Brian Paes-Braga is a Vancouver-based entrepreneur, capital markets executive and philanthropist with a successful track record in the finance sector. He is also the founder of Lithium X Energy Corp., a lithium resource company created in 2015.

Today, Brian serves as Principal, Head of Merchant Banking at SAF Group, a leading structured credit and merchant banking group which builds, invests, finances and advises high growth companies as well as provides flexible and long-term capital solutions to public and private corporations while providing stable returns for investors through its structured
credit arm.

In 2008, at the young age of 20, Brian Paes-Braga started his career as a stock broker at Jordan Capital Markets, where he spent the next four and a half years helping to grow the firm from five employees to over 50 and opening offices in both Calgary and Colombia, South America.

At 25 years old, Brian joined Pathfinder Asset Management where he was responsible for running Intrinsic Capital, an exempt market dealer. Transitioning from being a broker to merchant banking gave Brian front row access to some of the CEOs and companies his management firm was helping to bring public and capitalize in Canada.

In 2015, the father of a school friend told Brian about a lithium mine in Nevada. After recognizing lithium’s potential, especially in relation to electric vehicle batteries, Brian pitched purchasing the mine to Vancouver resource and film financier Frank Giustra.

It wasn’t long after that first pitch that Brian Paes-Braga launched his company, Lithium X Energy Corp. In just two and a half years, Brian and his team successfully raised approximately $53 million before he sold Lithium X to NextView New Energy Lion Hong Kong Limited for $265 million, on the same day as his 30th birthday.

Outside of his career, much of Brian Paes-Braga’s focus is dedicated to his family’s charity, Quiet Cove Foundation, which supports innovative solutions to large scale social issues. The foundation was created to encourage leaders to think big, take risks, and disrupt the status quo.

Today, Brian continues to follow his business leadership and entrepreneurial ambitions. He serves on the Board of Directors at Thunderbird Entertainment Group Inc., a Vancouver-based content production studio, and on the Board of Directors for metals company, DeepGreen Metals Inc.

In 2019, Brian was appointed Chair of Thunderbird Entertainment Board of Directors. He is also a lead investor in Nude Beverage Group and is part of the strategic advisory board of Gold X Mining Corp (formerly Sandspring Resources).

Outside of work Brian enjoys tennis, swimming, hiking and playing hockey and golf. He has also hiked Kilimanjaro, Everest Base Camp and is hiking Illimani in Bolivia this year.