Miners bolster senior ranks in preparation for fast-paced 2018

VANCOUVER (miningweekly.com) – Several Canadian listed miners reported senior management changes on Tuesday.

Marine mining hopeful Nautilus Minerals announced Tuesday that Tariq Al Barwani has been appointed to the role of nonexecutive chairperson. Al Barwani joined the board in May 2016. He is a director and shareholder of MB Holding Company, and CEO of Mawarid Mining, a wholly owned subsidiary of MB Holding Company. MB Holding Company is Nautilus’ largest shareholder.

Al Barwani has a BSc degree in Geology from Imperial College, in the UK, and an MBA specialising in strategy and leadership from McGill University, in Canada.

In parallel with this new appointment, Nautilus announced that it has embarked on a process of board renewal, with the aim to appoint additional new independent directors, and to expand the board’s skill sets to support the financing and delivery of the world’s first deep sea mine offshore Papua New Guinea.

Meanwhile, Emerging Nunavut-focused TSX-listed gold producer TMAC Resources also announced on Tuesday that it has appointed veteran mining investment banker Jason Neal as president and CEO of the company effective February 15. Neal is joining TMAC from BMO Capital Markets, where he has been co-head and MD of the Global Metals & Mining Group.

Neal will have overall responsibility for the company’s strategic planning, vision, growth, leadership and ensuring that the company effectively carries out strategic plans approved by the board. More specifically, he will lead the development and production of the company’s second mine at Madrid and a third mine at Boston – which are expected to start production in 2020 and 2022, respectively – as well as pursue appropriate strategic growth initiatives in the future.

Further, Maritime Canada iron-ore project developer Alderon Iron Ore has reappointed Tayfun Eldem as the president, CEO and director, effective February 5. He will replace company founder Mark Morabito, who will assume the role of nonexecutive chairperson.

Eldem was president and CEO of Alderon from September 2011 to August 2015, and was instrumental in further developing the Kami project. Eldem has 29 years of experience in the mining industry and has previously worked for the Iron Ore Company of Canada, a Rio Tinto subsidiary, for more than 20 years.

Meanwhile, Skeena Resources on Tuesday announced that it has appointed veteran economic geologist Paul Geddes as its new VP of exploration, effective March 1. Geddes has more than 20 years of exploration and resource development experience in precious and base metals.

He replaces Rupert Allan, who has resigned from the position, but will remain on as a director.

LSE Aim-quoted and US-focused copper and cobalt exploration and development company Phoenix Global Mining also announced on Tuesday that it has appointed current nonexecutive chairperson Marcus Edwards-Jones as executive chairperson with immediate effect. The acceleration of the exploration programme at the historic Empire copper mine, in Idaho, where a significant resource upgrade was announced in November and the acquisition of the adjacent ground surrounding the former Horseshoe mine, as well as the securing of the Bighorn and Redcastle copper/cobalt exploration licences, also in Idaho, have substantially increased the workload of the management team.

The transition from a nonexecutive to an executive role for the chairperson highlights the increasing momentum at Phoenix Global Mining and the team is working towards gaining approval from local authorities to re-enter the old Empire mine.