Gunnison Copper (TSX:GCU) has appointed Jennifer Hays as CFO, effective 12 October, bringing US defence-sector and government-contracting experience to its executive team.
Hays joins as the company advances its flagship Gunnison Copper Project in Arizona, US, and seeks to strengthen its role in domestic critical minerals supply chains. Interim CFO Fabio Rocha will become senior director for accounting and reporting.
Most recently, Hays was CFO of PacSci EMC, a defence and space business within Ralliant (NYSE:RAL). Gunnison says she helped the business secure a US$27 million ($38.45 million) Defense Industrial Base Consortium (DIBC) award to expand production capacity.
The DIBC connects government, industry, and academia to strengthen US defence manufacturing and supply chains.
During her tenure, PacSci EMC’s booked order backlog increased to US$1 billion. Her work also covered strategic sourcing and investment in advanced manufacturing.
Before that, Hays spent approximately 17 years at Intel (NASDAQ:INTC), holding senior finance roles across government contracting, manufacturing, global supply chains, and acquisitions and divestitures. Her responsibilities included planning billions of dollars in capital and operating expenditure.
Gunnison CEO Craig Hallworth says her background will support the company’s development plans.
“Her experience securing government-supported investment, working within strategically important US supply chains and managing capital-intensive businesses will be highly valuable as we advance the Gunnison Project,” Hallworth says.
“I am excited to join Gunnison at such an important stage in the company’s development,” Hays says.
The appointment follows Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs’s recent recognition of Gunnison for creating 81 qualifying jobs at its Johnson Camp Mine in 2025, as the company expands its copper operations in the state.
Gunnison Copper is a copper producer and developer controlling 12 known deposits in the Cochise Mining District, Arizona.
Write to France Pinzon at Mining.com.au
Main image: Gunnison Copper
