Meet the Team: Mark Stockton, VP of External Affairs & Sustainability, Integra Resources

In mining, the difference between success and failure often comes down to one factor: the people. Management can make or break any project, regardless of the underlying geology. For investors, evaluating management isn't just part of due diligence - it's the foundation of it. This profile examines Mark Stockton's background and role at Integra Resources through the lens of why leadership capabilities determine mining investment outcomes.

Company Tenure & Operational Foundation

Mark Stockton brings a unique perspective to Integra Resources, having witnessed and contributed to the company's evolution over 13 years. He began in a junior role when Integra was "a really junior company" with a $10 million market cap, few employees, and only a 100,000-ounce resource with limited drill targets.

His early experience included hands-on operational roles in exploration, managing core shacks with up to 10 drill rigs processing hundreds of thousands of meters annually. This ground-level experience in Val d'Or, Quebec provided direct exposure to the technical aspects of mining exploration while also offering unique access to senior leadership discussions.

"I lived in the staff house that had our VP Exploration in there, the COO and then our Chairman and President and CEO, Steve and George, when they would come through. And I got to see around the dinner table the brainstorming and balancing of various opportunities and challenges," Mark recalls, describing these interactions as "very formative" to his career development.

Mark's tenure spans Integra's major milestones: the development and sale of the Lamaque mine to Eldorado Gold, the establishment of Integra II in Idaho, the addition of Millennial and Nevada North assets, and most recently, the transformative Florida Canyon acquisition. "I've never been more proud of the team that I work with," he notes about the company's current position.

Cross-Functional Experience & Innovation

Mark's career path at Integra demonstrates versatility across multiple business functions. Beyond operational roles, he gained investor relations experience by hosting site visits and later transitioning to direct IR responsibilities, including cold-calling brokers during the challenging 2015 market environment when "truly nobody wanted to talk to junior miners."

This IR experience proved foundational to his current approach.

"I think ultimately any employee's job and role, their work should be accretive and should serve the shareholders in some manner," Mark explains, emphasizing why he ensures his current team receives cross-training with investor relations.

Mark also led innovative projects that distinguished Integra in the sector, including the Gold Rush Challenge that evolved into Disrupt Mining, a crowdsourcing initiative that brought significant attention to the company. He also developed the initial Integra app, which provided building blocks for what became Verify – now a standalone company with over 100 employees leading AI exploration targeting.

"I think my work in that part of my career really taught me the value of looking at traditional challenges in the mining industry in a bit of a more innovative way," Mark reflects, noting that this approach to innovation remains active at Integra today.

Stakeholder Balance & Community Relations

Mark's approach to external affairs centers on finding solutions that serve multiple stakeholder groups simultaneously. "While you're never going to make everybody happy all the time, I really do believe that it's very often possible to find robust solutions that do serve the interests of all the parties," he explains.

His philosophy rejects binary thinking in favor of comprehensive solutions. Mark notes, referring to balancing community needs, regulatory priorities, and shareholder interests:

"Very rarely are things mutually exclusive. If you're versed well enough in the priorities and values of each of the parties at a table, often you can find a successful path for all of the parties."

Community engagement requires significant personal investment. Citing a mentor's observation that "stakeholder engagement is a contact sport" requiring in-person interaction, Mark emphasizes:

"Building trust - you can't buy it, you have to earn it. And the only way in the Great Basin to do this is by spending time with people."

This approach has yielded tangible results, including the recent relationship agreement with the Shoshone-Paiute. "If Integra's success can mean success for your community, your tribal nation or your NGO or your small business, whatever it is, then for Integra, we seek out opportunities to partner with groups where we see potential for aligned interests," Mark explains.

ESG Integration & Project Design

Mark emphasizes that effective ESG implementation requires early integration rather than retrofitting. "The key in our approach is really just about starting early," he states, noting that sustainability must be defined collaboratively rather than imposed as "some sort of corporate interpretation that comes out of left field."

His team works with communities characterized by generational thinking - ranching and tribal communities that "think about today's decisions and how they will play out for coming generations, not just immediately." This perspective aligns with Integra's goal of creating "a positive legacy, both in the community as well as in the surrounding environment."

Practical implementation involves incorporating stakeholder feedback into technical decisions. Mark explains:

"It's critical to seek opportunities to engage early with stakeholders. You then have to take that feedback back to your technical team and work together to find opportunities, inserting that feedback into whatever mine plan you're working on."

At Delamar, this approach influenced decisions regarding access roads, shift schedules, facility locations, and water interaction. Mark includes tangible examples of stakeholder input integration in his team's KPIs, recognizing that "this work has to be tangible, otherwise people see through it pretty quickly."

Policy Environment & Strategic Positioning

Mark works closely with Emily Hendrickson, who manages ground-level external affairs efforts and recently served as president of the Women's Mining Coalition. This partnership provides direct access to policy developments, with Emily currently meeting with congressional representatives regarding Integra's projects.

The current policy environment favors domestic mining development. Mark observes:

"At the moment in the US we're in a very fortunate time where everyone from the state, federal, and down to the county governments are all really singing the same tune as it comes to securing domestic sources of minerals."

Recent developments include silver's addition to the USGS draft critical minerals list, creating opportunities for Integra to align projects with federal policy initiatives. "All in all, it's a great time to be building a gold silver project in the US," Mark concludes.

However, he recognizes that expedited permitting creates both opportunities and responsibilities. "Companies for the first time in a long time are being supported in various ways to move faster through permitting," but this requires demonstrating that efficiency doesn't compromise robust processes or erode public trust.

Risk Management & Industry Positioning

Mark identifies the current policy environment as presenting both the sector's biggest risk and opportunity. While accelerated permitting timelines are welcome after historically slow processes, the industry must prove it can move efficiently without taking shortcuts that damage public trust.

"We all agree that mine permitting does need to go faster, that it does happen fairly slowly, and that ultimately doesn't really serve the public interest nor the corporate interest," Mark notes. However, companies must "show that we can move more efficiently in a way that does still follow a very robust permitting process."

This challenge represents "a really good opportunity to build trust between society and miners as we're all here at the table trying to figure out how to more quickly and responsibly mine minerals at home in America."

Leadership Philosophy & Team Building

Mark's approach focuses on serving multiple stakeholder groups while building strong internal teams.

"I think my main focus is really on serving others. So whether that's serving shareholders, serving communities, serving tribal partners, I think if you can build something that ultimately leaves people better off, it's a pretty rewarding experience."

Recent team additions, including several members from the successful Silvercrest team, have strengthened Integra's capabilities. "I think when you work with really high caliber individuals that are not only competent but competitive and they have strong character, you really have an aligned value set amongst your team," Mark explains.

This alignment ensures that responsible development isn't solely the ESG team's responsibility but "the goal of the whole company." Mark emphasizes feeling "very much fortunate to work at a company like Integra where this is very much the case."

Looking Forward

Mark's 13-year journey with Integra provides unique perspective on the company's transformation and future potential. His combination of operational experience, innovation track record, and stakeholder relationship building positions him to navigate the complex external affairs challenges facing modern mining projects.

With Integra's portfolio of Nevada-based assets and current policy support for domestic mining, Mark's approach to early stakeholder engagement and collaborative problem-solving appears well-suited to advance projects through permitting while maintaining community support. His emphasis on tangible ESG integration and long-term relationship building reflects understanding that sustainable mining success requires alignment between operational excellence and social license to operate.

For investors evaluating Integra Resources, Mark's extensive company knowledge, proven ability to innovate within traditional frameworks, and commitment to multi-stakeholder solutions represent valuable capabilities for advancing projects in today's complex regulatory and social environment.