Decades of global experience across energy, subsurface science, and emerging downhole technologies.
Dr. Mohammad Afzal, Ph.D. Engineering Management/Industrial Engineering
Founder, President & CEO, EarthCore Resources Ltd.
Dr. Mohammad Afzal is the Founder, President, and CEO of EarthCore Resources Ltd., leading the company’s global initiatives in natural hydrogen and helium exploration, geothermal energy, and critical resource evaluation. Based in Toronto, he provides both strategic direction and technical leadership across EarthCore’s subsurface and clean energy platforms.
With over 40 years of international energy experience, including 30+ years in oil & gas subsurface evaluation and six years in clean hydrogen and energy-transition technologies, Dr. Afzal has guided exploration, development, and commercialization projects across North America, the Middle East, North Africa, and Asia.
A broad-based energy generalist with deep subsurface expertise, he combines geological interpretation, downhole data acquisition, and surface process integration. This enables EarthCore to repurpose proven oil & gas methodologies for emerging areas such as natural hydrogen, helium co-production, geothermal systems, and critical minerals, reducing technical and execution risk.
As CEO, he oversees strategy, technology development, partnerships, and capital formation, while fostering collaboration with academia, government, Indigenous communities, and industry partners to ensure projects are technically sound, economically viable, and socially responsible.
Under Dr. Afzal’s leadership, EarthCore Resources Ltd. is positioned as a platform company bridging subsurface science and clean energy, advancing Canada’s energy security and contributing to the global energy transition.
Umar Qureshi,
Chairman, EarthCore Resources Ltd.
Umar Qureshi is a seasoned energy industry executive with over 45 years of global experience across oilfield services, wireline logging, drilling technologies, and subsurface operations. His career spans senior leadership roles across Europe, North America, the Middle East, and Asia. After earning his Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, he began his career as a Wireline Field Engineer with Schlumberger.
Throughout his career, he has held senior leadership positions including President of Geco-Prakla (Schlumberger’s seismic division), Vice President Wireline & Testing for Southeast Asia, and General Manager roles across multiple international markets. He also served as Director of Personnel at Schlumberger Limited, contributing to global HR leadership, technology commercialization, and operational transformation initiatives.
Mr. Qureshi later transitioned into entrepreneurial leadership as Chairman and CEO of PBQ Oilfield Services DMCC, where he leads a group of companies delivering reservoir studies, technical consulting, and advanced oilfield technologies across multiple regions.
At EarthCore Resources Ltd., Mr. Qureshi serves as Chairman, providing strategic leadership and global energy industry guidance while supporting the company’s vision to integrate subsurface expertise with emerging opportunities in natural hydrogen and helium exploration.
Vasim Qureshi, P.Eng.
VP, Geo-Scientist, Petrophysicist, EarthCore Resources Ltd.
Vasim Qureshi is a Professional Engineer with over 40 years of international experience in the energy industry, spanning North and South America, the Far East, the Middle East, and North Africa.
He holds an M.S. in Electrical Engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology and began his career with Schlumberger as a Wireline Logging Field Engineer, later advancing into log analysis and petrophysics. Over the past decade, he has served as an independent consultant specializing in reservoir characterization for oil and gas operators worldwide.
Throughout his career, Mr. Qureshi has been actively involved in industry mentoring and technical training, contributing to programs delivered through SAIT, the University of Alberta, and the Canadian Well Logging Society (now part of CEGA).
He believes the transition toward greener energy systems represents a significant opportunity for the industry. Drawing on his hydrocarbon exploration and reservoir expertise, he contributes to the evaluation of subsurface hydrogen (H₂) and helium systems, including source identification, migration pathways, reservoir quality, trapping mechanisms, and fluid differentiation using established industry analytical tools.
Brian Schulte
VP, Geophysicist, GeoAI & ML Expert, EarthCore Resources Ltd.
Brian Schulte is a senior geophysicist and data analytics specialist with extensive experience in seismic and wireline log interpretation, reservoir characterization, and integrated subsurface evaluation. He combines strong technical depth with advanced GeoAI and machine learning applications to support data-driven exploration and development strategies.
Over the course of his career, Brian has held technical and leadership roles with major international energy companies including SLB (Schlumberger), Geco-Prakla, BP, Talisman, and Repsol. His global experience spans complex geological settings and diverse operating environments, contributing to prospect generation, field development, and integrated subsurface studies.
Brian holds B.Sc. Geology (Miner Geophysics) from University of Calgary and MBA, in Business Analytics from Sprott School of business, from Carleton University. formal academic training in geophysics and related subsurface disciplines, providing a strong scientific foundation for his applied work in seismic interpretation and reservoir analysis. His expertise bridges traditional geophysical workflows with modern data science methodologies.
At EarthCore, Brian supports strategic subsurface initiatives by applying advanced interpretation techniques and AI-driven analytics to de-risk exploration and enhance resource evaluation across both conventional and emerging energy systems.
Sherif Alaa
Chief Technology Officer, Natural Hydrogen & Helium Systems, EarthCore Resources Ltd.
