The Team Behind the Frontier
GoldCoast Resource Corp. is led by a team of experienced mining veterans, world-class geologists, and capital markets specialists united by a singular conviction: Ghana's shallow continental shelf represents one of the last Unexplored Gold Frontiers — in the World!
The Team Defining a New Frontier
Sir Samuel Esson Jonah, KBE, OSG
Founder & Chairman
Sir Sam Jonah KBE is a distinguished Ghanaian business executive, entrepreneur, and philanthropist, renowned as a pioneer in Africa’s mining industry. Appointed CEO of Ashanti Goldfields Company in 1986, he oversaw its growth from a single mine into a multinational. In 1996, Ashanti Goldfields became the first operating African company listed on the New York Stock Exchange.
He became Executive President of AngloGold Ashanti in 2004 following Ashanti’s merger with AngloGold, forming the second largest gold producer in the world. In 2003, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II conferred on him an Honorary Knighthood as Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire (KBE).
Sir Sam is Chancellor of the University of Cape Coast Ghana, a Visiting Professor at the University of Witwatersrand Business School, and was a Founding Member of the UN Secretary General’s Global Compact Advisory Council. He has served on advisory boards for the African Development Bank, the International Finance Corporation (IFC), and the London Business School.
Tom Griffis
Founder & Executive Director
Tom Griffis is the founder of Griffis Capital, a private investment and corporate management firm based in Toronto and Takoradi, Ghana, focused on natural resource, technology, and healthcare companies requiring early to mid-stage financing.
He has served on the Board of Directors of several private and publicly traded companies. Previously, Tom Griffis served as a pilot in the Royal Canadian Air Force for 20 years, holding several positions of command including Commander of the RCAF Falcon VIP Flight and the RCAF Snowbirds aerobatic demonstration team.
Michael Nikiforuk
Founder, CEO & Director
Michael Nikiforuk has focused the past 20 years of his career on African gold projects. He was the Founder, President and Director of African Gold Group, Inc., guiding the company from inception through to completion of a definitive feasibility study for a multi-million ounce gold project in Mali, West Africa.
Under his leadership, contiguous license blocks were assembled and explored in Ghana, including one in the Ahafo district sold to Newmont Ghana Gold Ltd. He has direct work experience across Liberia, Guinea, Sierra Leone, Ethiopia, and the DRC, primarily through joint-venture exploration companies with IAMGOLD and Newmont Mining.
Bobby Banson, Esq., FCIArb. ArbP.
Director
Bobby Banson is qualified to practice law in Ghana and a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (FCIArb). He has an LL.M in International Business Law from the University of Brussels (ULB) and a Certificate of Advanced Studies in Arbitration from the Universities of Lucerne and Neuchâtel in Switzerland.
He has provided legal counsel for numerous companies with interests in real estate, extractive industries, hospitality, trading, gaming, and the entertainment industry.
He teaches Civil Procedure and Alternative Dispute Resolution at the Ghana School of Law. He is the author of “Civil Litigation in the High Court of Ghana” (2022) and “Commercial Arbitration in Ghana — Practice and Procedure” (2024), and has several peer-reviewed legal articles on arbitration and litigation published in his name.
Elia Crespo
VP, Corporate Secretary & Director
Director and Principal of Griffis Capital. Ms. Crespo brings extensive experience in M&A due diligence and managing the closing of transactions, as well as day-to-day corporate administrative management. She has managed private and public companies through IPOs/RTOs on the TSX and AIM Market of the London Stock Exchange.
Navigating the Exploration Program
Dr. R.J. Griffis
Founder & SVP Exploration
Dr. Robert J. Griffis is a geologist with 40+ years of experience in West Africa, covering gold mining projects from early exploration through to production. He is an acknowledged expert of the gold producing districts of West Africa and was commissioned by The Minerals Commission of Ghana as the senior author of the highly regarded government report “Gold Deposits of Ghana” (2002).
Dr. Griffis worked closely with Gold Fields of South Africa on due diligence assessments of the Prestea and Tarkwa gold operations, and prepared a summary of gold potential throughout West Africa, which has since become a world-class gold mining region. His work has led to the discovery and development of numerous gold mines. Previously, he spent over 10 years with the Canadian-based international consulting firm Watts, Griffis and McOuat (WGM).
Herman Labuschagne, P.Geo
Chief Geologist
Herman Labuschagne, P.Geo., brings significant offshore exploration experience to GoldCoast, accumulated over more than 30 years work with world leaders in this key industry. Herman formerly served as Chief Geologist for IMDH / Trans Hex Marine from 2009 – Jan. 2026. Prior to that, Herman served as Production Geologist at De Beers Marine in both Namibia & South Africa from 2003 – 2009 and he was the former Principal Geologist at NAMCO (Namibian Minerals Corporation) from 1995 – 2002.
Herman has served in offshore production geology on multiple deep-water mining vessels. He served during the geological commissioning of MV Peace in Africa; he has advised ROV crawler pilots on seabed conditions and mining techniques; optimized mining rates and cleaning efficiencies against production targets and contributed to environmental and dredging projects.
Kwame Opoku
Managing Director, Ghana
A resident of Ghana, Kwame Opoku was the former Senior Exploration Geologist at African Gold Group Inc. and an exploration geologist for Newmont Ghana Gold Ltd. and Cluff Gold Ltd. He has a robust exploration background in both gold and base metals across multiple jurisdictions throughout the African continent, directing multi-faceted exploration and development programs.
Daniel Osei-Bonsu
Environmental Officer
Daniel Osei-Bonsu is a Sustainability and ESG practitioner with over 25 years of international experience in environmental management, mine development/closure planning, sustainable business development, and circular economy initiatives within the mining and infrastructure sectors. He previously served as Environmental Services/Sustainability Manager at AngloGold Ashanti Obuasi Mine, where he led the development and implementation of ISO 14001-certified Environmental Management Systems and mine closure compliance frameworks. Daniel has extensive experience in ESG strategy development, strategic stakeholder engagement, renewable energy systems, and sustainable community development projects across Ghana and West Africa.
Dave Horne
Marine Architect
David Horne began his offshore career working in the North Sea, at the age of 18. This early offshore exposure provided him with practical experience in demanding marine and energy-sector operations and laid the foundation for a distinguished international career in marine engineering and offshore construction.
Recognizing the importance of technical advancement, David returned to higher education to study Naval Architecture, establishing a strong engineering foundation in vessel design, marine systems, offshore structural design, and marine problem-solving. His career reflects decades of technical leadership, offshore operational excellence, engineering innovation, and pioneering contribution to marine and subsea development across international markets.
Winfield Ding
Chief Financial Officer
CPA, CA, and MBA, Winfield Ding is a senior finance executive with over 20 years of finance and operations experience. He has held CFO, board director, and audit committee chair positions at several public and privately held companies in the mining and energy sector, as well as education and technology industries. Mr. Ding began his career as an Audit Manager with McGovern Hurley Cunningham LLP.
World-Class Technical Partners
GoldCoast has partnered with globally recognized leaders in marine technology and offshore exploration to execute its exploration and development program.
Royal IHC
A global leader in mining ships, marine technology, and wet mineral processing. Royal IHC designs and builds complex vessels and equipment for the dredging, offshore, and mining industries, with centuries of Dutch maritime engineering heritage.
Geo Marine Solutions
Specialists in offshore exploration, marine geophysical surveys, and seabed mapping. Geo Marine Solutions brings decades of experience in shallow water survey operations across tropical and equatorial marine environments.