On 24 April 2026, Auric Mining Limited (ASX: AWJ) announced the appointment of Mr Gareth Solly, the founding Managing Director of Black Cat Syndicate (ASX: BC8). In that announcement, Auric Mining’s Managing Director, Mark English, said of Gareth Solly: “He has a rare ‘mine-to-mill’ skillset – he knows how to find the ounces, but more importantly, he knows how to build the infrastructure and the team to produce gold bars.”
Today, 18 May 2026, Gareth Solly officially commences as the Chief Executive Officer and Executive Director of Auric Mining Limited. Managing Director Mr Mark English mentioned: “Gareth’s success at Black Cat is a blueprint for what we intend to achieve.”
On a video note for investors attached to the announcement, Mark English has mentioned, “Gareth is an outstanding individual, has excellent capacity and is known for executing on the strategy that we as a company have put together.”
Figure 1: Mr Gareth Solly, CEO and Executive Director of Auric Mining [Source: LinkedIn / Gareth Solly]
Experience and Accomplishments of Mr Gareth Solly
Extensive Gold Industry Leadership
Mr Gareth Solly brings more than two decades of experience in the Australian gold sector. His career spans exploration, mine development, operations, and corporate leadership. His appointment as Chief Executive Officer and Executive Director marks a significant addition to Auric Mining Limited’s leadership team as the Company advances its next phase of growth.
“Gareth’s success at Black Cat is a blueprint for what we intend to achieve,” said Managing Director Mr English.
Proven Track Record in Building Gold Producers
Before joining Auric, Gareth was best known as the founding Managing Director of Black Cat Syndicate, where he led the company through a period of substantial growth. Under his leadership, Black Cat evolved from a small exploration company into a substantial gold producer with multiple operating assets and a sizeable resource inventory.
Figure 2: Growth of Black Cat Syndicate in the last 5 years
Major achievements of BC8 during his tenure include:
- Transforming Black Cat from an early-stage explorer into a producing gold company
- Growing the company’s resource base to approximately 2.5 million ounces
- Overseeing the establishment of annual production at around 100,000 ounces
- Managing both technical development and capital market growth simultaneously
Operational Expertise from Discovery to Production
A major strength Gareth brings is his hands-on operational capability across the entire mining cycle. His experience extends beyond exploration success to the delivery of fully functioning mining operations, aligning closely with Auric’s current priorities.
His operational accomplishments include:
- Playing a central role in the acquisition of the Paulsens and Lakewood gold operations
- Leading refurbishment programs at both assets
- Delivering project upgrades on schedule and within budget
- Building operational teams and infrastructure to support sustained gold production
Strategic Fit for Auric’s Growth Plans
At Auric, Gareth is expected to play a frontier role in advancing the Company’s near-term production ambitions. His immediate focus will include:
- Progressing the rebuild of the Burbanks gold processing plant
- Expanding gold resources across Auric’s broader Project portfolio
- Preparing for the planned restart of mining at the Munda Project
His background in taking junior explorers through to production is particularly relevant as Auric moves to unlock value from both its Munda and Burbanks gold assets.
Leadership Transition at Auric
Gareth will work alongside Auric’s founding Managing Director, Mark English, during a formal transition period. As part of the succession plan, Gareth is expected to assume the role of Managing Director on or before 1 December 2026, while Mark will continue to serve the Company as Executive and Finance Director.
Mr English has confirmed this in the video note to investors attached to the announcement on the Company’s investors page: “We are very proud that Gareth accepted our offer to commence at Auric to ultimately become the Managing Director when I step down on 1st December this year.”
Figure 3: Mark English, Managing Director of Auric Mining Limited, addressing investors in a video update.
From the Managing Director’s Desk
On the appointment of Mr Gareth Solly, Mr English has commented,
“We are excited to appoint a proven performer with a rare mine-to-mill mindset who is fully across the WA gold industry landscape, including our own Kalgoorlie region.”
Describing Gareth Solly as a “person of outstanding calibre”, Mark English added:
“Combined with our existing strengths and achievements in the short five years since IPO listing, we see the addition of Gareth to our team as putting us in a near-unassailable position to achieve our ambition of becoming WA’s next fully integrated mining house.”
Investor’s Outlook
Auric Mining Limited (ASX: AWJ) has shown impressive share price performance over different time spans. Below are the stock market performances of Auric in different periods:
- Last Price: $0.315 [as at 1:18 pm AEST, 18th May, 2026]
- 2026 YTD performance: +14.55%
- 1 Year growth: +46.51%
- vs ASX 200 (1yr): +44.59%
Figure 4: Performance of AWJ stock on ASX in the past 52 weeks
The market capitalisation of the Company was $58.93 million on the date of announcement. Auric Mining Limited appears to be entering a potentially transformative phase. The commencement of Gareth Solly as CEO and Executive Director marked a significant milestone in its strategy to evolve into a fully integrated gold producer.
Chairman Steven Morris reinforced this sentiment, stating:
“There is no doubt that Gareth’s appointment bulks up our skill set and level of experience significantly. I doubt there is anyone who is a better fit for our short-, medium- and long-term aspirations to be recognised as a peer among the established gold producers in the Kalgoorlie region.”
The appointment of Solly has also strengthened investor confidence in Auric’s operational ambitions. His immediate focus on rebuilding the Burbanks gold plant, expanding resources across the Company’s Project portfolio, and preparing for the restart of mining at Munda signals a clear pathway toward production growth.
Disclaimer
This editorial was developed in collaboration with Auric Mining Limited, a Colitco client at the time of publishing. It is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial advice, investment recommendation, or an offer to buy or sell securities. The views expressed are based on publicly available information and market data as of 18 May 2026. Investors should conduct their own research and consult a licensed financial adviser before making any investment decisions regarding Auric Mining Limited or any other securities.
Tags: ASX, ASX AWJ, Auric Mining Limited, Gareth Solly Last modified: May 18, 2026
