Peter Oliver
About Peter Oliver
Independent director of NioCorp Developments Ltd. (NB), age 61, serving since May 25, 2022. Background in chemistry with three decades in lithium mining, including CEO/Managing Director of Talison Lithium and corporate adviser to Tianqi Lithium; currently on the board of Latin Resources (ASX) .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Talison Lithium Limited | General Manager; COO; CEO/Managing Director | 2004–2013 (operating roles culminating in CEO/MD); Director until June 2021 | Led TSX listing (Sep 2010); guided 2013 acquisition by Tianqi; advised on sale of 49% of Talison to Albemarle; expansions at Greenbushes |
| Tianqi Lithium Corporation | Corporate Adviser | Post-2013 | M&A and global expansion; advised on Talison transactions and SQM stake acquisition |
| Tianqi Lithium Energy Australia Pty Ltd (TLEA) | Founding member | Established prior to 2021 | Established lithium hydroxide manufacturing facility in Western Australia |
| Sons of Gwalia | Site role at Greenbushes | 2003–2004 | Transitioned to Talison after administration |
External Roles
| Organization | Exchange | Role | Start Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Latin Resources | ASX | Director | September 2022 |
Board Governance
- Independence: The Board classifies Peter Oliver as an independent director under Nasdaq 5605(a)(2) and NI 52-110 .
- Committees: Chair, Safety and Sustainability Committee; Member, Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee .
- Attendance FY2024: 100% for Board and all assigned committees; Board held 6 meetings .
- Lead Independent Director: Michael J. Morris; Board majority independent; Majority Voting Policy in place since March 17, 2023 .
- Say-on-Pay (Mar 20, 2025): For 11,736,548; Against 1,232,640; Withheld 368,071; Broker non-votes 7,067,730 .
| Meeting Type | Total Meetings | Peter Oliver Attendance |
|---|---|---|
| Board | 6 | 6 |
| Safety & Sustainability | 1 | 1 |
| Nominating & Corporate Governance | 1 | 1 |
Fixed Compensation
| Component (FY2024) | Amount (USD) |
|---|---|
| Annual retainer (cash) | $0 |
| Committee membership fees | $0 |
| Committee chair fees | $0 |
| Meeting fees | $0 |
| Option awards (grant date fair value) | $85,500 |
- Directors received no cash fees in FY2024; compensation consisted of fully-vested option grants at grant date .
Performance Compensation
| Grant Date | Instrument | Number of Options | Strike Price | Vesting | Expiration |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 15, 2024 | Stock options | 50,000 | $2.99 | Fully vested at grant | Feb 15, 2029 |
| Dec 23, 2024 | Stock options | 50,000 | $1.40 | Fully vested at grant | Dec 23, 2029 |
| Mar 27, 2023 | Stock options | 40,000 | $6.95 | Fully vested at grant | Mar 27, 2026 |
| May 30, 2022 | Stock options | 50,000 | C$11.00 | Fully vested at grant | May 30, 2025 |
- Design: Director equity awards (options) are fully vested at grant, discretionary, and not tied to formulaic performance metrics; the Compensation Committee uses subjective assessments and market data (Insperity; Bedford) and found no conflicts with consultants .
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Company | Exchange | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Latin Resources | ASX | Director | Appointed Sep 2022 |
- No related-party transactions disclosed involving Peter Oliver; related-person transactions primarily involve CEO Mark A. Smith and directors associated with GXII (Maselli, Kehler) .
Expertise & Qualifications
- Domain expertise: Lithium mining operations, project development, and downstream hydroxide processing; led Talison’s public listing and major strategic transactions .
- Committee fit: Chairs Safety & Sustainability; experience aligns with environmental, safety, and compliance oversight in mining .
Equity Ownership
| Holder | Form of Ownership | Amount | Vested vs. Unvested | Percent of Common Shares |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Peter Oliver | Options exercisable within 60 days | 190,000 | 100% vested | <1% (*) |
- Option breakdown and terms: see Performance Compensation table above .
- Insider policy: Prohibits hedging, short-selling, margin trading, and speculative transactions by directors and employees .
Governance Assessment
-
Strengths:
- Independent director with sector-operational depth; strong alignment with Safety & Sustainability oversight .
- Full attendance in FY2024 for Board and committees; signals engagement .
- Majority-independent Board with Lead Independent Director and Majority Voting Policy; investor-friendly safeguards .
-
Concerns / RED FLAGS:
- Compensation mix for directors relies entirely on fully-vested options at grant (no at-risk, performance-conditioned RSUs/PSUs); weaker pay-for-performance linkage and limited retention incentives for directors .
- As of Jan 30, 2025, beneficial ownership reflects only options and no disclosed common share holdings; modest “skin-in-the-game” (<1%) .
-
Other observations:
- No disclosed related-party transactions or legal proceedings involving Oliver; mitigates conflict risk .
- Company-wide policies (Insider Trading, Code of Ethics) and committee structures provide baseline governance hygiene .