The Team
Who We Are
Our Executive team has over 80 years in the battery industry and 120 years in the mining and material processing sectors. We are uniquely positioned to leverage our connections in the battery and mining industries to secure demand and supply partners. Our team includes successful business executives, engineers, scientists, and technicians with extensive experience in geology, mining, processing, engineering, and nickel hydroxide manufacturing. In addition, the company has assembled a team of renowned technical experts and a highly respected team of legal and accounting professionals.
Ari Virtanen
Founder & Chairman of the Board
Ari has a strong executive level background in international business management and cross sector business exposure in mining & tunneling, energy, water and environmental technology segments.
Ari has worked for over 16 years as a CEO, 15 years as an expatriate manager in Africa, Latin & North America, the UK, East-Europe and has held direct line management positions in sales & marketing, supply chain management and operations.
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He is a board professional in stock listed and private companies in the UK, Norway, Mexico, Finland, Estonia. B.Sc. Electric engineer, MBA, and a Certified Turnaround Management Consultant.
+358 ( 40) 351 8493
Craig Wilkins
CEO Battery Grade Materials Inc, Member of the Board BGM Europe Ltd.
Craig has 30 years of proven sales and executive management experience with a variety of start-ups in the financial and technology sectors. Craig currently serves as the CFO of ZAF Energy Systems leading the customer acquisition team and driving funding efforts. Craig was also the founder and President/CEO of Acceptance Capital Mortgage Corporation (ACMC), a nationwide mortgage banker with 450 employees and licensed in 30 states with annual fundings exceeding $1.2B. ACMC was sold in 2007 to Complete Financial Solutions. Prior to ACMC, Craig was a founder and principal owner in NetWireless, the largest distributor for Nextel Communications, which grew to $45M in revenue in less than 3 years before being sold to Bearcom, the largest national Motorola distributor. Craig has a BA in Finance from University of Montana and completed his graduate studies in Economics at Gonzaga University.
Thomas Gerke
Member of the Board BGM Europe Ltd.
A graduate of Carleton University, Tom has a Masters degree specializing in public sector finance and labor relations.
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Since 2007, Tom has worked for a mineral exploration company with a zinc oxide project in the Northwest Territories of Canada. Duties have included Aboriginal relations and project permitting. Further responsibilities lead to a greater understanding of the mining industry. A meeting with Mr. Craig Wilkins at the 2016 International Zinc Association meeting led to the creation of BGM in 2019, a vertically integrated supplier of critical minerals to the battery industry.
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Ron McIntyre
Chief Geologist
Ron graduated from the University of British Columbia in 1977 with a BSc in Geology, later earning registration as a P. Geo with the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of British Columbia. He has worked in western Canada for the last 43 years as a geologist and geological consultant on a wide variety of mineral exploration projects. His career included substantial experience in mine development, including: participation in the expansion plan for the Pavilion Limestone Quarry in 1986; overseeing permitting of the Sylvester Road Aggregate Quarry in 1985 and of the Cox Station Aggregate Quarry in 1986; contribution to the Pre-Feasibility study of the Aristazabal Island Limestone Project in 2000-01; and participation in the development and startup of the Trend Coal Mine in 2004-05. From 2009-2024 he was President of Devonian Metals Inc., owner of the Wrigley Project, an advanced Oxide-Zinc development in the Northwest Territories of Canada.
