The Responsible Revitalizer: How Graham Speirs is Redefining Mining with Sierra Sun Group?

The next chapter of mining will be written by those who see dormant assets as digital and sustainable opportunities. Leading this charge is Graham Speirs, General Manager of Sierra Sun Group (Minera), who applies decades of hands-on experience to modernize legacy mines not with bigger machinery, but with smarter strategies, circular principles, and a deep commitment to the communities that host them. With 35+ years of global project experience, he founded Sierra Sun Group in 2014 to realize his dream of creating an integrated organization that goes beyond resource extraction.

The leader demonstrates that mining can evolve through innovation, respect, and strategic foresight, revitalizing forgotten assets where his approach combines a three-horizon growth plan with a people-first philosophy guided by RECIA values. Supported by industry awards, global certifications, and extensive knowledge, he embodies a new leadership model that ensures mining succeeds while uplifting both the land and the surrounding communities.

Genesis of a Vision Mentorship to Mine Ownership

Graham Speirs’ journey began with a defining early experience at J.S. Redpath Corporation, where what started as a job became the blueprint for his future vision to build a world-class engineering and contracting firm and eventually create a successful mining company.

Through perseverance, Graham Speirs transformed his dual vision into Sierra Sun Group (SSG), now consisting of GEMIN Engineering and Contracting, Sierra Precious Minerals, and Sierra Next Minerals. Leading more than 1,300 employees, he and his team are driven by a mission to fundamentally improve how minerals are extracted.

A Foundational and Creative Acquisition Strategy

In July 2014, Graham Speirs and his business partner, Charles Fyfe, embarked on turning that vision into reality. 

Their strategy was both niche and clever:

• Target: Acquire divested underground mines with operational complexities or lower projected returns, but still retaining valuable infrastructure and permits.
• Goal: Restart production within an ambitious six-month window.
• The Hurdle: The immense capital and protracted timelines typical of mine acquisitions.

To bridge the financial gap, they revived the dormant GEMIN engineering and contracting company, creating employment and essential capital to support their long-term acquisition strategy, which, after 2.5 years, enabled SSG to purchase its first mine, the Antapite gold-silver operation in December 2016, marking a major milestone.

The Leadership Turning Point From Steward to Founder

Leadership came naturally to Graham Speirs, but the true turning point was shifting from leading within an established organization to building his own, a challenge far greater than the stable leadership foundation his father had taught him.

• The Push: It was his business partner, Charles Fyfe, who provided the essential nudge past comfort and caution.
• The Core Fear: “My biggest fear was where the money would come from,” Speirs admits. Overcoming this taught him his most valuable leadership lesson in entrepreneurship.
• The Founder’s Philosophy: He came to understand that success isn’t about finding one perfect source of capital, it’s about staying true to one guiding principle: always do what’s right for the company.
  • Making the right decisions with integrity and patience.
  • Staying true to the original dream.
  • Surrounding oneself with exceptional professionals.
  • A steadfast commitment to persevere.

The Capital Challenge and the Resilience of Financial Discipline

While mining challenges are often seen as geological or physical, for Graham Speirs, the greatest test has been financial. In private mining, expertise and a strong team aren’t enough without the right CAPEX and working capital; even the best project cannot grow. This shaped a key leadership tenet: unwavering financial discipline.

At Sierra Sun Group, the stated approach treats each operation as a stand-alone entity, avoiding inter-company loans to ensure resilience. Grounded in a genuine commitment to Good Corporate Governance, it provides a framework for transparency, accountability, and smart risk management. For Speirs, facing this capital challenge turned into a core philosophy, showing that true resilience relies on fiscal clarity and disciplined governance.

A Three-Horizon Strategy for Sustainable Scale

Sierra Sun Group aims to sustainably produce 30 million equivalent ounces of silver by 2030 using circular economy principles, achieved through a structured three-phase strategic blueprint under Graham Speirs’ leadership.

Horizon I: Fortifying the Foundation (Established Business)

• Emphasizes 90% hard work and 10% innovation, focusing on optimizing and streamlining existing operations.
• Key actions involve company restructuring, implementing a comprehensive ERP system, and upgrading the corporate team.
• Speirs is embedding the circular economy vision by leading workshops and detailed mapping across all company areas to guide implementation
• Strengthening GEMIN management and executing operational plans at Antapite and Arcata to streamline finances and achieve goals.
• This horizon strengthens corporate foundations by updating vision and mission, forming a Board, and embedding Governance by 2026.

