Corporate Governance
I have pleasure in introducing Serabi’s Corporate Governance Statement. As Chair of Serabi Gold plc, my role includes leading the Board and upholding the highest standards of corporate governance throughout the Group. As a Board, we recognise the benefits and value of a robust governance framework and how this supports the Group’s continued growth.
We have developed our governance structure to support these growth aspirations. The Board has an Audit and Risk Committee, Remuneration and People Committee, a Sustainability Committee, Mergers and Acquisitions Committee and a Disclosure Committee. The structure of the Board Committees is set out within principle 6.
Application of the new QCA Corporate Governance Code
In recognising the importance of high standards of corporate governance, we continue to apply the Quoted Company Alliance Corporate Governance Code (the “QCA Code”) which was updated in 2023. A description of how the Board complies with the principles of the QCA Code is provided in this Corporate Governance Statement.
In addition, the Company, as a result of the listing of its shares on the TSX, is obliged to comply with the Canadian National Policy 58-201 Corporate Governance Guidelines, which establishes corporate governance guidelines that apply to all public companies. The Company has instituted corporate governance practices that also, where practical, take consideration of these guidelines.
Board Changes
In April 2025 we welcomed Colm Howlin as an Executive Director on the Board. Colm became Chief Financial Officer in January 2025 after previously working as Group Controller of the Company for 12 years. Also in April 2025 we said farewell to two Non-Executive directors who had been representatives of principal shareholders.
This necessitated a change in the memberships of the Board Committees. Deborah Gudgeon was appointed as a member of the Remuneration and People Committee and also as Chair of the Remuneration and People Committee in April 2025. Luis Azevedo joined both the Remuneration and People Committee and the Audit and Risk Committee at the end of May 2025.
Board Committee Focus
The Serabi Board Committees have been working hard during the year to implement further rigour in their respective areas of focus. The Remuneration and People Committee has been focusing, with the help of Remuneration Consultants, Ellason, on reviewing the Remuneration Policy for the Executive Directors and Senior Management to ensure that it is fit for purpose, reflects the Company’s current stage of development, promotes share ownership by the Executive Directors and aligns with our strategic aims.
Further details of the Remuneration and People Committee can be found on pages 82 to 93 of the 2025 Annual Report. The Sustainability Committee has also progressed its own projects having engaged Embellie Advisory in 2024 to undertake a review of the Group’s ESG strategy, management systems and actions.
During the year the Sustainability Committee received the gap analysis and recommendations and has taken action to implement these recommendations. Further details of the work of the Sustainability Committee can be found on page 94 of the 2025 Annual Report.
Michael D Lynch-Bell Chair
30 April 2026
Corporate Governance Code
The QCA Code requires the Company to apply the ten principles of corporate governance as set out below and to publish certain related disclosures in the Annual Report, on the website, or a combination of both.
- Principle 1
- Principle 2
- Principle 3
- Principle 4
- Principle 5
- Principle 6
- Principle 7
- Principle 8
- Principle 9
- Principle 10
Establish a purpose, strategy and business model which promote long-term value for shareholders
The Board has collective responsibility for setting the Company’s purpose, strategic aims and objectives. Serabi’s objective is to become a pre-eminent junior gold mining Company, securing future growth through expansion of its existing projects and, taking advantage of its position as a gold producer, to become involved with and successfully develop other carefully selected opportunities. The Group’s business model and strategy are described in the Strategic Report on pages 02 to 67 of the 2025 Annual Report. The Board continually monitors the implementation of strategy.
We also have an annual strategy session within our Board meeting programme. In January 2026 the Board held a strategy session in Brazil with all of the Board members also visiting the mines as part of the country visit.
Promote a corporate culture that is based on sound ethical values and behaviours
The Board, through its actions and direction, has sought to establish a corporate culture that places the emphasis on the Group’s and Board’s cultural priorities of social responsibility, transparency, health and safety, risk management and sustainability. The Group has in place a Code of Ethics and Conduct and this sets out the Company’s vision, mission and values. This code has been updated this year by the Sustainability Committee.
