Business Times reports that Natascha Viljoen, Anglo American Platinum CEO, says she accepted a job at US-based gold company Newmont Corporation because it’s in line with her ambition to lead a global mining company.

Viljoen has been Amplats CEO for three years after taking over from Chris Griffith and will join Newmont as COO when her notice of up to a year ends. In a recent interview, Viljoen said she was headhunted for the position. “I am hoping to one day run a global mining company, but there aren’t many of those around. This is a step in that direction for me. It gives me a chance within the runway that I have to essentially be able to do that. That is why it is such an opportunity for me. I did not go looking for a job. It is important to point that out. I was tapped on the shoulder,” Viljoen said. Viljoen, who took the helm a month after an explosion at the company's processing facility in March 2020, faced challenges including the decline of grades at the Mogalakwena mine and the delay in rebuilding the Polokwane smelting facility. During her tenure, Amplats launched the world's first hydrogen-fuelled truck. She led the signing of a five-year wage deal last year. Amplats this week announced a leadership shake up with the appointment of Riaan Blignaut as COO, Wade Bickley as executive head of mining technical and Agit Singh as executive head of processing technical.

• Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Dineo Faku at Sunday Times (subscriber access only)

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