Bunker Hill Mining Corp. appointed Bradley Barnett as permanent chief financial officer and named Mark Hayes as general counsel, filling two key executive roles as the Idaho-based company races toward commercial production by year-end.

Barnett, who had served as interim CFO since March following the resignation of Gerbrand Van Heerden, takes the helm effective immediately. He is one of three founding members of the management team that arrived in Idaho's Silver Valley in 2020 to resurrect the dormant mine.

“Brad, one of the three founding members of the new management team that arrived in the Silver Valley in 2020 to transform Bunker Hill’s future, is a proven and highly capable mining executive,” said Richard Williams, executive chairman of Bunker Hill. “As interim chief financial officer, he has demonstrated strong financial leadership, exceptional commercial acumen and the ability to build a superb performance-focused partnership with the operating team.”

Barnett played a key role in shepherding the company's finances through redevelopment and commissioning of the historic Bunker Hill mine, which sat idle for 45 years after shutting down in 1981.

Hayes joins on Aug. 10 from Nuton, Rio Tinto's copper leaching technology venture, where he served as head of legal. Before that, he held senior legal positions within Rio Tinto's copper and borates businesses across the Americas. He also worked as a public lands attorney with the U.S. Department of the Interior.

“Mark’s appointment comes at a key time for Bunker Hill as we advance towards commercial production and evolve our long-term growth strategy,” Williams said. “His combination of operational mining experience, transactional expertise and regulatory knowledge gained through leadership roles at Rio Tinto will be invaluable as we build a modern, responsible and profitable mining company.”

The company produced its first concentrate in June from the redeveloped mine in Idaho's Coeur d'Alene Mining District——the first product shipped from the site in 45 years.

Bunker Hill expects to reach commercial production by the end of 2026, defined as sustaining 90 days at more than 65% of its 1,800 tonnes-per-day throughput.

The mine's restart marks an unusual milestone: it is the first mining operation to resume commercial production within an active U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Superfund-designated cleanup site since the program's inception in 1969.

Hayes said the opportunity to guide the company through its next phase is what drew him to the role.

“Bunker Hill represents one of the most compelling mine restart stories in North America,” Hayes said. “The opportunity to help guide the company through this next phase of production and growth, while contributing to the revitalization of one of the world’s most historic mining districts, is incredibly exciting.”