Carlos Aguiar serves as Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer at Hecla Mining Company, where he oversees all North American mining operations, including the Greens Creek mine in Alaska, Lucky Friday in Idaho, Keno Hill in Canada, and Casa Berardi in Quebec. With more than 30 years of progressive experience in underground precious metals mining, Aguiar is a recognized leader in operational optimization, safety, and production efficiency. He earned a Mining Engineering degree from Universidad de Guanajuato in Mexico and a Master’s in Mineral Economics from the Colorado School of Mines. Aguiar’s career began with Hecla from 2000 to 2012 at the Greens Creek mine, advancing from Mine Supervisor to Mine Manager, where he drove significant improvements in productivity and safety. He later held senior roles at Aurcana Corporation as VP Operations for the Revenue-Virginius mine and at Coeur Mining, managing the Palmarejo silver-gold complex in Mexico and Rochester silver-gold mine in Nevada. Rejoining Hecla in 2018 as VP Operations for Keno Hill, he spearheaded the mine’s successful restart after care and maintenance, achieving record silver production and operational stability. Promoted to COO in 2022, Aguiar has led Hecla to record-low injury rates, cost reductions, and production milestones across its portfolio. His expertise in high-grade underground mining and strategic capital allocation has positioned the company for sustained growth amid challenging market conditions, earning him industry acclaim for fostering a culture of safety and innovation.