The World Coal Association (WCA) has welcomed July Ndlovu of Anglo American’s South African coal business as its new chairman.
Ndlovu brings new leadership to WCA in key global markets, with South Africa being a major supplier to emerging economies.
He joined Anglo American in 2001 and was appointed as chief executive of the company’s South African coal business in 2016.
Prior to this, he was executive head of processing at Anglo American’s platinum group metals and employed by Anglo American subsidiaries in Zimbabwe, holding senior managerial positions across the metallurgical coal operations and technical services.
“I am honoured to chair the WCA at a time when the role of responsible coal is front and centre,” Ndlovu said of his appointment.
“Our industry provides access to reliable and affordable energy for many countries, particularly in the developing world, while also supplying an essential steelmaking ingredient for global infrastructure development.
“Our role is to ensure that we meet both our customers’ needs and society’s expectations of us, by working together to deliver a new era of clean coal technologies.”
The WCA thanked its outgoing chair Glenn Kellow, president and chief executive of Peabody, for his contribution and leadership to the WCA over his two-year term.
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South32 general manager of the Appin coal mine in New South Wales, Wayne Bull has stepped up as vice president of operations at Illawarra Metallurgical Coal (IMC), replacing Jason Economidis, who has been promoted to joint chief operating officer.
Economidis has been vice president of operations since 2018 and was instrumental in IMC’s return to a strong operating performance.
He has worked across the Australian mining sector for more than 25 years, running large-scale operations with companies including BHP, Peabody, Orica and Vale.
Bull will continue to work closely with Economidis in his new role.
Bull began his career in the United Kingdom before relocating to Australian in the 1990s, taking on senior leadership roles including a stint as development manager at the Dendrobium coal mine when it was still under the ownership of BHP.
South32 farewells outgoing chief operating officer Paul Harvey, who is leaving to pursue other opportunities after five years of leadership at South32.
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Markus Ziemer has joined DGO Gold as chief operating officer and company secretary, effective Monday August 17.
The company created the chief operating officer role to strengthen its executive team and execute growth strategies.
Ziemer brings extensive experience in mining, exploration, energy and technology to DGO Gold, having experience in general management, legal and company secretarial roles with companies including Newcrest Mining, Ashton Mining and Pacific Hydro.
This appointment follows the resignation of Mark Licciardo as company secretary.
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Civil engineer Garry Thomas is Mithril Resources’ newest non-executive director.
Thomas has more than 35 years’ experience in civil construction, mine development and operations, and has worked in mining operations in Australia, Indonesia, Laos, Russia, Zimbabwe, Ghana, Zambia, South Africa, Algeria, Mexico and Mali.
In Thomas’ various roles, he has managed the design, construction and commissioning of more than 20 carbon-in-leach (CIL) and carbon-in-pulp (CIP), flotation and heap leach plants as well as other plant upgrades.
Thomas also founded Australian design and construct consultancy Intermet Engineering, focussing on non-ferrous mine development that was later sold to Sedgman Minerals.
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Navarre Minerals has boosted its technical team by recruiting geologist and Victorian gold specialist Sarah Cochrane as a senior exploration geologist.
Cochrane has more than eight years’ experience as an exploration geologist with Castlemaine Goldfields, a subsidiary of LionGold and owner of the Ballarat gold mine.
She was project geologist on multiple Victorian greenfields projects and exploration geologist in Western Australia’s Pilbara region.
Navarre managing director Geoff McDermott noted Cochrane’s wealth of knowledge on Victorian gold mineralisation, which would strongly benefit the company’s exploration projects at a crucial evolutionary stage.