Benoit La Salle

Benoit La Salle was appointed President & CEO of Aya Gold & Silver in April 2020, bringing with him over 25 years of experience in developing and operating responsible mining companies in West Africa based on community empowerment. In 1995, Benoit founded Canadian-based SEMAFO Inc. It grew from a junior explorer to a 250,000-plus ounce-per-year gold producer in West Africa, establishing SEMAFO Foundation in 2008 to support local communities. Since 2010, he has held board positions at six public companies in addition to founding three West African-focused exploration companies and one privately held power producer. An active contributor to the non-profit sector, Mr. La Salle is a former board director and Chair of Plan International Canada and has been Chairman of the Board of The Canadian Council on Africa since 2013.

 A fellow Chartered Accountant, Mr. La Salle is also a member of the Ordre des comptables professionels agréés du Québec. He holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree from McGill University and a Master of Business Administration degree from IMEDE, Switzerland.