Horizon II: Executing Growth (Next Business)

• This phase is about securing the capital and assets needed for expansion.
• The primary focus is to secure bank investment or equity partners to finance both reinforcement and pipeline growth.
• It involves activating the production pipeline: starting operations at Cachi Cachi in Q4 2026 and Dore in Q4 2027.
• A strategic decision will be made regarding Sierra Next Minerals (SNM), either through sale or a potential listing on the TSX Venture Exchange.
• The growth strategy plans to acquire a fourth underground precious metals mine in the Americas to leverage SSG’s optimization expertise and boost production.

Horizon III: Ensuring Legacy (Future Business)

• This final horizon is designed to cement long-term market presence and access to scalable funding.
• The central goal is to list Sierra Precious Minerals on a major capital market through a merger or reverse takeover (RTO) of a single-asset producer.
• This will provide direct access to capital markets to fund continuous growth.
• It creates a platform for continuous mergers and acquisitions of single-asset precious metals producers, supporting expansion beyond 2030.

The SSG Difference in Asset Revitalization and Responsibility

Sierra Sun Group tackles the overlooked challenge of revitalizing past-producing mines abandoned by larger companies. By restoring these assets, SSG creates a multi-level impact: generating vital employment, supporting local businesses, providing revenue for suppliers and contractors, and reactivating economic engines in remote districts that would otherwise remain dormant. 

What truly sets Sierra Sun Group apart is its guiding philosophy. Graham Speirs emphasizes being “good miners,” prioritizing health and safety, water stewardship, and environmental care in every decision. By designing, building, and operating with communities in mind, SSG ensures that mine reactivation strengthens both the social and environmental fabric, reflecting a daily commitment to a holistic and responsible approach.

Embedding Next-Generation Trends into Today’s Operations

Graham Speirs guides Sierra Sun Group in adapting to mining’s transformation by developing and integrating key technological and operational trends through structured, monitored projects.

• Digital Integration & Automation: Sierra Sun Group advances mining innovation through AI, automation, Operational Control Centres, remote equipment, and underground communication systems.
• Real-Time Management & Logistics: Implementing real-time underground management and GPS truck tracking for live decisions and full supply chain transparency.
• Sustainability & Systemic Efficiency: Integrating the Circular Economy and implementing a full ERP system to optimize data flow and resource management across the organization.
• Continuous Innovation: Investing in ongoing research and development in mining and processing to maintain industry-leading technical practices.

Practical Innovation for Mining’s Toughest Problems

Sierra Sun Group differentiates itself by developing and applying proprietary operational frameworks to solve specific mining challenges, directly enhancing safety, efficiency, and value.

• Antapite: Transforming Legacy Material into Reserve
  • Challenge: Historically mined stopes were backfilled with material still containing 1.5-3.5 g/t gold.
  • SSG’s Innovation: Implemented a proprietary sub-level mechanized mining method to safely and efficiently re-extract mineralized backfill.
  • Impact: Transforms legacy material into a valuable resource, boosting production and lowering operating costs.
• Sumaq Rumi: Implementing Advanced Bulk Mining
  • Framework: Successfully deployed a mechanized Sub-Level Block Caving system.
  • Impact: Enables efficient, bulk extraction at a scale of 1,000 tonnes per day, demonstrating expertise in modern mass-mining techniques.
• Arcata: Modernizing for Safety and Scale
  • Optimization: Transitioning from traditional, labour-intensive cut-and-fill to a fully mechanized sub-level stoping approach.
  • Impact: Significantly improves operational safety, increases productivity (targeting 2,500 tpd), and reduces costs and manual labour dependence.

Awards and Certifications That Validate Commitments

Sierra Sun Group and its operating companies have earned significant external recognition that underscores their commitment to excellence, safety, and responsible practices.

• Sierra Sun Group received a Diploma of Recognition from the Colegio de Ingenieros del Perú for 2025-2027, highlighting its standing within Peru’s professional engineering community.
• GEMIN Associates, the group’s contracting arm, was named Peruvian Company of the Year in Mining Project Services for 2024 by the Associación Civil Empresa Peruana del Año.
• Sumaq Rumi reached a major safety milestone of 1,000,000 hours without a lost-time accident in November 2022, formally recognized by Peru’s Mining Safety Institute (ISEM).

The Antapite Mine holds several key certifications and recognitions:

• It is certified under the International Cyanide Management Code (ICMI), affirming its safe and environmentally responsible management of cyanide.
• Accredited under the Swiss Better Gold Initiative (SBGI), ensuring fair community practices and responsible Swiss-market supply chains.
• It was recognized at the Proactivo Awards for its social sustainability projects in local communities.
• Since 2019, all gold from Antapite has been supplied to Swiss luxury watchmaker Audemars Piguet, an SBGI partnership providing extra funding for community development and environmental protection.

