enCore Energy Replaces CEO, Returns Founder to Executive Chair in Bid to Accelerate Permitting & Cut Costs

• enCore Energy's independent board members unanimously voted to appoint Richard Little as Chief Executive Officer, replacing Robert Willette, effective 20 April 2026; Little simultaneously joins the board.
• Founder William Sheriff returns as Executive Chair at the board's request, effective immediately, reuniting the company's founding vision with a new operational focus.
• Little brings more than 30 years of resource industry and public company experience, including engineering the $1.24 billion sale of Ajax Resources' Northern Midland Basin assets to Diamondback Energy.
• The board has outlined a five-point corporate renewal programme centred on shareholder communications, cost management, permitting timelines, asset development, and accretive mergers and acquisitions.
• Permitting acceleration at Dewey Burdock (South Dakota) and expansion of Alta Mesa East (South Texas) are identified as the primary near-term operational priorities.‍

enCore Energy Corp. (NASDAQ: EU) (TSXV: EU) announced on 20 April 2026 that its independent board members have unanimously voted to appoint Richard H. Little as Chief Executive Officer, replacing Robert Willette effective immediately. Little will also serve as a director of the company. Simultaneously, enCore founder and former Executive Chair William M. Sheriff has agreed to return to the role of Executive Chair at the board's request.

The leadership change accompanies a formal five-point corporate renewal programme. The board has committed to more comprehensive shareholder communications - including disclosure of technical information, project developments, and strategic objectives - alongside an immediate focus on cost management, accelerated permitting, aggressive development of the company's premier long-life assets, and a renewed commitment to accretive mergers and acquisitions.

Mark Pelizza, enCore's Lead Independent Director, framed the appointments as complementary: "With William Sheriff's proven vision and guidance, combined with Richard Little's strong track record as a seasoned operator who focuses on execution and operational rigor, enCore will be better positioned to deliver a more disciplined approach to maximising shareholder returns. As Directors, we are committed not only to focusing on our oversight of operations but also on providing shareholders with timely disclosure. We renew our commitment to transparency and superior shareholder communications as our new management works towards the realisation of exceptional potential at Dewey Burdock and Alta Mesa East."

Richard Little - Background & Mandate

Little brings more than three decades of resource industry and public company experience, with a career focused on production enhancement, operational efficiency, and asset transactions. He previously served as Chief Executive Officer of Fury Resources, Inc., established to evaluate acquisitions. Before that, as Chief Executive Officer of Ajax Resources, he engineered the sale of substantially all of its Northern Midland Basin assets to Diamondback Energy for total consideration of $1.24 billion. He subsequently led Halcon Resources through a pre-packaged bankruptcy process, clearing the company of more than $750 million in debt, before reorganising the business and relisting it on the NYSE in February 2020 as Battalion Oil, where he served for three years.

Little outlined his immediate priorities upon appointment:

"After assessing enCore's current operations and comparing them to my own experience, I believe I can add value by cutting costs and driving efficiencies with the goal of becoming a more profitable and successful organisation. The asset base is excellent, but there is room to be more efficient while focusing on all aspects of the business; from exploration and drilling through delivering product to our valued customers. I see a strong growth profile that can be accelerated in the current environment. Disciplined execution, focus on the vision, strengthening operational performance and creating value for shareholders will be my priorities."

Little also addressed the permitting environment directly:

"The domestic uranium industry continues to experience permitting delays, and enCore is no exception. Timely permitting is critical to achieving production goals and the CEO needs to be personally involved in the permitting effort, helping regulators to expedite our requirements after years of relatively low industry activity levels. Many of these challenges will be resolved in the coming months through the persistent/accelerated efforts of the government agencies in concert with enCore's dedicated staff."

Sheriff's Return

William Sheriff, who founded enCore Energy, described Little's appointment as well-suited to the operational challenges ahead:

"I am honoured to return to the position of Executive Chair in conjunction with this transition in corporate leadership. Rich brings the hands-on operating experience with public companies that enCore needs to lead in the domestic uranium sector. His background in the natural gas industry is exactly what enCore needs to carry us through the challenges of permitting, lowering costs across the board, increasing operational efficiencies and aggressively developing the Company's premier assets - Alta Mesa East and Dewey Burdock."

The company thanked outgoing Chief Executive Officer Robert Willette for his service.

Next Steps

enCore Energy has identified several near-term milestones and priorities arising from the leadership transition. The company will host a corporate update conference call on 23 April 2026 at 11 AM ET, at which new management is expected to provide further detail on the renewal programme. On the operational side, the board has identified accelerated permitting at Dewey Burdock in South Dakota and expansion development at Alta Mesa East in South Texas as the primary catalysts for shareholder value creation. The new Chief Executive Officer has stated his intention to be personally involved in the permitting process. The board has also signalled that accretive mergers and acquisitions will form part of the company's forward strategy, though no specific transactions have been announced.

About enCore Energy Corp.

enCore Energy Corp. (NASDAQ: EU) (TSXV: EU), America's Clean Energy Company, is committed to providing clean, reliable, and affordable uranium fuel for domestic nuclear energy. The enCore team is led by industry experts with extensive knowledge and experience in In-Situ Recovery (ISR) operations and the nuclear fuel cycle. Building on demonstrated production success in South Texas, the company's planned project pipeline includes the expansion of Alta Mesa to include the Alta Mesa East property, the Dewey Burdock Project in South Dakota, and the Gas Hills Project in Wyoming. enCore is committed to working with local communities and indigenous governments to create positive impact from its corporate projects.

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