ATEX Announces Leadership Transition

Rhea-AI Summary

ATEX (TSXV: ATX; OTCQB: ATXRF) announced a leadership transition on February 2, 2026: board member Chris Beer was appointed Interim President and CEO and a search for a permanent President and CEO has been launched. Ben Pullinger stepped down for personal reasons and will remain to assist for 90 days.

Mr. Beer, a director since June 2024, brings over 30 years of exploration and capital markets experience; the Board highlighted the Company’s growth under Mr. Pullinger, including Valeriano’s advancement and a market capitalization rise to over $1.3 billion in under four years.

Positive

• Interim CEO Chris Beer appointed with 30+ years of industry experience
• Founder executive to assist during transition for 90 days
• Board launched a formal search for a permanent President and CEO
• Company highlights Valeriano as a district-scale asset with recent advancement

Negative

• Departure of President and CEO introduces near-term leadership uncertainty
• Potential strategic or execution risk while permanent CEO search is ongoing

News Market Reaction

-2.34%

1 alert

-2.34% News Effect

On the day this news was published, ATXRF declined 2.34%, reflecting a moderate negative market reaction.

Data tracked by StockTitan Argus on the day of publication.

Board Member Chris Beer Appointed Interim President and CEO

Search Initiated to Identify New President and Chief Executive Officer

Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - February 2, 2026) - ATEX Resources Inc. (TSXV: ATX) (OTCQB: ATXRF) ("ATEX" or the "Company") today announced that its Board of Directors (the "Board") has appointed Chris Beer, a member of the Board of ATEX, as Interim President and Chief Executive Officer, as Ben Pullinger has stepped down as President and Chief Executive Officer, for personal reasons, effective today. The Board of Directors has commenced a process to identify a permanent President and CEO.

Mr. Beer, who has been a director of ATEX since June 2024, is a well-tenured executive with over 30 years of exploration, capital markets and institutional investing experience. He began his career as an exploration geologist with Noranda and most recently spent 25 years at RBC Global Asset Management, where he served as Managing Director and Senior Portfolio Manager of North American and Global Natural Resources until 2024. Mr. Beer is also Chair of Fuerte Metals, owner of the Coffee Gold Project in the Yukon Territory, and a director of Metalla Royalty & Streaming Ltd.

Mr. Pullinger joined ATEX as Senior Vice President, Exploration and Business Development in May 2022, and was promoted to President and Chief Executive Officer in May 2024. During his tenure, and under his leadership, ATEX advanced the Valeriano Copper-Gold Project into one of the most significant emerging copper-gold assets in Chile, and materially increased the Company's scale and market profile. Mr. Pullinger will remain with the company for a period of 90 days to assist with the transition with the Interim President and CEO.

Craig Nelsen, Chair of ATEX, commented:

"The Board extends its sincere thanks to Ben for his leadership, hard work, and dedication to ATEX. During his tenure as SVP and then as CEO, the Company has evolved from a modest junior exploration company into the owner and developer of the Valeriano Copper-Gold Project, one of the most exciting, high-grade projects globally. The capital markets responded accordingly, with ATEX's market capitalization growing to over $1.3 billion in less than four years. We are grateful that Ben has agreed to make himself available to ATEX and supporting Chris during this transition as he considers his next opportunity. We wish him well in his future endeavors."

Mr. Pullinger added:

"It has been an incredible opportunity and privilege to contribute to Valeriano's growth from geological curiosity to the largest copper discovery in Chile in over a decade. Equally rewarding has been the ability to work with the talented team of professionals at ATEX who all contributed to this success, and I am extremely proud of all we have accomplished together. I'd like to thank the board and ATEX's shareholders for their trust and support and I look forward to remaining an engaged and enthusiastic supporter as ATEX continues to grow and develop."

Mr. Beer continued:

"I'm honoured to step into the Interim CEO role and grateful to the Board for its confidence. ATEX has an exceptional district-scale asset in Valeriano. Most importantly, I look forward to further engaging with ATEX's strong technical and operational team in both Chile and Canada. My focus during this transition will be on maintaining momentum at Valeriano, supporting the team, and ensuring continuity as the Board undertakes a search for a permanent CEO. I look forward to engaging with our stakeholders in the coming weeks to discuss ATEX, the Valeriano project, and our path forward."

About ATEX

ATEX is exploring the Valeriano Copper-Gold Project which is located within the emerging copper gold porphyry mineral belt linking the prolific El Indio High-Sulphidation Belt to the south with the Maricunga Gold Porphyry Belt to the north, located in the Atacama Region, Chile. This emerging belt, informally referred to as the Link Belt, hosts several copper gold porphyry deposits at various stages of development including, Filo del Sol (Lundin Mining/BHP), Josemaria (Lundin Mining/BHP), Lunahausi (NGEx Minerals), La Fortuna (Teck Resources/Newmont) and El Encierro (Antofagasta/Barrick). Valeriano hosts a large, high-grade, copper-gold porphyry Mineral Resource: an Indicated Resource of 475 Mt at 0.88% CuEq (0.58% Cu, 0.25 g/t Au, 1.39 g/t Ag and 70.4 g/t Mo) at a cutoff grade of 0.35% Cu, and an Inferred resource of 1,511 Mt at 0.75% CuEq (0.50% Cu, 0.20 g/t Au, 1.16 g/t Ag and 70.6 g/t Mo) at a cut-off grade of 0.35% Cu, as reported on September 23, 2025.

For further information, please contact:

Chris Beer,
Interim President and CEO
Email: cbeer@atexresources.com

Aman Atwal,
Vice President, Business Development and Investor Relations
Email: aatwal@atexresources.com

1-647-398-9405
or visit ATEX's website at www.atexresources.com.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its regulation services provider has reviewed or accepts
responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of the content of this news release.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/282336

FAQ

Who is the Interim President and CEO of ATEX (ATXRF) as of February 2, 2026?

The Interim President and CEO is Chris Beer, appointed by the Board on February 2, 2026. According to the company, Mr. Beer has over 30 years of exploration, capital markets, and institutional investing experience and has been a director since June 2024.

Why did Ben Pullinger step down as President and CEO of ATEX (ATXRF)?

Ben Pullinger stepped down for personal reasons, effective February 2, 2026. According to the company, he will remain with ATEX for 90 days to assist with the leadership transition and support the Interim CEO.

What immediate actions did ATEX (ATXRF) take after the CEO change on February 2, 2026?

The Board appointed an Interim CEO and initiated a search for a permanent President and CEO. According to the company, the Board will focus on maintaining momentum at the Valeriano project during the search process.

How will the leadership change affect the Valeriano project and ATEX (ATXRF) operations?

The company intends to maintain continuity and project momentum during the transition. According to the company, the Interim CEO will support technical and operational teams in Chile and Canada to ensure ongoing progress at Valeriano.

What evidence did ATEX (ATXRF) provide about its recent growth under prior leadership?

ATEX reported that market capitalization grew to over $1.3 billion in under four years and advanced Valeriano significantly. According to the company, these points reflect the company’s increased scale and market profile under prior leadership.