Strategic Alliances and Acquisitions Shaping Tomorrow

Creating a lasting mining legacy depends on meaningful partnerships with local communities and global suppliers, grounded in trust, active listening, and prioritizing community well-being. The approach emphasizes water stewardship, environmental care, and support for sustainable local enterprises to promote long-term community self-sufficiency.

A collaborative mindset shapes key commercial alliances, including financial support from equipment suppliers providing cutting-edge machinery for reliable production. Such an approach was highlighted by the March 2025 acquisition of the Arcata and Azuca mines from Hochschild, backed by strong support and new investment. While evaluating new acquisitions, the primary focus remains on optimizing these assets and advancing a high-potential internal project pipeline.

Scaling Exponentially: A Post-Pandemic Trajectory

Sierra Sun Group demonstrated resilience and strategic expansion, maintaining continuity during the 2021 COVID-19 disruptions in Peru and laying a strong foundation for rapid growth.

Looking at the evolution across the Antapite, Arcata & Azuca, Cachi Cachi, and Dore operations from 2021-2030 reveals an ambitious scale-up:

• Mineral Treatment Capacity: The group’s daily processing is projected to grow 60-fold, from 411 tonnes per day (tpd) in 2021 to 25,850 tpd by 2030.
• Silver Equivalent Production: Production is expected to grow from 1 million ounces in 2021 to over 30 million ounces by 2030, highlighting the company’s vision and operational growth.
• Workforce Growth: The workforce is projected to expand from 300 in 2021 to 3,000 by 2030 to support multi-mine growth, enhance labor productivity, and execute a complex operational pipeline.

The CEO’s Blueprint for Focused Future-Building

Leadership is a conscious balancing act across four pillars, with strategic focus guiding Sierra Sun Group from day-to-day operations to long-term vision.

• Strategy (30-40%) – Navigating the Long-Term Vision.
  “Horizon 3”: long-term vision, market opportunities, and competitive positioning. 
• People (20-30%) – Building the Foundational Team.
  
• Operations (20-30%) – Executing the Present Foundation.
  “Horizon 1”:90% hard work and 10% innovation, 
• Innovation (10-20%) – Championing Future Change.

A Detailed Chronicle of Presentations and Publications

Graham Speirs and his team have advanced the mining industry through publications and conference presentations, demonstrating a strong commitment to technical and professional growth.

• “Innovation and Perseverance Breaking New Ground in Hard Rock Shaft Sinking in the 1990’s” – Presented at the Annual CIM Conference in Ottawa (1990) and published in several mining magazines.
• “Milpo Mine Deepening: A GEM in the Peruvian Andes” – Presented at the Annual CIM Conference in Vancouver (May 1997).
• “Project Management for Mining Projects” – Presented in Spanish at the 1st Congreso Nacional de Gerencia de Proyectos for the PMI, Lima (May 2002).
• “Proyecto Fosfatos Mantaro” – Presented in Spanish to the Cámara de Comercio Canadá Perú (CCCP), Lima (August 2011).
• “Esta es nuestra historia” – Edited and donated 1,000 copies of this book for adoptive families to the Peruvian Ministry of Mujer (MIMDES), Lima (September 2011).
• “Mining Exploration in Peru: How to hit the ground running!” – Presented in English at the Mining and Investment Summit 2018 (October 2018).

An Open Letter to the Next Generation

To the emerging leaders and professionals who will shape the future of our industry,

My advice starts with a simple, non-negotiable foundation: love what you do and let that passion fuel you. Deeply know your purpose; it is your true north. 

With purpose defined, make a plan, honestly assess your risks, and ensure you have the right resources to execute it. Treat your plan as a living guide, monitoring progress and adjusting as needed. 

Focus your energy on what you can control, embrace perseverance as a teacher, and see obstacles as opportunities. 

Ultimately, execution and achieving goals are key to achieve, modify, and repeat.

Above all, remember to enjoy the ride.

With respect and optimism,

Graham Speirs
General Manager of Sierra Sun Group (Minera)

Key Takeaways:

1. Love what you do, it’s the only fuel that never runs out.
2. Let your purpose, not just a plan, be your compass.
3. Channel your energy into what you can change, not what you can’t.
4. See every obstacle as a hidden opportunity for growth.
5. Execution is your ultimate measure to achieve, adapt, and advance.
6. Never forget to find joy in the journey itself.