Vancouver, British Columbia — January 15, 2026 — Leads & Copy — Vortex Metals Inc. has appointed Michael Williams as interim Chief Executive Officer, effective immediately.
Williams, a co-founder of Vortex Metals and the Company’s Executive Chairman, brings over 30 years of executive leadership experience in the junior mining industry to the role.
Vikas Ranjan will continue as President of Vortex Metals, collaborating with Williams and the board of directors. Ranjan’s focus will be on capital markets and corporate development to ensure continuity during the leadership transition and support the Company’s growth strategy.
Williams has been instrumental in founding, structuring, and advancing several Toronto Stock Exchange-listed companies in the resource sector. He is also the founder and Executive Chairman of Aftermath Silver Ltd., a publicly listed company with a market cap exceeding C$375 million.
Williams has held similar roles with numerous public companies, including Underworld Resources Ltd., which was sold to Kinross Gold Corp. for approximately $138 million in 2010.
He has developed an international banking and financing network that includes extensive contacts with both institutional and retail investors, enabling him to raise significant capital for advanced exploration and development projects worldwide.
Ranjan stated that Williams has been deeply involved in the strategic direction of Vortex since its inception, and that his leadership will ensure continuity as the company advances its projects in Chile and Mexico. Ranjan added that Williams’ appointment underscores the board’s commitment to advancing Vortex’s high-potential assets, and that his experience, coupled with the company’s project portfolio in Mexico and Chile, position Vortex to deliver significant value for shareholders and stakeholders.
Williams stated that he is pleased to step into the role of interim Chief Executive Officer. He added that Vortex has assembled a compelling portfolio of copper-gold exploration assets, and that he looks forward to working with the team and stakeholders to unlock the value of the projects for the benefit of shareholders and the communities in which they operate.
Vortex’s flagship projects include the Riqueza Marina and Zaachila properties in Oaxaca, Mexico, consisting of four exploration concessions covering 15,308 hectares within an underexplored volcanogenic massive sulphide (VMS) district. Five high-potential target areas have been identified based on geology, geochemistry, and geophysics. Improved infrastructure, including access roads and proximity to a major port, combined with high-grade mineralized outcrops and geophysical anomalies, make these concessions promising for a significant copper-gold VMS discovery.
In Chile, the Company’s Illapel Copper Project is a brownfield property with demonstrated high-grade mineralization. Phase 1 drilling conducted last year confirmed copper-silver and gold-copper mineralization. With multiple surface expressions of copper, a growing list of geophysical targets, and indications of IOCG and gold-bearing vein systems, the Company believes Illapel holds significant discovery potential.
Vortex Metals Inc. is a copper-gold focused exploration and development company with a diversified portfolio of exploration projects in Chile and Mexico. Vortex holds an option to acquire up to 80% interest in the brownfield Illapel Copper Project in Chile and through its Mexican subsidiary Empresa Minera Acagold, S.A. de C.V., it owns 100% interest in two drill-ready high-potential copper-gold volcanogenic massive sulfide (VMS) properties, Riqueza Marina and Zaachila, in Oaxaca, Mexico. The Company emphasizes responsible exploration, community engagement, and environmental stewardship to meet the rising global demand for copper.
Vikas Ranjan, President and Director, can be reached at vranjan@vortexmetals.ca
Source: Vortex Metals Inc.