The Code of Conduct clearly communicates internally the ethical and integrity standards required of Serabi’s workers, including leadership, contractors and consultants. It emphasises integrity, transparency and compliance with laws and corporate governance best practices, including fair competition, anti-corruption, prevention of conflicts of interest, responsible use of Company assets, promoting a safe, inclusive and discrimination free workplace, prohibiting harassment and unethical behaviour. It also enforces strict policies on environmental responsibility, occupational health and safety and anti-money laundering measures. It also incorporates a whistleblower channel. The Board receives regular reports on staff morale and conduct.
The Non-Executive Directors have spent time during the year at both the Belo Horizonte head office and the mines to meet and talk to staff themselves.
Seek to understand and meet shareholder needs and expectations
The Board is committed to providing shareholders with clear and timely information on Serabi’s activities, strategy and financial position. General communication with shareholders is coordinated by the Executive Directors together with the Investor Relations and Business Development Vice President.
The Company publishes on its website a range of information which helps current and potential shareholders to make an assessment of the Group’s position and prospects. The Board maintains dialogue with the Company’s major institutional investors. The Board also acknowledges that the majority of its private investors hold their shares via nominee shareholders and may not be able to fully exploit their shareholder rights effectively. Management attends selected industry events at which they are available to engage with private investors. The Board is kept informed of the views and concerns of shareholders through briefings from the Executive Directors and the Company’s brokers. The Annual General Meeting (“AGM”) is the annual opportunity for all shareholders to meet with the Directors and to discuss with them the Company’s business and strategy.
The notice of AGM is posted to all shareholders at least 21 clear days before the meeting. Separate resolutions are proposed on all substantive issues for each resolution. Shareholders will have the opportunity to vote for or against or to withhold their vote. Following the meeting, the results of votes lodged are announced to the London Stock Exchange and displayed on the Company’s website.
Take into account wider stakeholder interests, including social and environmental responsibilities and their implications for long-term success
The Board recognises that the long-term success of the Company is reliant upon the efforts of its key stakeholders. The Group has staff dedicated to ensuring that it has active relationships with local communities who are within the vicinity of its operations to understand their concerns and expectations, thereby seeking to ensure mutually beneficial co-operation for both sides.
The Group is subject to oversight by a number of different governmental and other bodies who directly or indirectly are involved with the licensing and approval process of mining operations in Brazil. Additionally, given the nature of the Company’s business, there are other parties who, whilst not having regulatory power, have interest in seeing that the Company conducts its operations in a safe, responsible, ethical and conscientious manner.
The Board makes all reasonable efforts, directly or through its advisors, to engage in and maintain active dialogue with each of these governmental and non governmental bodies, to ensure that any issues faced by the Company, including but not limited to regulations or proposed changes to regulations, are well understood and ensuring, to the fullest extent possible, that the Company is in compliance with all appropriate regulation, standards and specific licensing obligations, including environmental, social and safety, at all times.
The Group’s community and corporate social responsibility disclosure is provided as part of the Environmental and Social section on pages 31 to 67 of the 2025 Annual Report .The Group’s engagement model with wider stakeholders is described in the Strategic Report on pages 11 to 14 of the 2025 Annual Report.
Embed effective risk management, internal controls and assurance activities, considering both opportunities and threats, throughout the organisation
The Board, supported by the Audit and Risk Committee and the Group’s senior management, are responsible for the Group’s Risk Management framework and ensuring that procedures are in place and are being implemented effectively to identify, evaluate and manage the significant risks faced by the Company.
During 2024 the Sustainability Committee commissioned Embellie Advisory to undertake a review of the Group’s ESG strategy, management systems and actions. The review’s remit included a review of the Group’s risk management process and framework and provided recommendations for both the Sustainability Committee and the Audit and Risk Committee to work towards. The Board has reviewed this gap analysis and has made progress on a number of the recommendations. During 2025 the Group continued to work with Embellie Advisory who carried out a wide scope risk assessment to build the ESG strategy for the Company.
