# Paul De Ponte

Gonneville Project Director

## Career chronology

- **Joined 20 July 2026: Chalice Mining Limited** — Gonneville Project Director. [Annual Report 2026](<https://financialfilings.com/filings/chalice-mining-limited/annual-report/2026/64141598/>) (Our Leadership, p. 7); [Paul De Ponte appointment announcement (issuer post)](<https://www.linkedin.com/posts/paul-de-ponte-45aa065_i-am-pleased-to-share-that-later-this-month-activity-7477943563394387969-3Bem>) (Chalice appointment post, lines 27–30)

- **Before July 2026; exact dates not disclosed: Rio Tinto** — Senior operational and project leadership roles; General Manager Cape Lambert Port and Operational Readiness and Approvals. [Annual Report 2026](<https://financialfilings.com/filings/chalice-mining-limited/annual-report/2026/64141598/>) (Our Leadership, p. 7); [Paul De Ponte appointment announcement (issuer post)](<https://www.linkedin.com/posts/paul-de-ponte-45aa065_i-am-pleased-to-share-that-later-this-month-activity-7477943563394387969-3Bem>) (Chalice appointment post, lines 27–30)

- **Dates and positions not specified in Chalice annual report: CleanTeQ (now Sunrise Metals)** — Executive leadership roles. [Annual Report 2026](<https://financialfilings.com/filings/chalice-mining-limited/annual-report/2026/64141598/>) (Our Leadership, p. 7)

## Education and qualifications

### Chemical engineering and MBA qualifications [paul_de_ponte_education]

As reported in 2026 · issuer reported · low materiality

Chalice reports an MBA and Bachelor of Engineering (Chemical) with Honours. Independent credential verification was not completed.

**Attribution:** Responsibility not applicable. No personal responsibility question applies.

**Relevance:** Relevant technical and business preparation for a large project-director role.

[Annual Report 2026](<https://financialfilings.com/filings/chalice-mining-limited/annual-report/2026/64141598/>) (Our Leadership, p. 7)

## Suitability for the current role

### Major-project and operational-readiness experience [paul_de_ponte_fit]

Before 2026; Chalice appointment 20 July 2026 · analyst inference · medium materiality

Chalice reports more than 25 years in mining and heavy industry and prior leadership roles at Rio Tinto and CleanTeQ, including Cape Lambert Port and operational readiness/approvals. In its 2026 appointment announcement, Chalice says he led operational readiness and ramp-up of the A$2.5bn Cape Lambert Port Expansion, delivered ahead of schedule and under budget. This is an issuer-reported prior-project result, not independently benchmarked.

**Attribution:** Individual involvement documented. The appointment issuer explicitly attributes the Cape Lambert leadership and result to De Ponte; exact employment dates and independent project verification are absent.

**Relevance:** Relevant experience for a project director overseeing feasibility, engineering, execution planning and operational readiness; too early to assess Gonneville delivery.

[Annual Report 2026](<https://financialfilings.com/filings/chalice-mining-limited/annual-report/2026/64141598/>) (Our Leadership, p. 7); [Paul De Ponte appointment announcement (issuer post)](<https://www.linkedin.com/posts/paul-de-ponte-45aa065_i-am-pleased-to-share-that-later-this-month-activity-7477943563394387969-3Bem>) (Chalice appointment post, lines 27–30)

## Evidence gaps

- Exact dates, outcomes and individual responsibilities across Rio Tinto and CleanTeQ roles remain incomplete.

- Project Director tenure is recent at cutoff, with no Gonneville delivery outcome yet attributable to him.

- Education and professional standing were not independently verified.

- Person-specific court, regulator, safety, environmental and governance-register checks were not exhaustive.