Sherif Alaa serves as Chief Technology Officer of EarthCore Resources Ltd., bringing over 24 years of international experience across upstream energy, well engineering, and advanced energy systems. His career includes senior technical and leadership roles within multi-billion-dollar enterprises operating across four continents.
Mr. Alaa possesses deep expertise in well design, drilling and completion engineering, reservoir interface optimization, and integrated field development strategy. He has led multidisciplinary engineering teams and overseen complex project execution across diverse geological and regulatory environments.
He holds a Master of Science (M.Sc.) in Renewable Energy Engineering from the University of Freiburg, Germany, complementing his extensive subsurface background with formal expertise in sustainable and hydrogen-based energy systems.
At EarthCore, he leads the company’s technology architecture for natural hydrogen and helium systems—integrating subsurface exploration methodologies, well engineering design, and surface processing strategies to deliver technically disciplined, scalable, and investment-ready projects aligned with EarthCore’s clean energy mandate.
Mazhar Ali Chaudhry, Chief Financial Officer, EarthCore Resources Ltd.
Mazhar Ali Chaudhry is a senior finance and operations executive with over 35 years of global experience across oilfield services, financial management, supply chain operations, and large-scale project execution. His career spans leadership roles across North America, Europe, the Middle East, North Africa, Southeast Asia, and the Former Soviet Union, supporting complex energy operations in diverse environments. He began his career with Schlumberger, advancing through a range of finance and operational leadership roles.
Throughout his career, he has held senior positions at Baker Hughes and Schlumberger, including Director of Supply Chain Operations, Director of Billing & Collections, Director of Procurement, and Financial Controller across multiple international markets. He has led large multidisciplinary teams and managed complex operational portfolios, consistently delivering improvements in cost efficiency, working capital optimization, and asset utilization.
Mr. Chaudhry holds a Master’s degree in International Business and Finance from the University of Thai Chamber of Commerce, complemented by a background in Civil Engineering. His combined expertise enables a disciplined and integrated approach to financial performance and operational excellence.
At EarthCore Resources Ltd., he serves as Chief Financial Officer, providing strategic financial leadership and supporting the company’s vision to advance scalable, investment-ready opportunities in natural hydrogen and helium exploration.
Mitsu Kurashina
Technical Advisor, Hydrogen & Helium Purification, EarthCore Resources Ltd.
Mitsu Kurashina brings an international background spanning journalism, global trade, and renewable energy innovation. As a university student in Japan, he began writing for major weekly news magazines, launching his early career in international reporting.
After graduation, Mitsu joined John Swire & Sons, the British multinational conglomerate and parent of Cathay Pacific Airways. He later served as a representative of Cunard Line in Japan and, at age 30, became a correspondent for BusinessWeek and subsequently Newsweek International, covering global business and energy developments.
Alongside his journalism career, Mitsu developed a bifacial solar tracking system concept in the early 1990s and participated in government-supported solar field-testing initiatives in Japan in collaboration with NEDO, Sharp, and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries. His work later expanded into hydrogen and helium resource research.
Mitsu advocates for the strategic development of natural hydrogen and helium resources as part of the evolving global energy mix, with emphasis on establishing resilient supply chains for future clean energy applications.
Simon Campbell,
Technical Advisor-Gravity & Magnetic Data Interpretation, EarthCore Resources Ltd.
Simon Campbell is a gravity and magnetics specialist with extensive experience in the application and integration of potential fields data to reduce exploration risk. With advanced processing, interpretation, and modelling expertise, he focuses on integrating gravity and magnetic datasets with broader geoscience information to enhance exploration effectiveness.
With more than 30 years of global experience across diverse geological settings and energy domains, Simon has held senior leadership positions including Head of Gravity and Magnetic Solutions and Head of Global Technical Development at Getech Group plc. His work has supported exploration programs ranging from frontier basins to mature producing regions.
Simon holds a BSc in Geophysics from University College Cardiff and an MSc in Exploration Geophysics from the University of Leeds, United Kingdom.
At EarthCore Resources, Simon supports the technical team in maximizing the value of gravity and magnetic data to screen prospective areas, refine subsurface understanding, and drive data-driven exploration decisions.
Klaus Steven
Technical Advisor – Energy Infrastructure & Project Development, EarthCore Resources Ltd.
Klaus Steven is an experienced executive specializing in industrial infrastructure development, operational leadership, and capital project execution. Having served in senior roles including CEO and COO, he has led organizations through plant optimization, operational restructuring, and large-scale facility development.
His industry background spans automotive manufacturing, mechanical engineering, renewable energy systems, and heavy industrial production. He has held leadership positions with organizations including Volkswagen, Sumitomo, Siemens, and GERB, overseeing complex plant operations and greenfield infrastructure projects.
Klaus brings direct experience relevant to hydrogen production and industrial gas processing, including oversight of biomass and green ammonia facilities, modular plant construction, and process-intensive energy systems. His expertise supports structured execution across electrolyzer installations and integrated processing environments.
He holds a Master’s degree in Technical Business Studies from Ostfalia University, Wolfsburg, Germany, At EarthCore Resources Ltd., he provides execution-focused oversight for hydrogen, helium and Ammonia infrastructure initiatives.