McKinsey alumnus Leonardo Riera leads mining company Ensurge

Ensurge, a US-headquartered company that develops gold mining operations in Guyana, has appointed McKinsey & Company alumnus Leonardo Riera as the firm’s new Chief Executive Officer (CEO). “Under Leonardo’s leadership, we expect to create significant shareholder value, said Charles Gargano, member of Ensurge’s Board of Directors.

Through its subsidiaries, Badger Mining and Minerals, KC3 Mining and North American Resources, Ensurge has been engaged in mine development in Guyana for decades. The firm’s management and their family has been continually mining gold, diamond and other rare earth minerals in the former British colony since 1993.

“Ensurge has extraordinary properties in mineral-rich Guyana, with production licenses in place. Our priority is to start gold production in the first half of 2019, using environmental-friendly methods and mandatory reforestation of any affected areas. The long-term plan of the company is to develop its unique Tantalum properties located in a stable and mining-friendly nation,” stated Ensurge’s newly appointed CEO, Leonardo Riera. Gargano added: “After a modest additional investment, we expect to start production, fund additional geology, and organize the potentially massive tantalum opportunity that we have ahead of us.”

Riera brings over three decades of experience to the top role. He most recently worked as a business consultant and entrepreneur, including gold mining operations in Brazil and in Peru, and in renewable energy. Previously, he worked for Bankers Trust, where he held the role of Executive Director and Country Head of the Venezuelan operations for twelve years. At the company, Riera coordinated dozens of transactions involving credit, Eurobonds, securitizations, private equity, bonds, trading, mergers & acquisitions, and advisory work for private bank clients, Venezuelan companies and multinational in the oil, mining, construction, electric, food, banking, telecom, and retail sectors.

After starting his career as a consultant at McKinsey & Company, the globe’s largest strategy consulting firm, Riera left to become a manager at Citigroup. Based in Caracas, Venezuela's capital, he headed a unit that focused on corporate finance and mergers & acquisitions.

Leonardo Riera holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Catholic University Andres Bello, and a Master’s degree in Business Administration with a focus on Finance and International Management from the Wharton School of Business at The University of Pennsylvania.