This included a roadmap to support the continued development of sustainable practices within the Group, mapping of the Company’s stakeholders, updating a number of the Company’s policies as well as setting out suggestions for targets and measuring performance against them. The Group’s risk management framework is described further in the Strategic Report on pages 19 to 30 of the 2025 Annual Report and in the Audit and Risk Committee Report on pages 78 to 81 of the 2025 Annual Report.
Establish and maintain the board as a well-functioning balanced team led by the chair
Board and Board Committee Structure
The Board has established an Audit & Risk Committee, a Remuneration and People Committee, a Disclosure Committee, a Mergers and Acquisitions Committee and a Sustainability Committee. The Board has not established a separate Nominations Committee as it considers that this responsibility can be currently discharged by the Remuneration and People Committee or, if the circumstances so dictate, the Board as a whole.
Board and Board Committee Structure
The Board has established an Audit & Risk Committee, a Remuneration & People Committee, a Disclosure Committee, a Mergers & Acquisitions Committee and a Sustainability Committee. In addition, at the executive level, there are two committees – the Executive Committee and the Project Steering Committee – which meet as and when necessary. The Board has not established a separate Nominations Committee as it considers that this responsibility can be currently discharged by the Remuneration & People Committee or, if the circumstances so dictate, the Board as a whole.
Board Governance Framework

Operation of the Board
The Board is responsible for the overall management of the Group including the formulation and approval of the Group’s long-term objectives and strategy, the approval of budgets, the oversight of Group operations, the maintenance of sound internal control and risk management systems and the implementation of the Group’s strategy, policies and plans. The Chief Executive Officer (“CEO”), the Chief Financial Officer (“CFO”) and the Chief Operating Officer (“COO”) are responsible for the daily operation of the Group and they involve other levels of management in the day-to-day operations as appropriate. The CEO, CFO and COO are also responsible for making recommendations to the Board regarding short and medium-term budgets, targets and overall objectives and strategies for the Group. During the year the formal schedule of matters specifically reserved for decision by the Board was updated and includes:
- setting the Company’s purpose, values and long-term objectives and strategy;
- approval of the annual budget;
- approval of material capital expenditure projects;
- any extension of the Group’s activities into new business or geographic areas outside the UK or Brazil;
- changes relating to the Group’s capital structure and major changes relating to the Group’s corporate structure
- approval of acquisitions;
- approval of quarterly financial reports, trading updates, the half-yearly reports, announcement of year-end results and the Annual Report and Accounts;
- internal control and risk management; and
- material contracts, expenditure and Group borrowings.
The Board holds regular, scheduled meetings throughout the year to review the Group’s financial and operational performance and to consider any other matters as appropriate, including risk management and shareholder feedback. The Board meeting timetable is based on the financial and reporting timetable. During the year there were nine scheduled Board meetings. There were also further ad-hoc Board meetings called at short notice to deal with transactional items. All of the Directors receive comprehensive Board packs in advance of Board and Committee meetings. A Board portal is used as a repository for Board and Committee papers. This provides a confidential and efficient mechanism for the distribution of Board papers in a timely manner. Given the geographical distribution of Directors, a number of the scheduled Board and Committee meetings are held online but meetings are also held in person whenever possible. During the year one Board meeting was held in Brazil with the rest of the face-to-face meetings being held in London. All Directors have access to the advice and services of the Company Secretary, who is responsible for ensuring that the Board procedures are followed and that applicable rules and regulations are complied with. In addition, procedures are in place to enable the Directors to obtain independent professional advice in the furtherance of their duties, as required. A record of the number of meetings of the Board during the year and the attendance by each of the Directors is provided as follows:
| Director | Board Meetings (Attended/Held) |
| Michael Lynch-Bell | 9/9 |
| Michael Hodgson | 8/9 |
| Clive Line (1) | 9/9 |
| Luis Azevedo | 6/9 |
| Deborah Gudgeon | 9/9 |
| Carolina Margozzini (3) | 9/9 |
| Mark Sawyer (2) | 6/9 |
- Resigned on 31 December 2024
- Resigned on 11 April 2025
- Resigned on 21 April 2025
Board Activities During the Year
