TAMPA, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug 11, 2026--
American Ocean Minerals Corporation ("AOMC" or the "Company") today announced that Paul Warmé has been appointed Chief Financial Officer. Through its previously announced merger with Odyssey Marine Exploration (NASDAQ: OMEX), AOMC is establishing a U.S.-based global supply chain for critical minerals and rare earth elements sourced from deep-sea polymetallic nodules, and Warmé’s appointment further strengthens the executive leadership team as the Company advances that mission.
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"As we prepare for our next chapter of growth, strengthening the company’s dynamic finance organization is a critical priority," said Mark Justh, Chief Executive Officer of AOMC. "Paul brings the operational discipline, financial rigor and strategic perspective needed to support our growth while maintaining the flexibility our business model demands. His appointment further enhances our credibility with investors, strategic partners and other stakeholders as we continue to build a leading critical minerals platform."
Warmé brings more than 25 years of experience in corporate finance, capital allocation, strategic planning, operational transformation and business development in the global mining and industrial sectors. Most recently, he served as General Manager at BlueScope Steel, where he led strategic initiatives to improve operational performance and enhance the company’s long-term returns. He also previously served as Vice President of Finance and CFO for North America at Iluka Resources, where he directed financial strategy and capital evaluation for the company's North American mineral sands business, and before that, as CFO at Kagara. The foundation of his career was established at Rio Tinto, where he spent over 14 years in progressively senior roles across finance, commercial strategy and marketing, and advised on major capital investments and strategic decisions in global mining operations, as well as helping to lead the divestment program following the acquisition of Alcan.
"Assembling the right leadership team is of the utmost importance for AOMC as we continue advancing our mission," said Tom Albanese, Chairman of AOMC. "Having worked with Paul at Rio Tinto, I know firsthand the depth of his leadership in evaluating large-scale capital investments, credibly engaging with public company shareholders, leading global finance organizations and driving operational excellence."
"American Ocean Minerals has a compelling opportunity to strengthen America's critical minerals supply chain through innovative technology and responsible resource development," said Warmé. "I am excited to join the Company at such an important stage in its evolution and look forward to working alongside the leadership team to execute our strategic vision and create long-term value for shareholders and stakeholders."
About American Ocean Minerals Corporation
American Ocean Minerals Corporation is establishing a U.S.-based global supply chain for critical minerals and rare earth elements sourced from polymetallic nodules. AOMC is being built as a platform company focused on responsible deep-sea exploration, environmental science, harvesting technology, logistics, processing, and commercialization across multiple regulatory pathways, including the Cook Islands' exclusive economic zone and U.S.-regulated international waters under DSHMRA. Upon completion of its proposed merger with Odyssey Marine Exploration, Inc., the combined company is expected to operate as American Ocean Minerals Corporation and trade on Nasdaq under the ticker symbol "AOMC," subject to stockholder approvals, regulatory approvals, Nasdaq approval, and other customary closing conditions.
About Odyssey Marine Exploration
Odyssey is an ocean exploration and marine resource development leader with more than 30 years of experience operating in complex offshore environments worldwide.
Offering comprehensive research, marine operations, and regulatory compliance support, Odyssey works with governments and seafloor rights holders worldwide. Odyssey develops its projects in collaboration with a global network of partners, academics, and industry professionals who share its commitment to environmentally sound solutions for obtaining minerals that address present and future global challenges. Learn more at www.odysseymarine.com.
Additional Information about the Transaction and Where to Find It
In connection with the proposed merger Transaction between Odyssey and AOM, Odyssey has filed a Registration Statement on Form S-4, which includes a document that serves as a prospectus and proxy statement of Odyssey (the “proxy statement/prospectus”), and Odyssey will file other documents regarding the proposed Transaction with the SEC. No offering of securities shall be made, except by means of a prospectus meeting the requirements of Section 10 of the Securities Act.
INVESTORS AND SECURITY HOLDERS ARE URGED TO READ THE PROXY STATEMENT/PROSPECTUS AND OTHER RELEVANT DOCUMENTS FILED WITH THE SEC CAREFULLY AND IN THEIR ENTIRETY, WHEN THEY BECOME AVAILABLE OR AS THEY MAY BE AMENDED, BECAUSE THEY WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION THAT STOCKHOLDERS SHOULD CONSIDER BEFORE MAKING ANY DECISION REGARDING THE PROPOSED TRANSACTION. A definitive proxy statement/prospectus will be sent to Odyssey’s stockholders. Investors and security holders will be able to obtain these documents free of charge from the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov.
In addition, investors and stockholders should note that Odyssey communicates with investors and the public using its website, www.odysseymarine.com, and the investor relations website, https://ir.odysseymarine.com, where anyone will be able to obtain free copies of the proxy statement/prospectus and other documents filed by Odyssey with the SEC. Stockholders are urged to read the proxy statement/prospectus and the other relevant materials before making any voting or investment decision with respect to the proposed Transaction.
