Eliseo Gonzalez-Urien
About Eliseo Gonzalez-Urien
Independent director with over 30 years in mining exploration; age 84 as of Nov 1, 2025, director at Paramount Gold Nevada Corp. (PZG) since February 2015. Geology degree from University of Santiago (Chile) and postgraduate studies in geology at University of California, Berkeley; former Senior Vice President at Placer Dome Inc. and President of Placer Dome Exploration Inc. .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Placer Dome Inc. | Senior Vice President (parent); President, Placer Dome Exploration Inc. | 1989–2001 | Led worldwide exploration activities |
| BHP-Utah Inc. | Senior positions | Not disclosed | Exploration leadership roles |
| Noranda | Senior positions | Not disclosed | Exploration leadership roles |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seabridge Gold Inc. | Director | Since Jan 2006 | Also consulting geologist since Mar 2003 |
Board Governance
- Independence: Board determined Gonzalez-Urien is independent under NYSE American rules; Reynolds designated “financial expert” on Audit Committee .
- Tenure & Attendance: PZG Board met 5 times in FY2025; each director attended ≥75% of board and committee meetings. FY2024 board met 11 times; each director attended ≥75% .
- Committee memberships (FY2025): Compensation Committee (member), Corporate Governance & Nominating Committee (member), Technical Committee (member); not a chair on any committee .
| Committee | Chair | Eliseo Membership |
|---|---|---|
| Compensation | Rudi Fronk | Member |
| Corporate Governance & Nominating | John Carden | Member |
| Audit | Christopher Reynolds | Not a member |
| Independent | John Carden | Not a member |
| Technical | Pierre Pelletier | Member |
| Search | Rudi Fronk | Not a member |
Fixed Compensation
| Metric | FY 2024 | FY 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| Annual Director Cash Retainer ($) | $20,000 | $20,000 |
| Committee Chair Fees ($) | $0 (not a chair; chair fees $5,000 Technical/CG&N, $7,000 Audit) | $0 (not a chair; same fee schedule) |
| Board Chair Retainer ($) | — (not applicable) | — (not applicable) |
Performance Compensation
| Award Type | FY 2024 | FY 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| Stock Awards (shares granted) | 60,000 (non-chair directors; 1/3 immediate, 1/3 after 1 year, 1/3 after 2 years) | 75,000 (non-chair directors; immediate vest) |
| Stock Awards (fair value, reported) | — | $26,550 (Eliseo) |
| Options (exercisable) | 26,666 @ $1.12 strike; expiry 12/17/25 | 16,666 @ $1.12 strike; expiry 12/17/25 |
| Options (unexercisable) | — | 8,334 @ $1.12 strike; expiry 12/17/25 |
| RSUs outstanding | 40,000 (director RSUs outstanding as of Oct 17, 2024; vest Jan 26, 2025 and Jan 26, 2026) | 20,000 (vest Jan 26, 2026) |
Detailed vesting metrics and triggers:
- Director RSUs: time-based vesting (FY2024 grants: staged 1/3 immediately, 1/3 after one year, 1/3 after two years) ; FY2025 grants vested immediately .
- Director options: vesting/exercisability linked to regulatory milestone (final permits for Grassy Mountain) .
- Equity plan governance: No option repricing permitted without shareholder approval; 5-year option term limit; exercise price ≥ fair market value .
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Entity | Relationship | Potential Interlock/Ownership |
|---|---|---|
| Seabridge Gold Inc. | Eliseo: Director; Consultant; PZG directors Rudi Fronk (Seabridge Chairman/CEO) and Christopher Reynolds (Seabridge CFO) also on PZG board | Seabridge holds 3,638,413 PZG shares (4.7% as of Oct 16, 2025) |
| FCMI Parent Co. | Significant PZG shareholder | 9,692,310 PZG shares (12.4% as of Oct 16, 2025) |
Expertise & Qualifications
- Exploration geologist with global leadership: led Placer Dome’s worldwide exploration; senior roles at BHP-Utah and Noranda .
- Education: Geology (University of Santiago, Chile); postgraduate geology studies (UC Berkeley) .
- Board capability: Long-standing director at Seabridge Gold; consulting geologist with deep technical expertise in gold exploration .
Equity Ownership
| Metric | As of Oct 17, 2024 | As of Oct 16, 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| Shares held (direct/indirect) | 53,000 | 148,000 |
| Options exercisable | 26,666 | 16,666 |
| Options unexercisable | — | 8,334 |
| RSUs outstanding | 40,000 | 20,000 |
| Ownership % of outstanding | <0.5% (starred) | <0.5% (starred) |
- No disclosure of shares pledged or hedging in proxy; company notes compliance with related-party transaction approvals via Audit Committee; directors recuse from deliberations when interested .
Insider Trades
| Transaction Date | Filing Date | Type | Securities Transacted | Security | Price | Post-Transaction Ownership | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023-02-24 | 2023-02-28 | A-Award | 15,000 | Common Stock | $0.30 | 33,000 | |
| 2024-01-26 | 2024-01-31 | A-Award | 60,000 | RSU | $0 | 60,000 | |
| 2024-02-15 | 2024-02-15 | M-Exempt (Award→Common) | 20,000 | Common Stock | $0 | 53,000 | |
| 2024-02-15 | 2024-02-15 | M-Exempt (Disposition) | 20,000 | RSU | $0 | 40,000 | |
| 2025-02-03 | 2025-02-05 | M-Exempt (Award→Common) | 20,000 | Common Stock | $0 | 73,000 | |
| 2025-02-03 | 2025-02-05 | M-Exempt (Disposition) | 20,000 | RSU | $0 | 20,000 | |
| 2025-03-17 | 2025-03-19 | M-Exempt (Award→Common) | 75,000 | Common Stock | $0 | 148,000 |
Governance Assessment
- Board effectiveness: Gonzalez-Urien contributes deep technical oversight via the Technical Committee and participates in Compensation and Corporate Governance, with consistent attendance (≥75%) in FY2024 and FY2025, supporting engagement .
- Alignment and incentives: Director pay remains modest in cash ($20k), supplemented by equity; 2025 immediate vest stock awards (75k shares; $26,550 fair value) reduce performance linkage compared to 2024 staged vesting, marginally lowering “at-risk” duration .
- Independence vs interlocks: While formally independent, multiple Seabridge interlocks (director and consultant roles at Seabridge; other PZG directors serving as Seabridge CEO and CFO; Seabridge as a PZG shareholder) present potential perception risks around related-party influence and information flow; Audit Committee oversees related-party approvals and director recusals .
- Equity plan governance: Prohibits option repricing without shareholder approval; options limited to 5-year terms; exercise prices at or above fair market value—positive governance signals .
RED FLAGS
- Interlocks with Seabridge Gold (director and consultant roles; Seabridge ownership; other PZG directors are Seabridge executives) may create perceived conflicts; monitor any transactions or financings involving Seabridge or significant shareholders through the Independent Committee and Audit Committee disclosures .
- Shift to immediate vest director stock awards in 2025 reduces time-based alignment compared to prior staged vesting .