SPEAKERS
_______
Executive Team
Leigh R. Curyer
Chief Executive Officer and Director
Leigh R. Curyer is the founder, President, Chief Executive Officer and Director of NexGen Energy Ltd., with more than 20 years of experience across the resources and corporate sectors. Prior to founding NexGen, he served as Head of Corporate Development for Accord Nuclear Resource Management, assessing uranium projects globally for First Reserve Corporation, a leading energy-focused private equity and infrastructure investment firm. Earlier in his career, he was Chief Financial Officer and Head of Corporate Development at Southern Cross Resources (now Uranium One).
Mr. Curyer has extensive global uranium project evaluation experience spanning Canada, Australia, the United States, Africa, Central Asia, and Europe, including operating mines, advanced development projects, and exploration assets. While at Southern Cross Resources, he managed the exploration, permitting, and feasibility study of the Honeymoon Uranium Project in South Australia, ensuring compliance with NI 43-101 reporting standards. Throughout his career, he has successfully raised more than US$1 billion in equity capital across North America, the United States, Europe, and Australia. Mr. Curyer is a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants Australia.
Travis G. McPherson
Chief Commercial Officer
Travis G. McPherson is Chief Commercial Officer of NexGen Energy Ltd. and a Canadian entrepreneur with more than 15 years of experience in the global natural resources sector. Since joining NexGen in early 2014, he has played an instrumental role in the Company’s growth across all facets of the business, including strategic financings, corporate development, and capital markets initiatives. Mr. McPherson has helped raise more than $1.5 billion in equity capital and was integral in the creation of IsoEnergy Ltd. (TSX: ISO | NYSE: ISOU).
Prior to NexGen, Mr. McPherson began his career in investment banking at Haywood Securities Inc. before transitioning to the owner’s side of the mining industry, working in gold mining and development projects in Latin America. In addition to his corporate responsibilities, he is actively involved in philanthropic initiatives and serves as a Board Member of The Landing Youth Centre in Vancouver, British Columbia. Mr. McPherson is a graduate of the Sauder School of Business at the University of British Columbia.
Chris Copley
Project Director
Chris is a registered Professional Mechanical Technologist with 20+ years of experience delivering complex mining projects from feasibility through commissioning. He specializes in remote greenfield and brownfield project execution, including construction and refurbishment of surface infrastructure, processing plants, and camp facilities. Prior to coming on as NexGen’s Project Director in 2024, Chris successfully led the construction of two gold mines as Senior Project Manager: Victoria Gold’s Eagle Mine in Yukon and Pure Gold’s Madsen Mine in Ontario, both on-budget and on-schedule. Chris has been involved in the development and implementation of over $6B of capital cost estimates across over 20+ mining properties of varying sizes, jurisdictions, and deposit types throughout his 14 years with JDS.
Dylan Smart
Director
Dylan Smart has over 20 years’ experience in the construction industry, starting his career in 2009 with Graham Construction, where he held several leadership roles including General Forman and Junior Superintendent on various construction projects across Saskatchewan. In 2013, he transitioned to Iceland Concrete – a Saskatchewan based Indigenous owned and operated company - where he played an integral role in business development resulting the company’s strong presence for heavy industrial work across Western Canada. A passionate entrepreneur, he established SmartPath Safety Systems Ltd. in 2018, creating safety walkways for residential, commercial and industrial projects across Canada. Mr. Smart plays an integral role in ensuring the successful implementation of NexGen’s industry leading Benefit Agreements with Local Priority Area (LPA) communities, working with the Indigenous communities, economic development boards, contractors and Engineering, Procurement and Construction to maximize the benefits from business and employment opportunities generated from the Rook I project. In 2019, Mr. Smart was inducted into the Order of Gabriel Dumont, an honor that is bestowed upon Gabriele Dumont Institute (GDI) students and alumni who have distinguished themselves through leadership, community involvement and overall performance. In 2020, he successfully ran for Town Council in his community of Langham Saskatchewan, and currently serves as Deputy Mayor for the municipality.
Neil Chile
Director, Information Technology
Neil Chiles is the Director of Information Technology at NexGen Energy Ltd. with 15+ years leading enterprise IT and digital infrastructure delivery across the international mining and metals industry. Most recently, as Global Manager of Infrastructure at Teck Resources, he oversaw global IT and OT infrastructure across operating sites and technology delivery for major capital projects including San Nicolas, Zafranal, the Highland Valley Copper Mine Life Extension, and NewRange Copper. Prior to Teck, he led the Newmont/Goldcorp Day 1 IT integration as Director of Global Technology Architecture at Newmont. Mr. Chiles holds a Diploma in Electrical Engineering from Cape Town Technical University.
Bryan Dyck
Lead, Processing & Metallurgy
Bryan is a Professional Metallurgist with 15+ years of experience in processing and effluent treatment, predominantly in uranium milling, mining, and refining applications (Rabbit Lake Mill, Key Lake Mill, McArthur River Mine, Cigar Lake Mine, Blind River Refinery). Previously, at Cameco he led process engineering across sites and managed teams supporting capital and operational improvements, contributing to major projects including the Key Lake Mill Expansion and the Key Lake Automation program.