Participants in the Solicitation
Odyssey, AOMC, and their respective directors and executive officers and other members of management and employees and certain of their respective significant stockholders may be deemed to be participants in the solicitation of proxies from Odyssey and AOMC stockholders in respect of the proposed Transaction. Information about Odyssey’s directors and executive officers is available in Odyssey’s proxy statement, which was filed with the SEC on April 25, 2025, for the 2025 Annual Meeting of Stockholders, and Odyssey’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2025, which was filed with the SEC on March 31, 2026.
Information regarding the persons who may, under the rules of the SEC, be deemed participants in the proxy solicitation and a description of their direct and indirect interests, by security holding or otherwise, will be contained in the proxy statement/prospectus and other relevant materials filed or to be filed with the SEC regarding the proposed Transaction. Investors should read the proxy statement/prospectus carefully before making any voting or investment decisions. Free copies of these documents may be obtained from the SEC and Odyssey as indicated above.
No Offer or Solicitation
This communication shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities, nor shall there be any sale of securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation, or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such jurisdiction. No offering of securities shall be made except by means of a prospectus meeting the requirements of Section 10 of the Securities Act.
American Ocean Minerals Appoints Paul Warmé as Chief Financial Officer
Primary elections are taking place in six U.S. states on Tuesday — Alabama, Connecticut, Minnesota, South Carolina, Vermont and Wisconsin.
Minnesota voters will settle a moderate-versus-progressive Democratic U.S. Senate primary between centrist U.S. Rep. Angie Craig and progressive Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan. In the race for governor, Mike Lindell, known as the MyPillow Guy, leads a crowded Republican primary with President Donald Trump’s endorsement, while Sen. Amy Klobuchar faces minimal opposition for the Democratic nomination.
The Democratic primary for Wisconsin governor is another high-profile clash between the party’s establishment and progressive wings, as democratic socialist Francesca Hong tries to rise above establishment candidate David Crowley. In a Republican primary for U.S. House, Trump-backed candidate Michael Alfonso, the 26-year-old son-in-law of U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, is seeking to win Duffy’s former district.
And Republicans in South Carolina are casting ballots in a special primary election to replace the late U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham on the state’s general election ballot. The crowded race has attracted top party members, including two congressmen and a former governor — but Trump has endorsed Graham’s sister, Sen. Darline Graham, a political unknown appointed to serve out the final months of her late brother's current term.
Here's the latest:
Michael Alfonso has leaned into his endorsement from Trump in the five-way Republican primary for Wisconsin’s 7th Congressional District.
The 26-year-old Alfonso has faced blowback from some Republican leaders in the district who question whether he is too young and inexperienced for the job.
Alfonso is counting on Trump’s endorsement carrying the day in the deeply red district.
Duffy held the congressional seat from 2011 until 2019, when he resigned mid-term. He returned to politics last year when Trump tapped him to serve as transportation secretary. Alfonso is married to Duffy’s daughter, Evita Duffy.
After losing a top Senate advocate when the South Carolina Republican suddenly died, Trump has angled to play a role in picking his replacement, too.
Trump heralded the selection of Darline Graham as “a fabulous tribute” to serve as her brother’s interim replacement. And he urged her to run in the special primary, endorsing Graham before she’d made her candidacy official.
In forging a relationship with Darline Graham, Trump could be angling to develop another ally to help steer his agenda through the Senate.
So far, Darline Graham has been doing just that. Repeatedly stressing to voters her intent to support Trump’s policy positions, she often references in particular her co-sponsorship of a voting bill that’s become a key priority for the president.
Trump relied on Lindsey Graham in the Senate and has endorsed Darline Graham to replace him.
She had already been known as Lindsey Graham’s sister and lifelong supporter, but since her brother’s death a month ago, Darline Graham has been thrust into the political spotlight.
A day after the late senator’s sudden death was announced, South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster named Darline Graham to serve the remaining months on his current term, which expires in January. She was sworn in the next day and took his spot on powerful committees, including Judiciary.
Days later, Darline Graham was among the candidates jumping into a special GOP primary to replace her late brother on November ballots. She’s appeared at various stump events and one debate, although Senate business kept her off the campaign trail as other hopefuls traversed the state.
U.S. Rep. Angie Craig has support from the party’s establishment, while Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan is backed by prominent figures on the left including Sen. Bernie Sanders.
The primary will again take the temperature of Democratic voters a week after progressive Abdul El-Sayed won a bitter and divisive primary in Michigan that fired up the left and fueled anxiety among party leaders that Democrats will alienate moderate swing voters.
Craig says her record of winning repeatedly in a battleground House district will ensure the seat stays in Democratic hands. Flanagan says Craig hasn’t stood firm enough against President Donald Trump and wealthy donors.
Wisconsin voter Jesse Heer said Hong understands “what it’s like to live here and have to afford to live here.”
Heer, a 32-year-old business owner from Madison, said Hong’s focus on affordability issues was the top reason he voted for her. And he’s not buying the argument from other Democrats, including Hong’s more moderate challenger, Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley, that she will have a harder time winning in the general election.
