FireFly appoints highly experienced resources specialist as Non-Executive Director
Leanne Heywood was most recently a senior international copper marketing executive with Rio Tinto
PERTH, Australia, Nov. 02, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- FireFly Metals Ltd (ASX/TSX: FFM) (FireFly or the Company) is pleased to announce the appointment of highly regarded resources executive and company director Leanne Heywood as an Independent Non-Executive Director.
Ms Heywood, who is a Fellow of accounting body CPA Australia, has significant experience as an international executive in the mining sector.
Most recently, she held a senior international copper marketing role with Rio Tinto Limited and, prior to that, she was Chief Financial Officer of a copper mine in the Rio Tinto portfolio.
Ms Heywood currently serves as a Non-Executive Director of Deterra Royalties Limited (ASX: DRR), Snowy Hydro Limited, Lotus Resources Limited (ASX: LOT), Advanced Energy Minerals, Denison Gas Limited and The Royal Flying Doctor Service of Australia (South Eastern Section).
She previously served as a Non-Executive Director of MAC Copper Limited before its US$1.0 billion takeover by Harmony Gold Mining Company Limited in October 2025, and served as Non-Executive Director and Chair of the Audit Committee at Arcadium Lithium plc, prior to its acquisition by Rio Tinto in March 2025.
Ms Heywood was New South Wales Business Woman of the Year in 2019 and in 2021 was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM).
She holds an MBA from the University of Melbourne, is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (GAICD) and a Fellow of CPA Australia.
FireFly Non-Executive Chairman, Kevin Tomlinson said: “We are delighted to welcome Leanne to the Board. Her wealth of experience in the copper sector and in financial management will enable her to contribute valuable insights as the Company continues to progress towards becoming a copper and gold producer.
“Importantly, Leanne’s appointment also strengthens the independence and gender diversity of the Board, and appropriately enhances the Board’s composition following a period of rapid growth and FireFly’s recent addition to the S&P/ASX 300 Index.”
FireFly Managing Director, Steve Parsons said: “Leanne will bring invaluable skills and experience to FireFly, particularly in the specialised area of copper marketing.
“With the copper-gold Mineral Resource continuing to grow at our Green Bay Project and economic studies underway, Leanne is perfectly placed to help us prepare for what will be an increasingly important aspect of our business.”
| Steve Parsons Managing Director FireFly Metals Ltd | Jessie Liu-Ernsting Chief Development Officer FireFly Metals Ltd | Media Paul Armstrong Read Corporate |
ABOUT FIREFLY METALS
FireFly Metals Ltd (ASX, TSX: FFM) is an emerging copper-gold company focused on advancing the high-grade Green Bay Copper-Gold Project in Newfoundland, Canada. The Green Bay Copper-Gold Project currently hosts a Mineral Resource prepared and disclosed in accordance with the 2012 Edition of the Australasian Code for Reporting of Exploration Results, Mineral Resources and Ore Reserves (JORC Code 2012) and Canadian National Instrument 43-101 - Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects (NI 43-101) of 24.4Mt of Measured and Indicated Resources at 1.9% for 460Kt CuEq and 34.5Mt of Inferred Resources at 2% for 690Kt CuEq. The Company has a clear strategy to rapidly grow the copper-gold Mineral Resource to demonstrate a globally significant copper-gold asset. FireFly has commenced a 130,000m diamond drilling program.
FireFly holds a 70% interest in the high-grade Pickle Crow Gold Project in Ontario. The current Inferred Resource stands at 11.9Mt at 7.2g/t for 2.8Moz gold, with exceptional discovery potential on the 500km2 tenement holding.
The Company also holds a 90% interest in the Limestone Well Vanadium-Titanium Project in Western Australia.
For further information regarding FireFly Metals Ltd please visit the ASX platform (ASX:FFM), the Company’s website or SEDAR+ at .
COMPLIANCE STATEMENTS
Mineral Resources Estimate – Green Bay Project
The Mineral Resource Estimate for the Green Bay Project referred to in this announcement and set out in Appendix A was first reported in the Company’s ASX announcement dated 29 October 2024, titled “Resource increases 42% to 1.2Mt of contained metal at 2% Copper Eq” and is also set out in the Technical Reports for the Ming Copper Gold Mine, titled “National Instrument 43-101 Technical Report, FireFly Metals Ltd., Ming Copper-Gold Project, Newfoundland” with an effective date of 29 November 2024 and the Little Deer Copper Project, titled “Technical Report and Updated Mineral Resource Estimate of the Little Deer Complex Copper Deposits, Newfoundland, Canada” with an effective date of 26 June 2024, each of which is available on SEDAR+ at .
The Company confirms that it is not aware of any new information or data that materially affects the information included in the original announcement and that all material assumptions and technical parameters underpinning the Mineral Resource Estimate in the original announcement continue to apply and have not materially changed.
Mineral Resources Estimate – Pickle Crow Project
The Mineral Resource Estimate for the Pickle Crow Project referred to in this announcement was first reported in the Company’s ASX announcement dated 4 May 2023, titled “High-Grade Inferred Gold Resource Grows to 2.8Moz at 7.2g/t” and is also set out in the Technical Report for the Pickle Crow Project, titled “NI 43-101 Technical Report Mineral Resource Estimate Pickle Crow Gold Project, Ontario, Canada” with an effective date of 29 November 2024, as amended on 11 June 2025, available on SEDAR+ at
The Company confirms that it is not aware of any new information or data that materially affects the information included in the original announcement and that all material assumptions and technical parameters underpinning the Mineral Resource Estimate in the original announcement continue to apply and have not materially changed.
