Amsterdam, Netherlands, September 2, 2013 – Nord Gold N.V. (“Nordgold” or the “Company”, LSE: NORD), the internationally diversified, pure-play gold producer strategically focused on emerging markets, following a series of recent internal and external appointments is pleased to present an update on key areas of its operating leadership team. Nordgold is confident that by broadening the experience and skillset in its executive team, it will be better positioned to deliver on the efficiency and technical improvements necessary to deliver on its strategic objectives: to improve profitability and grow gold production.
Louw Smith has been appointed as the Chief Operating Officer of the Company, reporting to the Chief Executive Officer, Nikolai Zelenski. Mr. Smith has over 20 years’ experience in the mining industry in project execution and operations in senior project management roles. Most recently, he was the Chief Operating Officer of Alacer Gold, leading a successful start-up of the Çopler Gold Mine in Turkey. Prior to Alacer Gold, he spent over 15 years at Gold Fields International in Western Australia, Finland, Bulgaria and Ghana managing a variety of its mines and projects, including such flagship operations as Damang and St. Ives mine complexes.
Mr. Smith holds Degrees in geology and geochemistry, engineering geology and commerce, and Master’s Degrees in Mining Engineering and Business Administration. He is a member of the Australian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy.
Martin White has been appointed as the Technical Director of the Company, reporting to the Chief Operating Officer, Louw Smith. Previously, he was the Chief Operating Officer of Aureus Mining Inc. where his main responsibilities included the management of the companies’ exploration activities and the completion of the ESIA and Feasibility Study for the New Liberty gold project. He has 20 years’ experience in both technical and operational roles in such companies as Ashanti Goldfields, JCI and IMC consulting.
Mr. White holds a degree and PhD in Mining Engineering from the University of Nottingham.
Philip Lodewyk Engelbrecht has been appointed as the Director of Metallurgy, reporting to the Chief Operating Officer, Louw Smith. Mr. Engelbrecht is a professional Metallurgist with over 15 years’ experience in optimising and managing multiple ore processing plants in remote locations in Peru, Ghana, South Africa and Australia. Most recently, he was the Vice President and Head of Metallurgy at Gold Fields International, Australia.
Mr. Engelbrecht holds a Higher National Diploma in Extractive Metallurgy from Vaal Triangle University of Technology, Vanderbijlpark, Gauteng, South Africa. He is a member of the Australian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy, Society for Mining, Metallurgy and Exploration and Canadian Institute of Metallurgists.
Matthew Wilcox has been appointed as the General Director of Lefa Mine in Guinea, reporting to the Chief Operating Officer, Louw Smith. Mr. Wilcox joined Nordgold in October 2010. He was responsible for the engineering design, construction and subsequent launch of Nordgold’s Bissa mine in Burkina Faso, which was delivered on time and on budget and is already exceeding production forecasts. Mr. Wilcox holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in applied Chemistry and a Bachelor of Engineering Degree in Chemical, both from Curtin University in Western Australia.
“It is a sign of the exciting long term growth potential of Nordgold that we have successfully attracted such a strong caliber of talent to the business. I am confident that we have in place a management team that will enable us to both successfully manage our increasingly international portfolio through the current market challenges and also to deliver on our long term strategic growth plans.” Nikolai ZelenskiChief Executive Officer of Nordgold
“There is clearly an outstanding and diverse wealth of experience across the Company, and I look forward to working with all my new colleagues to deliver on Nordgold’s growth objectives. Nordgold already has a strong focus on safety, a robust development pipeline and a proven ability to build new projects. My key priorities include investing effort into the safety of our employees, increasing the quality and technical support of our immediate and long-term plans, and improving productivity and capital utilisation at our mines. I look forward to contributing to the future success of the Company.” Louw Smith Chief Operating Officer, Nordgold
