Miningmx reports that Natascha Viljoen is to step down in the next 12 months as CEO of Anglo American Platinum (Amplats) in order to take up a position at US gold miner Newmont Corporation.
Viljoen’s departure is a surprise as she was only appointed three years ago. In addition, Amplats is currently facing operational headwinds including delays to the expansion of its flagship Mogalakwena mine. Viljoen said she would be “forever grateful’ for her time at Amplats but that she had identified the next stage of her career. She is committed to serving a 12 month notice period. Anglo American owns 80% of Amplats and Viljoen’s departure is said to have created uncertainty at the apex of one of the group’s most important profit drivers. It also opens the question of who might run Amplats in the future given the difficulty of attracting top international executives to SA where the company is based. An internal appointment might follow or the way could be cleared for the return of Chris Griffith, who had been CEO of Amplats for seven years before becoming CEO of Gold Fields. He resigned from Gold Fields in November. A former Lonmin executive, Viljoen was head of Amplats’ processing division from 2014. She previously worked at AngloGold Ashanti and was GM of BHP’s Klipspruit Colliery prior to joining Lonmin in 2008. The process to identify Viljoen’s successor is now under way.
- Read the full original of the report in the above regard by David McKay at Miningmx
- Read too, Amplats' Viljoen makes a move to Newmont, at Mining Weekly
- And also, Amplats CEO resigns to take US job, at Moneyweb
Get other news reports at the SA Labour News home page