Hycroft Appoints Michael Deal as Senior Vice President & Chief Operating Officer

• Michael Deal appointed Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Hycroft Mining Holding Corporation (Nasdaq: HYMC), effective August 24, 2026.
• Deal most recently served as Vice President, Operations at First Majestic Silver, where he led enterprise integration of a $1 billion acquisition and directed annual capital programmes exceeding $300 million.
• Prior senior operating and technical leadership roles include Nevada Gold Mines, OceanaGold, Romarco Minerals and Newmont Corporation across multiple large scale mining operations in North America, including management of processing operations at the Carlin Complex and Gold Quarry.
• Deal is a Registered Member and Qualified Person (QP) with the Society for Mining, Metallurgy & Exploration (SME), holding a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering from the Colorado School of Mines and a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from Arizona State University.
• Executive Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Diane Garrett said Deal's focus will be reviewing development options for the mine, with primary attention on the Brimstone and Vortex high grade silver systems.

Company Overview

Hycroft Mining Holding Corporation (Nasdaq: HYMC) is a US based gold and silver company exploring and developing the Hycroft Mine, among the world's largest precious metals deposits, located in northern Nevada, a Tier 1 mining jurisdiction. With a long history of established mining operations, Hycroft is advancing to the next phase of operations for processing more complex ore.

The Company is engaged in a robust exploration drill programme (2025 to 2026 exploration drill programme) to expand and advance two new high grade silver systems, Brimstone and Vortex, which it describes as a significant value driver for the Hycroft Mine.

Appointment

Hycroft Mining Holding Corporation announced on July 15, 2026 the appointment of Michael Deal as Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer (COO), effective August 24, 2026. Deal brings more than 20 years of operating and technical leadership experience across complex, multi-asset gold and silver operations in North America, with a track record of building, scaling and optimising operations through disciplined capital allocation and operational rigour. Most recently, he served as Vice President, Operations at First Majestic Silver, where he provided enterprise leadership across a portfolio of operating mines and development assets, served as Executive Lead for the integration of a $1 billion acquisition, and directed annual capital programmes exceeding $300 million while improving production, safety performance and operating discipline.

Career Background

Deal previously held senior operating and technical leadership roles with Nevada Gold Mines, OceanaGold, Romarco Minerals and Newmont Corporation, spanning both surface and underground mining operations and multiple stages of ore processing. During his time at Nevada Gold Mines, he managed processing operations at the Carlin Complex and at Gold Quarry, leading initiatives focused on processing performance, recovery optimisation, cost reduction and extending the life of critical processing infrastructure across one of the largest gold producing operations in the world. He also played a key leadership role in the construction, commissioning and ramp up of the Haile Gold Mine in South Carolina, transitioning the operation from development into production, and has consistently delivered improvements in safety, production, recovery and operating performance while building high performing teams.

Executive Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Hycroft, Diane Garrett, said:

"Michael's deep technical and operating experience is directly relevant to our strategy of advancing Hycroft to the next phase of operations. Michael will be instrumental in reviewing our many options for developing the mine with a primary focus on the two high-grade silver systems Brimstone and Vortex. His extensive background building and managing sulfide processing operations  including roasters and autoclaves in Nevada  and in building the systems, teams and discipline needed to run them safely and profitably at scale is exactly the caliber of operating leadership we need as we advance and prepare the Hycroft Mine for future development."

Professional Standing

Deal serves on the SME Foundation Board of Directors and has previously served on the Nevada Mining Association Board of Directors and the Nevada Mineral Processing Division Board. He is a Registered Member and Qualified Person (QP) with the Society for Mining, Metallurgy & Exploration (SME), and holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemical Engineering, with a minor in Economics, from the Colorado School of Mines, and a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from Arizona State University.

Next steps

Garrett indicated that Deal's near term mandate is to review the Company's options for developing the Hycroft Mine, with primary focus on the Brimstone and Vortex high grade silver systems. Hycroft is also engaged in a 2025 to 2026 exploration drill programme to expand and advance Brimstone and Vortex, which the Company describes as a significant value driver for the mine. Deal's appointment takes effect August 24, 2026, marking the point from which his operating mandate formally begins.

FAQs (AI-Generated)