Keep up with the latest executive movements across the mining sector, featuring the resignation of St Barbara chief Craig Jetson and more.
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Craig Jetson has resigned as managing director and chief executive officer (CEO) of St Barbara, with Dan Lougher to be appointed to the role.
From 2012 to June 2022, Lougher was managing director and CEO of Western Areas, which was recently acquired by IGO. He had been at the successful nickel miner for six years prior to 2012 in general manager and executive director roles.
Lougher managed the construction of Western Areas’ Flying Fox mine and Cosmic Boy concentrator – an operation that is still delivering today 17 years after being commissioned.
He also led the feasibility activities for the Spotted Quoll open pit and underground mine, as well as construction of that mine and all associated infrastructure. In 2015, he initiated another growth phase for Western Areas with the strategic acquisition of the Cosmos nickel operations.
“Dan has a distinguished career spanning 40 years, and has established industry leading credentials for the development and operation of large-scale mining assets in the base and precious metals sector,” St Barbara non-executive chair Tim Netscher said.
“He has successfully built multiple mines, managed all facets of project development from resource definition, feasibility studies, project financing, mine construction and the negotiation of offtake contracts.
“An initial important priority for Dan will be to ensure that the agreed FY23 Gwalia business plan and budget are delivered and that the significant value associated with the Leonora Province Plan is unlocked, including potential value accretive corporate activity.”
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Peter Ravenscroft has resigned as managing director and CEO of Burgundy Diamond Mines.
Kim Truter, appointed as non-executive chair in December 2021, will be appointed as interim CEO, bringing more than 30 years’ mining experience to the role.
Truter has significant diamond experience, providing executive global leadership in Canada, Australia, and Africa most recently with De Beers Canada and previously with Rio Tinto Diamonds.
Non-executive director Michael O’Keefe will be appointed as executive chair, having been managing director of Glencore Australia from 1995 to 2004 and executive chair of Riversdale Mining prior to that company being acquired by Rio Tinto in 2011.
Through its Ellendale diamond project in the West Kimberley region of Western Australia, Burgundy is looking to become Australia’s next diamond producer.
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Caravel Minerals has appointed experienced resources industry executive Don Hyma as its new managing director.
With more than 30 years’ experience in Australia, Canada, Chile and New Caledonia, Hyma’s previous roles include Fortescue Metals Group’s director projects, Mitsui & Co’s technical director, Iron Ore Company of Canada’s vice-president projects and Rio Tinto Iron Ore’s general manager projects.
“Caravel is very pleased to have secured Don to lead Caravel and the Caravel copper project as it enters its final feasibility stage and positions itself to making significant steps to becoming a new global copper producer,” Caravel chair Wayne Trumble said.
“Don has a track record in successfully delivering large-scale resource projects and we look forward to his leadership and engineering expertise combined with a deep understanding of supply chains benefiting Caravel.”
Caravel is focused on a new porphyry copper district discovered in a previously unexplored part of Western Australia’s Central Wheatbelt.
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Asra Minerals has appointed Rob Longley as its new managing director, bringing more than 30 years’ of mining industry experience to the role.
As a non-executive director with Green Technology Metals and former managing director of Ardiden, among other high-level roles, Longley will add strong geological focus and strategic minerals direction for Asra’s emerging rare earths, scandium, cobalt, and gold assets in the Leonora region of WA.
Longley has worked on the Sunrise nickel-cobalt-scandium-platinum project in NSW and many gold, nickel and lithium deposits of WA, demonstrating his expertise in critical minerals projects.
“I am delighted to have secured Rob as Asra’s managing director,” Asra chair Paul Summers said. “Asra is extremely fortunate to have appointed someone of Rob’s calibre in the mining industry. He brings to the company a wealth of experience and proven leadership history.
“Rob together with fellow director Mathew Longworth creates a very sound base of senior geologists with management and corporate experience upon which to build the future of Asra.”
Longley’s appointment coincides with the resignation of Peretz Schapiro as executive director.