Restrepo, who joined the company in August 2015, will leave the Toronto-based company effective November 30, it said in a statement.

In announcing the departure, Continental Gold CEO Ari Sussman praised Restrepo’s leadership and contributions to the organization during his three-year tenure.

READ MORE: Continental Gold Announces Test Drilling Results from Buriticá Mine

“Mateo’s leadership in working with the Colombian and Antioquia governments to help shape the company’s ‘modern mining’ platform will forever be engraved in our history,” said Sussman. “On behalf of the board of directors and the company, I would like to personally thank Mateo for his hard work and dedication during his tenure and wish him well.”

Restrepo brings experience in mining, infrastructure, banking and government relations to Continental Gold. Most recently, he was Vice President of Corporate Affairs at Glencore subsidiary Prodeco Group, Colombia’s third largest thermal coal producer, where he was responsible for managing the company’s relationships with the Colombian government, non-government organizations, and national and local stakeholders.. He was also Director of the Colombian Office of Grupo Salinas – Banco Azteca of Mexico, where he had a role in the process of licensing and setting up operations in Colombia.

Mr. Restrepo has held various positions with the Colombian Government. In 2009-2010, he was the Senior Counselor to the President of Colombia on Economic Recovery, where he helped form and implement a strategic action plan totaling US$34 billion in infrastructure investments aimed at mitigating the effects of the 2008 global recession on the Colombian economy. From 2005-2008, he was an advisor to the Presidency of Colombia, where he served as a liaison between the Presidency and the private sector, with the objective of designing government policies that encourage private investment in Colombia. In this role, Mr. Restrepo led, among other things, the renegotiation of the Port Authorities’ contracts, the privatization of government-owned gold mining operations, and supported the recapitalization of various industries which represented a social and economic risk to local communities.

From 2008-2009, Mr. Restrepo was Managing Director of the Inter-American Development Bank’s(IDB) 50^th Annual Meeting 2009, where he represented the Government of Colombia and coordinated the meeting with over 6,000 attendees representing 48 member countries.

Born in Medellín, Colombia, Mr. Restrepo holds a Master in Public Administration from Harvard University and a Bachelor of Business Administration from Berkeley College.

“I would like to personally welcome Mateo to the Continental team,” commented Ari Sussman, President and CEO. “Mateo’s background in the Colombian mining sector combined with his business acumen and understanding of the Colombian culture and business practices will be invaluable assets to the Company. We are approaching an extremely critical juncture in the Company’s stage of development and Mateo’s appointment is a welcome addition to our management team.”

“I am thrilled to be joining Continental as it prepares to build Colombia’s largest modern underground gold mine to world-class environmental and social standards,” commented Restrepo. “I am excited about the opportunities the Buriticá Project brings to local communities, my home department of Antioquia and Colombia’s mining industry, and I look forward to contributing to its long-term success.”

Above photograph of the Higrabra Valley Tunnel provided courtesy of Continental Gold