Benoit La Salle has been president and CEO of Aya Gold & Silver since April 2020. Previously, Benoit founded Canadian-based gold-mining company SEMAFO in 1995. He grew it from a junior explorer to a producer of 250,000-plus ounces per year of gold in West Africa, and he established the SEMAFO Foundation in 2008 to support local communities. Since 2010, he has held board positions at six public companies, in addition to founding three West African-focused exploration companies and one privately held power producer.
Benoit is a Fellow Chartered Accountant who holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree from McGill University. He also has a Master of Business Administration from IMD Business School in Switzerland.