“I think she’s a good candidate,” Heer said. “I think a lot of people agree.”
Hong voter Kelly McClurg, 40, of Sun Prairie, says Hong has shown “she’ll be able to push back more” on issues that Democrats care about, like affordability.
McClurg said if fellow Democrats believe in her, and don’t assume she can’t beat Republican Tom Tiffany, “she can win.”
Wisconsin voters who cast their ballots Tuesday for the gubernatorial candidate favored by more mainstream Democrats say they are confident the party will unite even if the progressive challenger wins.
David Zimmerman, a 79-year-old retired industrial engineering professor, voted for Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley. Crowley is endorsed by Gov. Tony Evers and is seen as the pick of more moderate Democrats.
Zimmerman says he worries “a lot” about progressive candidate Francesca Hong’s ability to defeat Republican Tom Tiffany in November.
“I think she’s going to have trouble winning,” Zimmerman said.
But both Zimmerman and fellow Crowley voter Julie Martinson, 69, predict Democrats will come together even if Hong wins. They said they would vote for her in November.
“There’s no reason we can’t galvanize around her and get her in there,” Martinson said.
No Connecticut governor has served three consecutive terms in modern times. Former Republican Gov. John G. Rowland was elected to a third consecutive term in November 2002 but he resigned in 2004 amid a corruption scandal.
In Tuesday’s Democratic primary, Lamont, 72, takes on state Rep. Josh Elliott, 41, who is running left of the current governor.
One of two Democratic governors who attended President Donald Trump’s inauguration, Lamont has carefully chosen which issues to criticize the Republican president on. That tactic has prompted complaints from more liberal Democrats in Connecticut.
This post has been updated to correct the ages of Lamont and Elliott. Lamont is 72, not 71. Elliott is 41, not 42.
The state is holding special primaries in four congressional districts after it won permission from the U.S. Supreme Court to change its congressional maps. The state tossed out the results of May primaries and scheduled the Tuesday special primaries using the new map.
Turnout for party primaries is typically low. It was 23% in the May primary and 10.7% for the June runoff. It is expected to be particularly low in a special late-summer primary, when people are unaccustomed to voting.
Six Republicans are seeking the GOP nomination in the redrawn 2nd Congressional District. The winner will challenge Democratic Rep. Shomari Figures in November.
Republican candidates and party officials have been trying to promote the special primary and get voters to the polls. The primaries will be decided without a runoff.
Polling places opened across the state at 7 a.m. EDT, and voters have until 7 p.m. to cast their ballots.
It’s only been two months since South Carolina voters made their picks in the primary elections in June. But Graham’s sudden death last month set into motion a special primary to pick a Republican replacement for the general election ballot in November.
Candidates have only had a matter of weeks to campaign.
There were three days of early voting last week, and Tuesday’s special election also coincides with the first day of school in some areas, so polling places have changed for many who typically are assigned to vote at schools for summertime primaries.
The topsy turvy race pits democratic socialist Francesca Hong against the governor’s endorsed candidate David Crowley.
Hong has ridden a wave of support from liberals to bolster her insurgent campaign. Crowley had quit the race but got back in — with Democratic Gov. Tony Evers’ endorsement.
Crowley rejoined the race after Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez dropped out last month amid a campaign finance scandal.
Former Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes had the highest name recognition after a 2022 U.S. Senate run, but he also dropped out less than two weeks before the primary amid questions about inappropriate behavior.
In the Republican primary for governor, U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany has Trump’s endorsement and faces nominal opposition.
Progressive candidates for governor in Wisconsin and U.S. Senate in Minnesota are increasing the pressure on a Democratic establishment that has spent the year on its heels.
Today’s primaries come a week after Abdul El-Sayed narrowly defeated Rep. Haley Stevens in Michigan’s divisive and costly U.S. Senate primary. El-Sayed’s victory has energized the left while stoking fears among Democratic Party leaders that the shift to the left, particularly in battleground states like Michigan and Wisconsin, will make it more difficult to win in November.
Minnesota Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan, a Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate, greets supporters during a campaign event at the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe Twin Cities Office in Minneapolis, Saturday, Aug. 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Ellen Schmidt)
U.S. Rep. Angie Craig, D-Minn., candidate for U.S Senate, greets Merci Wolff and her daughter during a canvassing event at SMART Sheet Metal Workers Local #10 headquarters, Monday, Aug. 10, 2026, in St. Paul, Minn. (AP Photo/Ellen Schmidt)
Campaign signs for Michael Alfonso, a candidate for U.S. House in Wisconsin's 7th congressional district, line the entrance to an event, Tuesday, Aug. 4, 2026, in New Richmond, Wis. (AP Photo/Ellen Schmidt)
David Crowley, right, Democratic candidate for Wisconsin governor talks with CJ Arthur, left, owner of WordHaven BookHouse during a campaign stop with Wisconsin Gov. Tony Ever, center, Friday, Aug. 7, 2026, in Sheboygan, Wis. (AP Photo/Kayla Wolf)