COMPETENT PERSON AND QUALIFIED PERSON STATEMENTS
All technical and scientific information in this announcement has been reviewed and approved by Group Chief Geologist, Mr Juan Gutierrez BSc, Geology (Masters), Geostatistics (Postgraduate Diploma), who is a Member and Chartered Professional of the Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy and a Member of the Australian Institute of Geoscientists. Mr Gutierrez is a Competent Person as defined in the JORC Code 2012 and a Qualified Person as defined in NI 43-101. Mr Gutierrez is a full-time employee of FireFly Metals Ltd and holds securities in FireFly Metals Ltd. Mr Gutierrez has sufficient experience that is relevant to the style of mineralisation and type of deposit under consideration and to the activity being undertaken to qualify as a Competent Person as defined in the JORC Code 2012 and a Qualified Person as defined in NI 43-101. Mr Gutierrez consents to the inclusion in this announcement of the matters based on his information in the form and context in which it appears.
FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION
This announcement may contain certain forward-looking statements and projections, including statements regarding FireFly’s plans, forecasts and projections with respect to its mineral properties and programs. Forward-looking statements may be identified by the use of words such as “may”, “might”, “could”, “would”, “will”, “expect”, “intend”, “believe”, “forecast”, “milestone”, “objective”, “predict”, “plan”, “scheduled”, “estimate”, “anticipate”, “continue”, or other similar words and may include, without limitation, statements regarding plans, strategies and objectives.
Although the forward-looking statements contained in this announcement reflect management’s current beliefs based upon information currently available to management and based upon what management believes to be reasonable assumptions, such forward-looking statements and projections are estimates only and should not be relied upon. They are not guarantees of future performance and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors many of which are beyond the control of the Company, which may include changes in commodity prices, foreign exchange fluctuations, economic, social and political conditions, and changes to applicable regulation, and those risks outlined in the Company’s public disclosures.
The forward-looking statements and projections are inherently uncertain and may therefore differ materially from results ultimately achieved. For example, there can be no assurance that FireFly will be able to confirm the presence of Mineral Resources or Ore Reserves, that FireFly’s plans for development of its mineral properties will proceed, that any mineralisation will prove to be economic, or that a mine will be successfully developed on any of FireFly’s mineral properties. The performance of FireFly may be influenced by a number of factors which are outside of the control of the Company, its directors, officers, employees and contractors. The Company does not make any representations and provides no warranties concerning the accuracy of any forward-looking statements or projections, and disclaims any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements or projections based on new information, future events or circumstances or otherwise, except to the extent required by applicable laws.
APPENDIX A
Green Bay Copper-Gold Project Mineral Resources
Ming Deposit Mineral Resource Estimate
| TONNES | COPPER | GOLD | SILVER | CuEq | ||||
| (Mt) | Grade (%) | Metal (‘000 t) | Grade (g/t) | Metal (‘000 oz) | Grade (g/t) | Metal (‘000 oz) | Grade (%) | |
| Measured | 4.7 | 1.7 | 80 | 0.3 | 40 | 2.3 | 340 | 1.9 |
| Indicated | 16.8 | 1.6 | 270 | 0.3 | 150 | 2.4 | 1,300 | 1.8 |
| TOTAL M&I | 21.5 | 1.6 | 340 | 0.3 | 190 | 2.4 | 1,600 | 1.8 |
| Inferred | 28.4 | 1.7 | 480 | 0.4 | 340 | 3.3 | 3,000 | 2.0 |
Little Deer Mineral Resource Estimate
| TONNES | COPPER | GOLD | SILVER | CuEq | ||||
| (Mt) | Grade (%) | Metal (‘000 t) | Grade (g/t) | Metal (‘000 oz) | Grade (g/t) | Metal (‘000 oz) | Grade (%) | |
| Measured | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Indicated | 2.9 | 2.1 | 62 | 0.1 | 9 | 3.4 | 320 | 2.3 |
| TOTAL M&I | 2.9 | 2.1 | 62 | 0.1 | 9 | 3.4 | 320 | 2.3 |
| Inferred | 6.2 | 1.8 | 110 | 0.1 | 10 | 2.2 | 430 | 1.8 |
GREEN BAY TOTAL MINERAL RESOURCE ESTIMATE
| TONNES | COPPER | GOLD | SILVER | CuEq | ||||
| (Mt) | Grade (%) | Metal (‘000 t) | Grade (g/t) | Metal (‘000 oz) | Grade (g/t) | Metal (‘000 oz) | Grade (%) | |
| Measured | 4.7 | 1.7 | 80 | 0.3 | 45 | 2.3 | 340 | 1.9 |
| Indicated | 19.7 | 1.7 | 330 | 0.2 | 154 | 2.6 | 1,600 | 1.9 |
| TOTAL M&I | 24.4 | 1.7 | 400 | 0.3 | 199 | 2.5 | 2,000 | 1.9 |
| Inferred | 34.6 | 1.7 | 600 | 0.3 | 348 | 3.1 | 3,400 | 2.0 |
- Mineral Resource Estimates for the Green Bay Copper-Gold Project, incorporating the Ming Deposit and Little Deer Complex, are prepared and reported in accordance with the JORC Code 2012 and NI 43-101.
- Mineral Resources have been reported at a 1.0% copper cut-off grade.
- Metal equivalents for the Mineral Resource Estimates have been calculated at a copper price of US$8,750/t, gold price of US$2,500/oz and silver price of US$25/oz. Metallurgical recoveries have been set at 95% for copper and 85% for both gold and silver. Copper equivalent was calculated based on the formula: CuEq(%) = Cu(%) + (Au(g/t) x 0.82190) + (Ag(g/t) x 0.00822).
- Totals may vary due to rounding.