| Strategy | A number of strategic presentations have been received at meetings throughout the year The Board held a separate strategy session in Brazil |
| Operations | The CEO presented a report at each Board meeting which includes updates on production, plant performance, health and safety, exploration, licenses and permits and ESG |
| Finance | The Chief Financial Officer has presented a financial report and cash management report at each Board meeting Approval of the Annual Report and interim report, quarterly reports and associated financial statements Approval of the annual budget Approval of an update to the Group Authority Limits |
| Audit and Risk | The Chair of the Audit and Risk Committee reported to the Board on the proceedings of each Audit and Risk Committee meeting The Board were updated on the whistleblowing procedures and the Audit and Risk Committee received details of whistleblowing reporting The Audit and Risk Committee assessed the competency of the Group’s auditors and reported their opinion to the Board. |
| Stakeholders | Stakeholders including local communities, Governmental agencies and regulators, lenders and shareholders were regularly considered as part of the CEO’s report and separately HR reports were either reported separately or in the CEO’s report Share register analysis reports were provided at each meeting along with updates on investor meetings |
| Governance | The Committee chairs reported on key matters discussed at the Board Committees The Company Secretary reported on key governance regulatory developments The Board has reviewed and updated the Group authority limits A Board effectiveness review has been undertaken by an independent board effectiveness consultancy during 2023 and 2024 and an internal review using questionnaires has been carried out in 2025 |
Conflicts of Interest
The Board is satisfied that, as a whole, it is able to exercise independent judgement. The Articles of Association of the Company restrict the role of the Directors in any situation where there is considered to be a conflict of interest and requires such conflicted Director(s) to abstain from voting and participation in any meeting or voting where the matter giving rise to the conflict is to be considered. The Company Secretary keeps a register of conflicts of interest. The register sets out the situations where each Director’s interest may conflict with those of the Company (situational conflicts). The register is considered and reviewed at each Board meeting so that the Board may consider and authorise any new situational conflicts identified. At the beginning of each meeting, the Chair reminds the Directors of their duties under sections 175, 177 and 182 of the Companies Act 2006 which relate to the disclosure of any conflicts of interest prior to any matter that may be discussed by the Board.
Maintain appropriate governance structures and ensure that individually and collectively the directors have the necessary up-to-date experience and skills and capabilities
As a publicly owned, junior gold mining Company, the Board needs to represent a wide range of skills and competencies. The Serabi Board includes Directors with technical mining and geological expertise, financial backgrounds, a legal background specialising in the natural resources sector in Brazil and investment banking and corporate finance experience. Biographical details of the Directors, including relevant experiences are provided on page 70 of the 2025 Annual Report
Although memberships of the Board’s Committees have changed, the Group’s governance structure has not changed during the year and is set out in the diagram under Principle 6.
Training and Development
Directors are encouraged to continue their ongoing professional development. During the year the Directors also received update training on Directors’ duties and the AIM Rules from Beaumont Cornish Limited, the Company’s Nominated Adviser (“Nomad”). The Company Secretary provides updates on governance and regulatory matters at each Board meeting.
Induction
On joining the Board, Directors receive an induction programme including meetings with members of the Board and senior management, access to Board and Committee papers, minutes, Company procedures and policies and meetings with relevant external advisers including the Nomad.
Time Commitment
All Directors pre-clear any proposed appointments to listed Company boards with the Board, prior to committing to them. The Non-executive Directors are required, by their letters of appointment, to devote as much of their time, attention, ability and skills as are reasonably required for the performance of their duties. This is anticipated as a minimum of one day a month.
Advice
The Board has access to Travers Smith LLP, as UK legal advisers to the Company, to Peterson McVicar LLP as legal advisers in Canada and to Beaumont Cornish Limited as Nominated Adviser.
Evaluate Board performance based on clear and relevant objectives, seeking continuous improvement
The Board understands the importance of assessing the effectiveness and contributions of the Board as a whole and its governance structure.
