Elias Elias is Aya's Chief Legal & Sustainability Officer. He brings with him 15 years of legal experience, mostly advising West African-focused companies in the mining and energy sectors. Before joining Aya, Elias served as Vice President, Corporate and Legal Affairs for SRG Mining Inc., a graphite exploration company based in Guinea; Vice-President, Legal and Corporate Affairs for Sama Resources Inc., a nickel-copper exploration company with an asset in Côte d’Ivoire; and as Counsel and Corporate Secretary of Windiga Energy Inc., an Africa-oriented renewable energy producer. Prior to that, he acted as legal advisor for SEMAFO, a TSX-listed gold producer in West Africa as well as for Gildan Activewear.
Elias holds a civil law degree (summa cum laude) and a common law degree (cum laude) from the University of Ottawa and is a recipient of the Canada SSHRC Graduate Scholarship. He articled with Hon. Judge Otis of the Quebec Court of Appeal and has been a member of the Barreau du Québec since 2007.