Keep up with the latest executive movements across the mining sector, including Pilbara Minerals, Evolution Mining, Patriot Battery Metals and more.
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Pilbara Minerals has appointed Paul Laybourne as project director of the company’s 1-million-tonne-per-annum expansion of the Pilgangoora lithium operation in WA.
Laybourne will also be responsible for overseeing other downstream growth opportunities to move Pilbara Minerals further down the global battery metals supply chain.
With more than 30 years’ project management experience, including 12 years in the mining industry delivering large-scale projects, Laybourne has held senior roles at companies such as Hancock Prospecting, Roy Hill and WSP.
Laybourne played a pivotal role in the delivery of the $10 billion Roy Hill iron ore project in WA, which was the largest debt-funded resource project at the time.
Pilbara Minerals managing director and chief executive officer (CEO) Dale Henderson said Laybourne was a key addition to the team.
“His (Laybourne’s) wealth of experience and previous history of complex project delivery means that he is ideally qualified to fill this important role in our executive team,” he said.
“His sharp focus on safety, schedule, quality and cost, as well as his commitment to building the skills within his teams, will be integral to the successful delivery of the series of projects we have planned to continue to grow and diversify Pilbara Minerals into the future.”
Laybourne will commence as project director within the next three months.
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Evolution Mining has appointed Barrie Van Der Merwe as its new chief financial officer (CFO).
Working across a range of countries including Australia, South Africa and Botswana, Van Der Merwe has more than 20 years’ experience in the resources industry and most recently held the role of vice president – group finance at Orica.
He also held a range of senior finance roles at Anglo American Platinum in the past.
“It is an honour to join Evolution at such an exciting time of its journey,” Van Der Merwe said. “As a premier global gold company, the company’s ambition to prosper through the economic cycles and its drive to have employees behave as owners, resonates very strongly with me.”
Van Der Merwe commences as Evolution CFO on March 1.
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Emerging Canadian-focused lithium explorer Patriot Battery Metals has appointed Natacha Garoute to the position of CFO.
Garoute has more than 20 years’ experience working within global public mining companies, including being CFO at Champion Iron and CFO and company secretary of Roxgold.
Current CFO Dusan Berka has stepped down but will remain on the Patriot board.
“We are very lucky to have been able to attract an executive of the calibre of Natacha to the team,” Patriot president, CEO and director Blair Way said. “Her broad experience with both TSX and ASX listed companies is perfectly suited to our needs.”
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Respected mining executive Samantha Hogg has joined IGO as an independent non-executive director.
Hogg also held senior executive positions at Transurban Group and Western Mining Company across a broad range of portfolios such as finance, strategic projects, marketing and corporate services. This included being CFO of Transurban Group.
“Samantha is a highly regarded senior executive, having held board and senior executive positions in a range of relevant industries and brings an impressive set of skills to the IGO board,” IGO chair Michael Nossal said.
“In particular, we will benefit from Samantha’s strong finance and governance experience, as well as her highly developed commercial skills in marketing nickel and other minerals.”
Hogg commences on January 25.