OFFICIAL BIO

Michele Ashby is an eight-time independent corporate director, capital markets strategist, and founder who has spent more than three decades operating at the intersection of finance, natural resources, governance, and global investment.

She has served on public, private, and nonprofit boards since 2005 — including NYSE, TSX, and TSXV-listed companies — and has chaired Compensation and Audit Committees while serving on Nominating & Governance, Health, Safety & Environment, and multiple Special Committees during mergers and acquisitions.

Her board portfolio has included:

• Andean Precious Metals Corp.

• NexGold Mining Corp. (formerly Treasury Metals)

• McEwen Mining Inc.

• MENE Inc.

• Lithium X Energy Corp.

Across these boards, Michele has guided executive compensation frameworks, strategic planning, capital allocation, governance modernization, M&A oversight, and institutional investor engagement — often in high-growth or transition phases.

Architect of an Industry Institution

In 1988, Michele founded the Denver Gold Group, building it from the ground up into one of the most recognized global trade associations in the precious metals sector. Under her leadership as CEO for 17 years, the organization connected the CEOs of the world’s leading gold producers with major institutional investors across North America and Europe, establishing a model for capital formation still emulated today.

She later launched MINE LLC, expanding that model internationally across mining, oil & gas, and alternative energy markets, producing investor conferences across Africa, the Middle East, China, Europe, and the U.S. Her first year in business exceeded $2 million in revenue — a reflection of both demand and execution capability.

Founder of ACE — Advancing Board Leadership

Michele is the Founder and CEO of ACE LLC (Ashby Consulting Enterprises), where she now focuses on training, certifying, and placing qualified women on corporate boards.

Through ACE and its affiliate, Corporate Directors International LLC, she designed the CDI.D board certification — developed with governance experts, legal counsel, recruiters, and seasoned directors — to establish rigorous, practical board readiness standards.

Her mission is clear:
Put train 1,000 qualified women for corporate boards.

She has been recognized among the Top 100 Women in Mining globally and one of Colorado’s Top 25 Most Powerful Women in Business.

Governance Experience that Creates Value

Michele brings deep operational and capital markets fluency to the boardroom:

• Executive compensation strategy & KPI design

• Audit oversight & financial review

• Governance modernization

• Special Committee leadership in mergers & acquisitions

• Capital markets positioning & investor relations

• CEO evaluation & succession planning

• Brand strategy & market perception

She has worked directly with hundreds of CEOs, institutional fund managers, bankers, and private equity leaders globally — providing a rare perspective that integrates operators and capital providers.

Purpose Beyond Profit

Michele’s leadership is also deeply personal.

After losing her daughter Dani to Ewing’s Sarcoma, she founded Dani’s Foundation, which raised and deployed over $1 million to fund two clinical trials for rare cancer research. She later served on the Oncology Board and Foundation Board at The Children’s Hospital in Denver, helping support a $200 million capital campaign and the development of one of the nation’s first teen oncology clinics.

That experience shaped her leadership philosophy:
Strength, clarity, and contribution under pressure.

Author, Speaker, Strategist

Michele is the author of:

• Secrets of a Closet Millionaire

• The Modern Energy Matchmaker

• A to Z Handbook for Investing in Mining Stocks

She is a frequent speaker on governance, capital markets, leadership, and board readiness, and is an active member of the International Women’s Forum and Women Corporate Directors.

The Through Line

Across every chapter — analyst, founder, CEO, director, author, philanthropist — Michele’s work centers on one core principle:

Connect talent with capital.
Connect leaders with opportunity.
Connect governance with growth.

Today, she brings that same discipline and vision to the boardroom — and to the next generation of corporate directors she is preparing to lead.