Board Evaluation
During 2024 an external evaluation of the Board was carried out. For 2025 an internal questionnaire-based evaluation was carried out to monitor progress of the 2024 recommendations.
| Recommendations: | Progress on the recommendations: |
| Include on the Board timetable a standalone session to discuss strategic direction and milestones for the longer term | A standalone strategy Board meeting is now held annually and is part of the Board Annual Programme |
| Consider holding a Board meeting in Brazil at least once a year | At least one Board meeting a year is held in Brazil |
| Include in the Board programme a regular session to review business performance on culture and ESG matters | An ESG strategy review was commissioned during 2024 and presented to the Board and Sustainability Committee in 2025. The Sustainability Committee and the Board are working through the recommendations of this review. |
| Consider appointing one of the South American based Non-executive Directors as a Workforce Engagement Director to meet with representatives from the workforce on site in Brazil at least annually and report back to the Board | Following the resignation of Carolina Margozzini, the Board has not had a Workforce Engagement Director. The need for such a Director is however being reviewed since the appointment of a COO who spends a large part of his time at the mines and reports regularly to the Board directly on workforce matters. |
| Consider options for bringing additional technical, engineering or mining expertise/ advisors into the Board discussions | The Board has appointed a Chief Operating Officer with extensive mining experience |
- Social responsibility – working closely with communities to ensure that the Group’s operations bring enhancements to the lives of those that might be most affected by the Group’s presence in the area;
- Transparency – the Group should be open in its dealings with all stakeholders, clear in its objectives and aims and cognisant and sympathetic to the needs and requirements of stakeholders;
- Health and Safety – whilst recognising the inherent risks that are present in the industry, actively encouraging a working environment and work practices within the Group’s operations, that strive to minimise and eliminate risk to personnel wherever possible;
- Risk management – the Board encourages, through its decision-making process, that management properly evaluates and considers the implications of decisions (operational, financial or otherwise) on the long-term future of the business, seeking to ensure that risk is adequately managed and minimised; and
- Sustainability – the Board considers that it has a responsibility to stakeholders to ensure that the business is able to deliver long-term benefits whether, financial, social or environmental and ensuring that decisions do not have longer-term implications that would jeopardise the long-term sustainability of the Group.
Establish a remuneration policy which is supportive of long-term value creation and company’s purpose, strategy and culture
Details of the Company’s Remuneration Policy and how it was implemented during FY25 are set out in the Directors’ Remuneration Report on pages 89 to 93 in the 2025 Annual Report. During the year the Remuneration and People Committee has reviewed the Remuneration Policy with the assistance of a remuneration consultant to ensure that it remains fit for purpose and aligns with our strategic aims.
The Remuneration Policy for Executive Directors includes a base salary, annual bonus which is linked to operational, financial and strategic targets and share based incentive arrangements, which are designed to drive sustained long-term performance that supports the creation of shareholder value. A minimum Shareholding Policy has been added to the Remuneration Policy.
The Remuneration Policy for Nonexecutive Directors entails a base fee and additional fees for Board Committee membership and or Board Committee chairmanship. In accordance with its terms of reference, the Remuneration and People Committee is responsible for providing an objective review and oversight of the Group’s remuneration and people policies, frameworks and practices and outcomes to ensure they support the Group’s purpose and the effective implementation of strategy and enable the recruitment, motivation, reward and retention of talent, particularly at Board and senior executive levels. The Remuneration Policy and the Remuneration Report was put to shareholders for an advisory vote at the 2026 AGM.
Communicate how the company is governed and is performing by maintaining a dialogue with shareholders and other key stakeholders
The Board’s approach to engaging with shareholders and other stakeholders is described throughout the Annual Report, in particular in the Our Stakeholders section and Section 172 statement on pages 14 to 15 on the 2025 Annual Report, the ESG review on pages 31 to 67 of the 2025 Annual Report and the disclosures under Principles 3 and 4 of the QCA Code.
The Board endeavours to balance the needs and requirements of all stakeholders which, in addition to the Company’s shareholders, include the Group’s employees, the communities in the areas where it operates, government agencies and the Group’s suppliers and customers, all of whom have a vested interest in the long-term success of the Group. The Board recognises that balancing the needs and expectations of all these stakeholders is important and endeavours to engage with these stakeholders on a regular basis.
This statement was reviewed and updated on 30 April 2026.