: He was employed by Todd Corporation Ltd in 2011-22 initially as CEO Todd Energy NZ, and as a director of Shell Todd Oil Services Ltd, and ASX junior-Cue Energy. From 2014-2022 he was CEO of Todd Energy International and MD/ CEO of South Louisiana Methanol, based in Austin Texas, with accountability for growth and delivery in Canadian upstream – Montney Play and US Gas to Liquids – Methanol, with Saudi partner SABIC and concurrently serving as a director of some 25 subsidiary or related companies. He was CEO then Managing Director of ASX Junior, Otto Energy 2009-11. From 2005-8 he was employed by ASX listco Woodside, ultimately serving as Executive Vice President Development, with responsibilities for Browse & Sunrise LNG, and groupwide, for green-field and brown-field developments, reservoir management, sub-sea activities and drilling & completions including Gulf of Mexico and Libya/Mauritania. From 2001-5 he was employed by ASX listco Santos, ultimately as Vice President Development Projects and Technical Services, involving delivery of multiple Operated and Non-operated offshore/onshore field development projects in Australia and Indonesia, and leadership of drilling & completions, reservoir management and facilities engineering groupwide. During 1990-2001 he worked for Fletcher Challenge Energy Ltd, holding various Field Development, and Project Management roles living in NZ and Brunei. Paul’s career started with Shell International in 1982, spending 9 years as a Petroleum Engineer in Tunisia, Spain, New Zealand, Somalia & the UK North Sea. Paul is a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. a member of the Society of Petroleum Engineers (40+ years) and a Chartered Engineer (FIMMM C Eng UK). He  holds a MBA (Strathclyde, UK), a BSc Hons in Civil Engineering (2:1) & Diploma of Engineering (Southampton, UK).

Jason
Spittlehouse

Independent Director
Bio+

Jason Spittlehouse will serve as a member of our board of directors commencing on the effective date of this prospectus. Mr. Spittlehouse is an MSc-qualified geoscientist and energy entrepreneur with over 30 years of experience in building and monetizing oil and gas ventures. He is the Founder and Managing Partner of Radian Partnership, LP, where, since August 2014, he successfully developed, and in 2017 sold, various producing interests in the Illinois Basin. He then moved into the northern area of the Williston Basin, with involvement in numerous recompletions, stimulations and new drilling, across several field areas. From August 2010 to August 2014, Mr. Spittlehouse was a founding director of VistaTex Energy, LLC, where he grew operated production across seven U.S. states, to more than 10 million cubic feet of gas equivalent per day and secured a $100 million senior debt facility before selling the company to a Scandinavian-listed acquirer. He also co-founded Neon Energy, serving as a founding director from 2005 to 2009, where he attracted a cornerstone S&P 500 investor and secured competitive offshore exploration licences in Vietnam. Earlier in his career, Mr. Spittlehouse held senior technical and operational roles at Hess Corporation, ARC Energy NL (November 1997 to December 1999), and Dragon Oil plc (December 1993 to October 1997), and founded Oil Hunters, a geoscience consultancy, in January 2000. Mr. Spittlehouse holds an MSc in Petroleum Geology from Imperial College London and a BSc (Hons) in Geology and Economics from the University of Hertfordshire.

John
Hornbrook

Special Advisor
Bio+

John Hornbrook will serve as a strategic advisor from the date of this prospectus. Dr. Hornbrook has over 35 years of international oil and gas experience with a background in reservoir engineering and reserves evaluation. He has a proven track record of field development optimization and leading large technical organizations. He is a former Executive Vice President for DeGolyer and MacNaughton where he led field development and optimization projects and built technical teams for clients worldwide. Dr. Hornbrook has extensive experience with conventional and unconventional oil and gas developments both onshore and offshore in virtually every petroleum basin in the world.

Mike
Mason

Special Advisor
Bio+

Mike Mason will serve as a strategic advisor from the date of this prospectus. Mr. Mason has 35 years of international oil and gas experience covering projects in Alaska, Colombia, Egypt, Russia, United Kingdom and the Gulf of Mexico. He has a proven track record of successfully leading large technical and operational organizations. He is a former regional operations manager for APA Corp (Nasdaq: APA) in Egypt, a former engineering vice president and the director of petroleum engineering in BP p.l.c.’s (NYSE: BP) upstream technology group.

Gregor
Mawhinney

Special Advisor
Bio+

Gregor Mawhinney will serve as a strategic advisor from the date of this prospectus. Mr. Mawhinney has over 40 years of experience with a reservoir engineering background. During his extensive career with international oil and gas operators he has led operations of various sizes and complexity, both onshore and offshore, as well as conventional and non-conventional projects. He has worked as a Field Manager of the Buzzard Field in the North Sea for Nexen Inc., as an Operations Manager with Encana Corp. in Ecuador and as the Country Manager with Nexen Inc. in Yemen.

David
Whitby

Special Advisor
Bio+

David Whitby will serve as a strategic advisor from the date of this prospectus. Mr. Whitby is a senior executive with a reputation for building companies, creating value and driving performance improvements in the oil and gas industry. His career has been focused on monetizing gas reserves in Indonesia. Mr. Whitby was previously the Managing Director of Nido Petroleum Ltd. (ASX: NDO), where he helped grow the company from a market capitalization of A$1m to A$600m, transitioning the company from a pure explorer to producer in less than 4 years